Fun things to do with kids at the Isle of Wight, UK

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Fun things to do with kids at Isle of Wight, UK

Established as a separate administrative county in 1890, the Isle of Wight (IOW) is the second largest and 2nd most populated island in England, covering an area of 148 square miles with a population of 139,800. The island lies on the English Channel around 2 miles from Hampshire, full of resorts and holiday destinations for visitors. Dating back to the Victorian times, the Isle of Wight has been really popular for its mild climate, coasts and the landscapes of fields and chines. Home to Queen Victoria’s summer residence and final home, Osborne House - the Isle of Wight remains to be a great destination for a family holiday. 

Wightlink Ferry to Isle of Wight

Due to the maritime influence, local activity majorly around boat building, sail making, manufacturing of hover crafts & even space rockets has been a regular on the island. Throughout the year, the Isle of Wight has lots of fun activities to offer for all age groups. Holiday makers can explore the beaches, the numerous attractions or be part of the many festivals scheduled for the different seasons of the year including the largest rock music event - the Isle of Wight music festivalwhich this year is celebrating its 50th birthday. 

Wightlink Ferry to Isle of Wight

Although the Isle of Wight is an island, reaching it is no biggie. The ferry crossing is the best and the most convenient way to visit the island by choosing a preferred route - Portsmouth to Fishbourne, Yarmouth to Lymington (both Wightlink services operate for these routes) or Southampton to Cowes. Having selected one, visitors can just board the ferry by themselves or load their vehicle on as well. 

Wightlink Ferry to Isle of Wight

We took the Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne and vice versa on the way back. Our outward ferry was scheduled for the evening so my family and I could enjoy some gorgeous views of the sunset. It was an extremely convenient boarding experience. Once parked safely, we were directed to the upper decks with a lounge area where passengers can relax and enjoy some drinks & snacks. The ferry also had a small shop selling souvenirs such as magnets and post cards and displayed a free copy of the island’s magazine highlighting the different family friendly activities to do when on the island. For additional convenience of the passengers, they’ve got toilets, lifts, play area for toddlers, a teen zone with a TV and gaming area, cafe and different types of comfortable seating areas - both indoors, and on the deck for the passengers to catch some sea breeze. It hardly took 45 minutes for the ferry to reach the Isle of Wight, after which we headed straight to our home for the weekend - the East Afton Farmhouse. 

Wightlink Ferry to Isle of Wight

Below are some top of the child friendly activities at Isle of Wight, and the attractions we visited during our stay at the island.

Tapnell Farm Park 

Less than 5 minutes drive from the East Afton Farmhouse where we stayed, is the Tapnell Farm Park - a one stop establishment for a range of activities. This had been a dairy farm in the past but has now been converted into an all-weather attraction making it one of the most popular place at the Isle of Wight. BabyN’ was full of joy getting to see the different animals at the farm. Some of them were indoors at the Farmyard Barn like the lamb, bugs and beasties, guinea pigs, chicks, goats and rabbits while others such as pigs, alpacas, goats and some more lamb were outdoors in the paddock. We also experienced the Wallaby walkabout adjacent the Meerkats enclosure.

The farm has many additional activities such as pedal go-kart, zip lines, barn play area, huge jumping pillows, an indoor play area including a 3 storey soft play area and many more. For that hungry times during the stay, there is a cafe, an ice cream stall and The Cow Co restaurant at the Tapnell Farm Park for some posh nosh. The farm has plenty of parking space, and is great not only for toddlers, but bigger kids and even adults. They’ve also got a gift shop for everyone to pick their favorite memento on the way out. The best part is that the Tapnell Farm Park is open all year round, 7 days a week and offers daily activities for the visitors as well as different events planned throughout the year. We had an amazing family time at the Tapnell farm at the Isle of Wight and we liked it so much that we visited it twice, first on our first day in IoW and once more before catching the return ferry to Portsmouth. 

