Can anyone recommend fun things for a 2 year old to do in the lakes please ?

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Hi

I am looking for recomendations of activities in the lakes to do with my DD 2 years found a few possibilities but would love to hear recomendations

Please and thank you

South Lakes wild animal park is good.

Also Fell Foot park if the weather is nice if not we have resorted to dragging kids around Lakeland Plastics as there is precious little else to do!

Beatrix Potter museum is charming.

Meander your way around Grasmere and get some Gingerbread?

Go on boat trip around Windermere.

Find waterfalls, the ones behind the youth hostel at Derwentwater are dramatic.

Duckys animal farm near grange over sands is brilliant. Also boat trip on windermere was fun

We just went walking with our 2 year old at easter...we took a backpack to put her in when she got tired...but we mainly walked - fairly simple walks - tarn hous, a walk to some waterfall near Ambleside and a walk to Beatrix Potter's house from some car park near Windermere

We also went to the aquarium of the lakes, had a boat trip...Grizdale forest is very toddler friendly and has a nice cafe

sigh I love the lakes and want to go back

Mine are a wee bit older (3 and 4) but we had a great time recently in the Lakes - it's soooo child-friendly. Agree about Grizedale Forest (we stayed in a house in the forest, about 5 mins from the visitor centre - twas fab) there's also a nice playground at the visitor centre. Tarn Hows nice for easy walks. We went on the Ravenglass to Eskdale railway (wee steam trains - I have 2 boys!) - tbh it was a bit far away from where we were staying , and the trip a little too long - I think there's another one near Lake Windermere somewhere that's shorter and more central.

The national park website is excellent btw. Tried to do a link but I can't get the webpage up at the moment - this is the address anyway: here

We generally take ours walking. Been every year since before they were born. If it's rainy, we just suit up and go somewhere they can splash in puddles . Up until they got to heavy (littlest is now 3 and is bad for the back, lol) we pretty much did whatever walks we wanted and carried them for as much or as little of the walk as they wanted.

Tarn Hows is a lovely one to do, and Grizedale forest is also good (the trees shelter you from the weather a bit too!). Mine were 3 and 18 months when we went on the Eskdale railway. They loved it. It's a bit out of the way from everywhere if you don't want to drive around the lakes. We normally pick a base and don't go far. Waterfalls are always popular (weather depending, Stock Ghyll behind Ambleside is in a nice little woodland park. Aira force near Ullswater is stunning in the right conditions. Fell foot park has a nice little playground and is pretty down by the lake - but the cafe is out of commision at the moment unfortunately (it flooded) and the charge for the car park is extortionate.

I really want to go to the Lakes now. I think I'm slightly obsessed ... my kids are 3 and 4 and are constantly 'in training' for the next trip to the hills!

Apparently there's a soft play in Rheged on the A66 but never had to go. And the pencil museum is a classic, but I don't think a 2 year old would get much out of it!

Picnic by a shallow lakeshore (the path round Rydal Water is easy), feed ducks, paddle, clamber up a fell which has lots of small rocky outcrops to clamber on, find a nice beck to paddle in, go on steamers on Derwent Water, Windermere or Ullswater, sit and watch lambs, if you are lucky you may see sheepdogs working.

Hi

Thanks for all your suggestions its given me food for thought, We have been to the lakes for the past 2 years but we usually take our 2 labradors with us so only usually go walking, but with DD getting too heavy to carry for long periods we are going dog free this year hence asking for ideas.

Many thanks for all your suggestions

Brockhole has a good park too