Family friendly activities in Cornwall for under a tenner (or free!)  


2 children on the beach with wet weather gear on

Hit the beach!

Cornwall has over 400 unique beaches spanning the 250 miles of Cornish coastline. We are spoilt for choice – some  with miles of golden sands to smaller hidden beaches, off the beaten track and only accessible at low tide. Just a 10 minute drive from your holiday cottage you will discover Pentewan, an expansive sandy beach, accessible from the village at one end or from the popular touring park at the other. There is a children’s playpark alongside the beach and in the summer season, eateries and even an ice cream van right on the beach. We also recommend nearby Porthpean, this sheltered bay is perfect for little ones to paddle their feet, swimmers to safely swim in full view and rock pooling at low tide. The car park is reasonably priced and close so not far to lug your beach kit and picnic. We have shared more of our tried and tested favourites here.

Beach Cleaning

The beaches around Cornwall only stay tip top by everyone working together to help keep them clean. Nanny Pat heads up her local litter picking group and can often be found in one of the fishing  towns or villages helping keep the county clean. If you would like to join Nanny Pat for a litter pick during your stay please let us know in advance of your stay and we can see if she is available, or join one of the many locally organised through The National Trust and Surfers Against Sewage. Feel inspired to go alone? We have litter picking equipment you are welcome to borrow, just ask at reception.

Callestick Farm

Visit the champion Cornish Ice Cream parlour near Truro for an indulgent treat. With 30 award winning ice creams and sorbets to choose from lovingly made with milk from their own dairy herd near Newquay, you’ll be spoilt for choice. As well as ice creams in cones they serve Cornish cream teas, ice cream sundaes and waffles all at very reasonable prices. Open 7 days a week – find out more on their website

Truro Cathedral

Located in the heart of Truro city you will find Truro Cathedral. All are welcome to visit 7 days a week to experience worship, music, events, arts and learning. Events include anything from Family Fun Days to Vintage Pop Up Clothing Markets. Children are made particularly welcome with seasonal-themed trails during the school holidays including their popular teddy trail.  https://www.trurocathedral.org.uk/

Royal Cornwall Museum

Explore Cornish history at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro. Learn about the past and visit popular events or exhibitions. There is free entry for everyone under 18. Adult tickets are £7.50 each. At the time of writing this blog, the museum is open Tuesday – Saturday but they do open on Mondays in the summer holidays.   Its not boring, their displays are really interesting and informative and engaging for all the family.

Go to the woods!

Just down the road from Bosinver, the Pentewan Trail is one of our favourites. It’s a two-mile level walk from the car park making it ideal for little legs. The village has cafes, and a pub and there’s a large sandy beach – don’t forget your bucket and spade.  A little further away from Bosinver (25 minutes by car) you’ll find Cardinaham Woods which has a variety of trails. The best one for toddlers is the Lady Vale walk, which is an easy, mostly level 1.5 mile track set beside the stream. This is often themed for toddlers with characters from Julia Donaldsons’ books and an activity sheet. Once you’ve completed your stroll refuel at the Woods Café that serves a range of freshly prepared light bites and drinks every day. Parking for up to 4 hours is just £4.

Mevagissey Aquarium

On the way to the outer harbour wall in Mevagissey, you’ll find the Aquarium. It’s manned by volunteers, and Nanny Pat has loved visiting with her Grandchildren over the years. All the fish in the tanks (some of them are whoppers) are found in our Cornish waters (great to put a face to a name) and it’s quite eye-opening to see how many species there are – do go in and have a look around. Entry is free but donations are appreciated. https://www.mevagisseyharbour.co.uk/aquarium/

Stay at Bosinver

With £475 worth of activities and extras included in the price of your holiday you don’t have to spend a penny once you get to Bosinver Farm so once you arrive you can truly relax without worrying about additional extra costs. These activities include daily animal feeding with Farmer Dave, private family swimming sessions, Wild Kids Forest school (sessions go ahead with 8 or more children), soft play, games room and outdoor play areas. Many of our guests come to us at the end of their holiday and tell us they didn’t need to leave as there was so much to do on site.

If you would like a super family friendly stay at Bosinver Farm then we would love to welcome you to share the magic. Browse our cottages and check availability online. If you have any questions, please give us a call on 0726 72128 during office hours and we will be happy to help.

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Action Nan and the rest of the team are always busy writing posts that we think you’ll like – from top tips on where to take the kids, to what’s likely to be going on in the local area when you stay – we’ve got it all in our blog!