The 24 best things to do in Devon in winter with kids

In the deep midwinter, it’s so easy to spend days indoors, sheltering from the weather, never going far – a 21^st century hibernation. But for those quiet days between Christmas and New Year, or to cheer up a chilly January, it’s an unexpectedly wonderful time to explore the UK, including a trip to Devon in winter with kids.

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Wrapped up warm, under pale gold and blue winter skies, it’s perfect to roam the coast and the countryside and uncover the less well-known temptations. Devon is always one of my favourite counties for a UK break – and it’s even better without the peak season crowds if you visit Devon in winter.

I’ve already come up with a list of the best things to do in Devon with kids including attractions which are ideal for winter, plus free days out in Devon and ideas of what to do in Devon when it rains. So to complete the set, here are my top things to do in Devon in winter.

Take a winter walk

Whichever coast you’re staying on, whether you’re by the seaside or enjoying the countryside, there’ll be walks galore.

The walk to Watersmeet on Exmoor has been called one of Britain’s Great Winter Walks, with the dramatic river valley and thick ancient forest, and it’s family-friendly too. There’s a National Trust tea room or warm up in the remote 17^th century Rockford Inn pub.

For another easy wander that’s great for families, you could spot seals on the National Trust’s Baggy Point easy access walk and it’s a perfect place to gaze out to sea.

There’s plenty of inspiration for places to walk along the South West Coast Path, including family-friendly stretches in North Devon, South Devon and East Devon.

Or you could explore the dramatic moorland scenery with these lovely Dartmoor walks with kids. It goes without saying that you do have to be prepared for the weather here – Darmoor does get snow, and the conditions can change very quickly, so always plan ahead and don’t set off if it’s not safe.

Check out these lovely winter walks from Visit Devon for more inspiration too.

See the festive illuminations

Plan ahead for this as, unsurprisingly, most of Devon’s festive illuminations are all done and packed away by New Year – but Devon has some spectacular ones.

Coleton Aglow at Coleton Fishacre has a 20s theme or check out the winter lights at Knightshayes.

Killerton often has a Christmas trail that’s lit after dark, while RHS Rosemoor has its own Glow garden event until the end of December.

Picturesque Clovelly is lit up for Christmas too, stretching through the village to the harbour, while Plymouth often hosts the Illuminate festival at Royal William Yard, as well as Dazzle, Devonport’s festival of lights.

For natural sparkle that’s hard to beat, wrap up warm, embrace the dark and head out to star-gaze at one of the UK’s best dark skies locations in Exmoor.

Take a festive train ride

From illuminated journeys to a chance to see Santa, there are plenty of festive train rides to find in Devon in winter with kids.

The station of Buckfastleigh gets a festive makeover as the departure point for an hour-long Polar Express experience in South Devon with South Devon Railway.

Or Dartmouth Steam Railway‘s Train of Lights is easily one of the very best Christmas train rides in the UK – and one of the few options which runs after Christmas Eve as well.

Starting from the station at Paignton, the platform and carriages are decorated with thousands of lights. Then after a fun 15-minute train ride along the lovely coastal Devon route to Churston, you start your journey to some enchanting woods decorated with a beautifully festive light show.

Finishing with a view of the twinkling lights of Dartmouth itself, reflected in the river, there’s chance to take photos from Kingswear before heading back to see if all again from a different direction.

And while the Seaton Tramway isn’t a traditional steam train (as its name suggests, it’s a tram), it can feel an even more personal experience with space for just 24 in the tram car.

It’s also a longer experience, lasting around two hours 30 minutes including a stop at the North Pole.

Head underground

Brisk blue winter days are one thing but it’s less fun exploring Devon in the rain… Fortunately there are still some very fun places to explore underground if you’re visiting Devon in winter.

Kents Cavern

Kents Cavern is the UK’s oldest home of humans – not to mention quite a few other creatures. Along with bears and hyenas, they’ve found woolly mammoth teeth and evidence of huge woolly rhinoceros and even a Roman shrine.

If the weather’s good enough, there are woodland walks to discover as well, but whatever the temperature outside, it’s a constant 14C in the cavern year-round, with a little museum to explore and some activities for kids too. You can even meet Santa there in the run-up to Christmas.

Here’s what we thought of Kents Cavern on a drizzly day

Exeter’s medieval tunnels

Discover Exeter’s medieval tunnels, underground passages originally built as drinking water pipes back in medieval times – you can still venture down beneath the surface of the city to discover this unusual slice of Exeter history.

The medieval tunnels are the only ones of their kind in the UK, and as part of the tour for over-fives and up, you can also visit the interpretation centre with models, videos, artefacts from the dig and the talking figure of a medieval man.

Go to an aquarium

If your kids love animals, the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth is fabulous, including the deepest tank in the UK, trails for kids, plus around 400 different species of marine creatures to spot.

