Newquay is a popular sea side resort, its hardly surprising though with its stunning beaches, Cornish Ice cream and plenty of things to see and do.
However, after living in Cornwall I know its wise to have a back up plan of things to do with children, when it rains. Surprisingly there are some great things to do when it rains. I’m sharing with you ten great things to do in Newquay when it rains.
Blue Reef Aquarium
This fantastic little aquarium is located on the Towan promenade. It overlooks the fabulous Town beach. Despite the aquarium being smaller than most it still does the job. The Newquay blue reef aquarium are really conscious of conservation and with over 40 exhibits. The exhibits take you on from Cornish coasts to exotic seas.
All the exhibits have natural themes to make a comfortable habitat for giant octopi, sharks and so many more sea creatures. There is a pool with crocodiles which is always popular. As are the sting rays that you can get close up to. All the exhibits have large see through viewing panels meaning that it is easy for everyone to get an up close look. One of the best bits about the aquarium that I love is the walk through poly tunnel, which is home to the coral reef. You can walk right under it so you can see the cool puffer fish, sting rays and other species swimming around.
The aquarium is very child friendly, there are little steps available to give them a better look. The access is great and the price is very reasonable. What is really great is that once you buy your ticket you can come and go all day. Meaning you can explore other areas and pop back to see one of the scheduled talks and feeds.
Pirates Quest
If your children love pirates then this is definitely a great indoor attraction to visit. Newquay’s Pirate Quest takes you on a voyage through Cornwall’s pirating past. During the experience you will see a pirate help you escape from a shipwreck and help you arrive to the captain’s ship can get ready to sail to an exotic island. During the tour children are given activity sheets and if they follow the clues and complete the sheets they receive a pirates chocolate treasure and a badge.
You can find Pirates Quest in the town centre. The tours run at set times so its worth booking unless you don’t mind waiting.
Trerice House
Trerice house is a Cornish gem that can be found at the end of small winding roads, two miles inland. It is a lovely Elizabethan manor house built-in the 1570’s. The house is well-preserved with fine interiors whilst the garden includes orchards. There is plenty to do for all. They have costume trying on days, traditional outdoor games to play and a small turf maze.
This great National Trust property has a large café. The Barn restaurant offers morning coffee, freshly made lunches, a delicious selection of cakes. It’s a great property to spend several hours at.
Lappa Valley Steam Railway
With miniature steam engines, a lake and maze, this charming small attraction near Newquay is a great day out for families with younger children. Board a mini steam railway which goes through a leafy woodland site of historic East Wheal Rose mine. There is plenty to do when you get off the train. You can paddle a canoe or pedal a giant swan around the lake, play crazy golf and ride more miniature trains. You could even take a walk on one of the nature trails. There is a small indoor play area that the children will love, This is a great attraction what ever the weather, even on a slightly damp drizzly day.
Dairyland Farmworld is a great attraction for all ages. There are slides, pony rides, mini tractors, a maize maze and an opportunity to get up close to some farm animals. You can even feed some of the animals. There is an interesting farmworld museum and a huge soft play area, the bull pen. A great opportunity to get the children to run of some of their energy. Inside you can also tour the milking parlour and take part in the milking of the cows. Dairyland is a great attraction what ever the weather and it is definitely worth a visit.
Dairyland is situated just on the outside of Newquay and is very easy to find.
Water world
A fantastic leisure centre with a fun swimming pool that everyone is bound to enjoy. Filled with fun features such as flumes, water cannons, tippers, slides and even a giant floating snake for children and adults to climb on. This tropical fun pool also has an erupting volcano. It is very easy to spend a couple of hours here on a rainy day.
There is also a 25m swimming pool if you fancy a more leisurely swim. The swimming pool is located on the Trenance leisure park which is a short walk from the town centre.
Newquay Cinema
A very clean and comfortable cinema in the centre of Newquay. This well-kept three screen cinema shows all the latest releases making it a great rainy day activity. There are plenty of goodies to buy in the entrance to keep everyone happy. There a wheel chair spaces and the access to the cinema is disabled friendly. A lovely cinema with reasonable prices.
Jungle Jacks Soft Play
A large soft play centre located on the edge of town that is sure to keep any child entertained. There are challenging areas to climb, a rope bridge, a fabulous slide, crafty crawl tubes and peekaboo bubble windows. There is also a dedicated baby and toddler area where the smaller children can play safely. You only have to pay for the children unlike some soft play centres. There is a wonderful café with a very varied and healthy menu for both adults and children alike. A really clean soft play that is a brilliant option on a wet day.
Pottery Painting
Decorate a piece of pottery of your choice. A fun, creative activity for all ages. Enjoy a drink or snack whilst your painting your piece of pottery. A fun, not very expensive activity to do on a rainy day.
Bowling
Ten pin bowling at Hotel California is a fun activity for all the family. Just a ten minuet walk or two minuet drive from the town centre. The bowling alley is open to both residents and the public. Each lane is equipped with animated screens, lighting and sound effects on each lane. There is a great range of food and drinks available so you can make an afternoon or even evening of it. The perfect rainy day activity.
There are many more rainy day activities close to Newquay and also other area’s in Cornwall so there really is plenty to do when the sun isn’t shining. Looe is also a lovely place which I recommend visiting.
I love an aquarium but that pool looks brilliant. I think we’ve been lucky as we’ve never had bad weather in Newquay.
Newquay is amazing when the sun shines.