Recommendations on Devon with young children

[mrssunshinexxx]

Please could I have some reccomendations for next summer in Devon we have 3 children aged 5 , 3.5 and 9months currently.
lovely beaches , nice restaurants / cafes and some good days out nearby ..
have found a nice air b and b in Paignton but no nothing about the place ?

we have been to north Norfolk couple weeks ago and loved it so will return but want to try Devon next year as well . Have considered Cornwall but Devon is that bit closer in already quite a mammoth journey
tia

I like Westward Ho, it has a sea pool and there is a very nice restaurant with outside seating. You can see Lundy on a clear day.
If you stay near there you can also pop across to Bude in Cornwall.
To be honest anywhere in Devon near the Coast will have plenty of touristy places to visit.

Dawlish and Dawlish Warren is fabulous for families. Ladys Mile End campsite have static caravans/lodges but is a hike up and down a hill to the beach but only a 5 min drive and plenty of parking. Easy access to other resorts down that coast. Indoor and outdoor pool, pub, chip shop etc. Its a lovely site for young families. Or we stayed on Welcome Break site this year. Nice as well and closer to everything but not as swish as Ladys Mile End.

Love Westward ho! The beach at Northam burrows is gorgeous and lots of shallow water to paddle in. Big sheep is great for a day out and Milky way near there.
Paignton area, the zoo is really good and Goodrington sands beach is great. Has a nice play area nearby and steam trains pass by regularly. There is also Pennywell farm for a day out not far. The actual centre of Paignton is a bit tired in parts but kids love the arcades and the sea front has a lovely play area near the beach.

I loved Paignton as a kid in the 70's, now not so much (understatement). The zoo is good though. Goodrington sands is a nicer. Personally I much prefer the beaches at Bantham/Bigbury or up north at Woolacombe, but Paignton area may be more convenient (and almost certainly cheaper!).

Prefer east Devon: Exmouth beach is fabulous, crealy theme park, donkey sanctuary at Sidmouth, Bicton gardens, indoor pool in Exmouth if it rains, world of county life at Sandy bay.

Love Woolacombe area. We have stayed at Golden Coast a few times now.

Could also do Dorset - Charmouth, Lyme Regis, also can get to East Devon, Sidmouth etc

Salcombe. The beaches in the Salcombe estuary are safe (although the ones on the East Portlemouth side benefit from afternoon sun).

I love Paignton/Torquay. We had a brilliant holiday in Paignton with my 3 year old on June. His favourite beaches were Goodrington Sands and Oddicombe.

Goodrington is huge and sandy, with a playground, crazy golf and a small lake type thing with swan peddle boats and motorised splash boats for hire. There's also a kiosk selling pasties and hot drinks, as well as an ice cream kiosk, and a Brewers Fayre pub (not sure what this is like as we didn't go in, but the ice cream kiosk was lovely).

Oddicombe is smaller and sheltered. There's a very steep walk down to it, or you can use the 'cliff railway' which takes you down and back up again. My little boy LOVED this. Again, there's ice cream and hot drinks available, and there's also a restaurant on the beach also (I think it's called Three Degrees or something similar) - again, can't vouch for this as we didn't go in. There's a really lovely cafe at the top though, just before you get on the cliff railway, which I can 100% recommend.

There's are ferries than run between Torquay, Brixham and Paignton, and these are great too. We had a lovely day out catching the ferry from Paignton to Brixham, visiting the 'Golden Hind' pirate ship in Brixham, and getting fish and chips before getting the ferry back.

Torquay harbour is also nice for a walk round and a look at the boats, there's a steam train that runs from near Goodrington if you have any little ones into trains, Paignton pier is good for a rainy afternoon if you fancy some arcade machines, and there also a zoo in Paignton which is meant to be a nice day out (though I haven't visited). Woodlands theme park isn't too far away either.

Ooh, and there's also the model village and gardens in Babbacombe, which sounds a bit naff but is actually pretty good!

Youngs Park with Goodrington North and South Sands beaches - the park has a small children's playground, a boating lake with either swan ? boats or bumper boats, crazy golf and Cantina which is a licensed cafe/restaurant ( expensive for what it actually is ) but I believe it does sell take away ice creams ?
Public toilets are next door.
I believe in one of the beach huts just a couple of mins away is a tea/coffee stall and I recall seeing ice cream/ice lollies there too ?
That immediate beach North Sands is dog friendly all year round.

Up towards the middle of both beaches is a Brewers Fayre / Premier Inn.
I believe there are public toilets nearby.

Then on the next beach South Sands - dogs not allowed in the Summer months, there is a Costa, amusement arcade and maybe a shop ? then at the far end of that beach there is a cafe, I believe it does food ? and tea/coffee, ice cream etc.
Public toilets are just about next door.

Public toilets are not free.

Paignton Beach / Paignton Pier
also has a children's playground The Geoplay Park
( bigger and better than the little one in Youngs Park )

there are public toilets, a couple of cafes / restaurants / take aways.
This is prob Paignton's main beach.

Paignton Zoo

South Devon Railway - steam trains & ' The Round Robin ' - bus, boat and train to Dartmouth via Totnes.

Pennywell Farm

If staying in Paignton in August, the Circus usually comes to town, and a fun fair.
Around this time there is usually a firework display one evening, maybe even twice ?

There is a Facebook page ' Spotted Paignton '

I came on to say Westward Ho! as well.

Thanks everyone for your time and reccomendendations
we jumped on a beautiful air b and b with an outdoor heated pool and private hot tub as it was a ‘rare find’ 5 star reviews and the only week last over the high season next summer was the week we wanted to go so seemed perfect :) now fingers crossed for the sun x

Dyd you go for the house near Paignton?

We had a holiday to Goodrington near Paignton when kids were about 6 and 1. I remember lots of rockpool searching at Goodrington, and watching the steam train. Loved Paignton zoo. Also got a boat trip to Brixham and eldest and DH went to see Golden hind while I went for a walk along sea wall etc with ds on buggy, then a fish a chip lunch. I remember there was another lovely beach nearby too, Broadsands.

@Simplelobsterhat yes we did :) your trip sounds lovely hopefully ours will be too x