With quirky trivia about the sea creatures inside, a chance to look out into Plymouth Sound and lots of family-friendly activities, it’s a great option if you’re visiting Devon with toddlers as well as older kids.

Check out my 13 reasons to visit the National Marine Aquarium with kids

Or Ilfracombe aquarium is set in the old Lifeboat House, so you’re right on the harbourside – perfect if you’ve had to abandon the idea of rockpooling and look for things to do indoors in north Devon.

This little aquarium recreates some of the local marine life so you can journey along an Exmoor stream into a river, on to an estuary and out through a harbour to the coast and finish with a glimpse into the marine reserve of Lundy.

It closes during December and January with limited opening hours during winter – allow around 30-60 minutes to explore.

Visit a museum

There are plenty of places to get indoors in Devon in winter, especially some of the county’s great family-friendly museums.

The Box, Plymouth

Plymouth is home to The Box, a new multimillion opening a few years ago. And with a museum and gallery, the arts and heritage complex is ideal if you’re visiting Devon with kids – there’s plenty of interactive fun, and who doesn’t love a mammoth?

RAMM, Exeter

RAMM, or the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, to give it its full name, has displays telling the history of Devon from the prehistoric to the present – plus natural history and an Egyptian tomb, not to mention a bull elephant, suspended whale and Gerald the giraffe.

Torquay Museum, Torquay

The Torquay museum has an eclectic display, from a Neanderthal skull to Egyptian statues and finds brought back by explorers from around the world, plus there’s a special trail developed by the BBC for kids based on the finding of Tutankhamen’s tomb.

Bygones Torquay

Step back in time to discover a snapshot of Victorian life, with 15 shops and eight rooms along the recreated period street, from an ironmonger’s and grocer to an apothecary and sweet shop.

You’ll also find vintage arcade amusements, 50s memorabilia and a model railway recreated to show life around the World Wars at Bygones Torquay. 

The House of Marbles, Bovey Tracey

Who needs board games when you can visit a games museum? On the edges of Dartmoor, The House of Marbles has a collection of different games dating back as far as the 1600s, along with glassblowing and information on the history of glass and a pottery museum.

But it’s the marbles which get the most attention, with a collection and five different marble runs, one which may be the largest in the UK. Always one of my top picks for a rainy day in Devon – it’s free to look around too.

You’ll find a string of other Devon museums dotted across the county if you’re outside the main cities as well.

Explore a historic house

Buckland Abbey, near Plymouth

This former monastery is probably best known as the home of Sir Francis Drake, but the piratical explorer is only part of the eight centuries of history to discover at Buckland Abbey since it was first built in 1278 as a Cistercian Abbey.

Converted to a home after the Dissolution of the monasteries, you can still see evidence of the old church, including secret doorways and stairs which no longer lead anywhere, as well as being able to walk through time as you wander from Tudor chambers to a Georgian dining room.

Only open at weekends during much of the winter months. Click here for opening times and tickets.

Arlington Court, Barnstaple

Although the grounds are one of the big highlights at Arlington Court, there’s still plenty more if you’re looking for things to do in north Devon when it’s raining,

Home to the National Carriage museum, there are some fantastic vehicles on show, plus a quiz to take as you explore the house and occasional family activities and crafts.

But when it’s open, one of the biggest temptations for animal lovers is to head into the bat room and view the colony which has made its home its home here, through the bat cam. House and carriage museum are open year-round but with reduced hours in winter. 

Dartmouth Castle, Dartmouth

Dating back to the 14th century, Dartmouth castle saw action in the Civil War and was still in use as a fortress in Victorian times – if it’s raining hard or freezing cold, you’ll probably want to skip the option of catching a ferry over from the town quay but try to find a drier moment to head up to the roof for the views out across the river and the town.

Under cover, you can explore the maze of passages, look at the vast chain which defended the harbour and try on helmets in the gun tower.

Open year round but weekends only during the winter months. Click here for opening times and tickets.

For more of the best things to do in Dartmouth with kids, check out my top picks

Coleton Fishacre, Kingswear

Stepping into this art deco house (built by the D’Oyly Carte family of West End theatre fame) is wonderful at any time of year, but if you’re visiting Devon during the run-up to Christmas, Coleton Fishacre is even more special.

The house is decorated for a 1920s Christmas, with traditional games and dressing up (plus the Coleton Aglow illuminations if the weather isn’t too bad: must be booked in advance) – there are spotter trails to follow inside the house year-round though.

Open year round but weekends only/reduced opening during the winter months. Click here for opening times and tickets.

Greenway, Galmpton

Agatha Christie’s holiday home, Greenway, still looks much as it did when she stayed there – there’s a trail for kids to follow around the house, which gets dressed up for Christmas, as well as a changing display in the Cabinet of Curiosities.