Tapnell Farm Park Isle of Wight

Tapnell Farm Park Isle of Wight

Robin Hill Country Park

The Robin Hill Country Park set on 88 acres of beautiful countryside is an incredible place for the visitors of all ages. The country park offers outdoor fun activities and great family experiences, along with ample free parking. The massive area it covers easily accommodates a huge number of visitors at a time. We had originally planned to visit the Robin Hill Country Park in Isle of Wight for the Bear Hunt only, but we did manage to explore the rest of the park too. It was a pleasant sight watching the peacocks roaming around freely at the park. I’m not too sure why they were left open, but I had earlier observed a peacock on the park’s logo. It took us a little under one and a half hour to complete the Bear Hunt and since the afternoon was quite warm, we managed to finish two bottles of flavoured sparkling water that we had brought along.
Robin Hill Country Park Isle of Wight

The friendly staff guided us to the start point of the Bear Hunt, where we were provided a card and a pen to use along the trail. Read more details about our Bear Hunt experience, here (link will be updated soon). The Robin Hill Country Park at the Isle of Wight offers lots of activities for the family to spend a fun filled day, some of which are included in the entry price while some are paid. The park has been divided into different sections with different activities - the Cow's express children's train ride for the little ones and 'Colossus' the ship for everyone (minimum height 1.1m). BabyN’ was quite excited to board the ship, but unfortunately he couldn’t as he still needs to grow taller to comply. At another end, was a falconry area, a treetop trail, a wooden maze, Duckdown play village, Pine Cone construction and the squirrel tower to name a few activities for families to enjoy. The park also has four restaurants and a 4D motion cinema but we weren’t able to experience it because it was closed at the time we reached. I’ve experienced a 4D cinema at a popular themed park in the UAE, and I can say how exciting it is for fun and adventure lovers. Due to time limitations, we couldn't explore the entire park on our visit, but it's definitely recommended to spare at least 4 hours for here. 

 Robin Hill Country Park Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

This was our first time travelling on a steam railway so I was quite excited. Visitors can find ample free parking outside the station, although they do appreciate donations. The ticket office is at the entrance from where we collected our passes and joined the queue to board the train. The major routes offered by the Isle of Wight Steam Railway are from Havenstreet to Wootton and Smallbrook and vice versa. Boarding the first class cabin with comfortable seats, that was all to ourselves was a great family experience. 

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

We took both the routes and had an option to get down an enjoy a picnic, but our fully packed day did not allow us to stop anywhere for too long. Heading back to Havenstreet, we explored the station area that had a restaurant with an indoor and outdoor sitting, an outdoor and indoor play area for kids, a book store, a gift shop and a museum. Families can easily spend 3-4 hours at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and enjoy while the kids play and entertain themselves. 

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Isle of Wight Steam Railway
  
Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Isle of Wight Zoo

The Isle of Wight Zoo, a wildlife center that has been family owned since over 40 years is located in Sandown just opposite the beach, and has its own car park that costs £3 for all day. The machine only accepts coins, so make sure to grab some before visiting. The zoo has its own gift shop and a cafe called Zootopia that serves tea/coffee and both hot and cold food. It was quite fascinating seeing the Indian Tigers and the zoo also has some animals from Africa including lions and lemurs. We waited for some time for the lions to come and say 'hi' but it was a warm day and they didn't seem too keen to move away from shade. From the Americas, the Isle of Wight zoo had the raccoons and monkeys and we also got to see white parrots and wallabies. The zoo also offers various experiences to the visitors such as the wildlife experience, walking safari and animal encounters. 

Isle of Wight Zoo

Isle of Wight Zoo

Isle of Wight Zoo

Isle of Wight Zoo

Isle of Wight Zoo

Dinosaur Isle 

Also in Sandown, the Dinosaur Isle in the Isle of Wight is at a walking distance from the Isle of Wight zoo. We had already parked the car outside the zoo, so we decided to opt for a 5 minute walk to the Dinosaur Isle. At the entrance, the Dinosaur Isle has a gift shop with lots of dinosaur related stuff and toys. As we further walked in, we got to see some dinosaur fossils and were welcomed by a voice over. 