Open year-round but weekends only/reduced hours during the winter months. Click here for opening times and tickets.

While there are various fun ways to arrive in summer, some are less tempting in winter so if you’re planning to drive, you’ll need to prebook a parking space.

Saltram House, Plymouth

This elegant Georgian house was owned by the Parker family from 1712 for almost 250 years, and you can still see much of the original collection.

Kids are likely to be more interested in the fact there’s a new trail every season, plus opportunities to dress up and try activities inside, with extra season events aimed at families.

Open most of the year but with reduced hours during the winter months and the house is closed completely during part of the winter. Click here for opening times and tickets.

Find dinosaurs

Dino-mad kids will love the interactive exhibition at Torquay’s dinosaur world, to bring the world of the dinosaurs to life – with everything from models to fossils, lots of dino facts to learn and the chance to sit on one (as well as put your head in one’s mouth).

There’s an explorer quiz to try as you explore and dinosaur crafts to try – but the highlight has to be the chance to touch dinosaur poo.

The waterfront attraction is open year-round but with reduced days in winter. Click here for opening times and tickets.

Hit the beach

Sunbathing might be off the cards, but the endless long stretches of sand are still perfect for building sandcastles, flying kites, rockpooling or simply running at full pelt to blow away the cobwebs – and are usually dog-friendly in winter.

Woolacombe ticks all four boxes nicely, but you won’t be short of options – and you don’t need sun to enjoy some of these great beach activities.

For the really daring, the county’s wild swimmers head into the waves off Tinside Beach, Plymouth year-round, while winter surfing has become something of a trend on the beaches of North Devon.

It goes without saying to check the weather conditions and make sure you’ve got the proper gear. I think I’ll stick to dry land until summer…

For more ideas of great Devon beaches, check out my ultimate guide to Devon for families

Get active

If your kids need to burn off some energy but outdoors is too dismal to contemplate, there are plenty of active options indoors.

Go rock climbing

Older kids can burn off some energy and challenge themselves at one of the indoor climbing centes in Devon. 

Rock and Ride Adventure Centre in South Molton is the largest indoor climbing wall in north Devon and is suitable for complete novices upwards, plus there are taster sessions for age 6+ every day.

Or for things to do in east Devon in the rain, head to Clip’n’Climb Exeter which is open to kids aged four and above, including total beginners, while the city’s Quay Climbing Centre has family taster sessions for age 7+.

Bounce it out

Head to a trampoline park to bounce out any grumbles about the bad weather. Head to Air Extreme Barnstaple in north Devon which has different age options including sessions for toddlers, while Supertramp Plymouth has family bounce and a tots club for toddlers if you’re in south Devon.

There are two iBounce trampoline parks, in Newton Abbot and Exeter with its foam pits, offering parent and toddler sessions.

Go swimming

If you’re going to get wet anyway, you might as well have fun! Waves Leisure Pool in Torquay has a sloping floor that’s ideal if you’ve got a mix of swimmers and paddlers in the family – plus a wave machine which runs during weekend and school holiday sessions.

There’s also a flume, open at the same times, plus a children’s play area. Open all year. Click here for details of opening times.

Add some spice

Nothing beats a warming drink after a chilly day – so how about mulled chilli apple juice at the South Devon Chilli Farm in December, as well as chilli hot chocolate and chilli jam for your cream tea at the café?

There’s also a play area for kids, mini tours in school holidays, and other options to see and learn more about the chillis grown there at different points of the year. Plus plenty to taste… depending how brave you are!

Or the Dartmoor Chilli Farm makes its own chilli chocolate which you can buy at shops across Devon (or online).

If you prefer your hot chocolate without any extra kick, award-winning Chococo in Exeter is the perfect spot for a treat.

Curl up by a log fire

The cosiest end to a winter’s day exploring has to be coming back to a roaring log fire or wood burner – which means one of the fabulous cosy cottages which Devon seems to specialise in.

Marsdens Devon Cottages has a whole luxury collection – after all, this is supposed to be a treat – including plenty with an open fire to snuggle next to. Or you could always go for one with a hot tub… or both. 

Holidaycottages also specialises in self-catering accommodation in Devon (and the South West), with options in Woolacombe and lovely Brixham, where we explored the Golden Hind when we visited.

Or Sykes Cottages has a whole set right on the coast, so you can scamper from a bracing walk back indoors to warm up. Perfect for Devon in winter.

And what better way to brighten the year’s darkest days?

For more ideas, check out my ultimate guide to Devon for families

*first published 2017, updated 2025*

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Images: RAMM courtesy of RAMM, Kents Cavern/Buckland Abbey/Dartmouth Castle/House of Marbles copyright MummyTravels, all other images courtesy of Depositphotos

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