Dinosaur Isle Isle of Wight

The Dinosaur Isle was quite an entertaining and an interactive place. Apart from various models and skeleton of prehistoric creatures, we got to see some unusual particles under a microscope, feel the fossils and even sense how the dinosaurs smelt. It was great knowing how differently they might have smelt - one was like the smell of oud, while another smelt somewhat like poo! A robotic dinosaur at the museum was very entertaining and BabyN' continuously giggled while operating it. For children's activity, the museum also had some crayons and paper available to colour and draw. In addition, the Dinosaur Isle also has different events throughout the year including the guided fossil walks for the public. 

Dinosaur Isle Isle of Wight

Dinosaur Isle Isle of Wight

Dinosaur Isle Isle of Wight

Pirates Cove (Opposite Shanklin Seafront)

The day we visited the Shanklin seafront, it was a warm & sunny and as expected, it was extremely busy and full of visitors enjoying the sunshine. Although the parking after 6:00 pm is free and is easy to find, the charge during the operating hours is £1.50 per hour. Besides enjoying the sand and a dip, just opposite the Shanklin Seafront is the Pirates Cove - a great place for families to hole some putts. The Pirates Cove has two mini golf courses one with a dinosaur and the other a pirate theme.

Pirates Cove opposite Shanklin Seafront Isle of Wight

Pirates Cove opposite Shanklin Seafront Isle of Wight

Pirates Cove opposite Shanklin Seafront Isle of Wight

For a round of mini golf, the score cards and other essentials like the clubs and balls are collected from their counter at the entrance after which the visitors can freely enjoy the game. BabyN’ was more interested in the Dinosaur course, so we opted for that one and started putting. The 18 hole game begins with easy holes but starts getting difficult yet interesting towards the finish. Besides the mini golf, the place also has other activities like a bouncy castle and different rides for which tokens have to be purchased from the counters. 


Spend an afternoon at the Isle of Wight beaches

It’s also a great idea to spend some time at the beaches as the Isle of Wight has a mix of pebble (Freshwater Bay, Alum Bay, Needles) and sand beaches (Sandown & Shanklin). I think sand beaches are better for kids to play with their sand toys while the adults can enjoy some sunshine, but obviously both can be great and also depends on your own personal choice. All beaches where we went has parking facility and it’s generally free after 6:00 pm so it’s great to explore the area around after 6:00 pm especially during the summer months. We explored both the pebbly and the sand beaches and we had taken BabyN's sand toys along, so he could have some fun. It's advisable to wear proper footwear especially when opting for a pebble beach because they might just take a wrong turn. 

Freshwater Bay Isle of Wight

Shanklin Seafront Isle of Wight

It took us two days to do all these activities at the Isle of Wight and it was indeed a fun filled weekend. We were able to spend some quality family time at the island and made some amazing memories. You can also read about the East Afton Farmhouse at the Isle of Wight, the place where we stayed, in a previous post here. The island offers many more fun activities for families, and I've already made a list of things I'd like to do next time I'm at the island and a trip to the Blackgang Chine, the first visitor attraction at the Isle of Wight that has just turned 175, tops the list. 

Wightlink Ferry to Isle of Wight

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8 comments:

  1. We love the IOW and we've been to the zoo and the trains - but the rest is yet to be discovered next time! Saving this post for the summer.

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  2. vWe used to go to the Isle of Wight when I was a kid - it's a great place to go as a family, as there really is so much to do. And if the weather is warm, it's a gorgeous part of the country x

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  3. I went to Isle Of Wight with my secondary school years ago and it was a great trip but I didn't quite realise just how much there was to do there. I think I would be most excited for the Steam Train or Dinosaur Isle

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  4. The Isle of Wight looks like a fantastic place for a family break. I love ferries and steam trains, so it might still be perfect for me even though my boys are nearly grown up!

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  5. I would love to visit - the beach looks amazing :) My children would really enjoy the Tapnell Farm park x

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  6. Haven't been to Isle of Wight since I was a kid. Looks like it's changed a bit since then.

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  7. I'd love to go to the Isle of Wight again! We spent our honeymoon there in a yurt - we got fed up with planning things so the honeymoon turned into a staycation and I'm so glad it did. We loved it on IoW. Must return with the kids soon and try some of these places.

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  8. Looks like there are lots of fun things to do. The farm park looks very good

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