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Things to do with kids in St Ives: A Short break in Cornwall

Blog· Travel

16 Jul

I know I have mentioned this many times before..but I absolutely love Cornwall. I love the rugged coastline. I love the beautiful turquoise waters. I love the independent shops and restaurants. We also love St Ives. Cornwall is a beautiful place to visit and makes for a fabulous motorhome trip in the UK.  There are also so many things to with kids in St Ives. It has a laid back, chilled vibe and time seems to slow down to allow you to take in every moment. St Ives seems to have a different pace of life….that wonderful coastal life that makes you feel relaxed, calm and happy. With all this in mind, February half term seemed the perfect opportunity for a short break in Cornwall

*Post contains affiliate links**

St Ives getaway

A holiday in St Ives, Cornwall

  • A holiday in St Ives, Cornwall
  • Things to do with kids in St Ives
    • Visit Carbis Bay Beach
    •  A picnic on Harbour Bay Beach, St Ives
    • Crafting at Barnoon Workshop
    • Shopping in St Ives
    • Seal spotting at Godrevy
    • Visit Tate Art St Ives

During February half term we enjoyed a fabulous mid-week break in St Ives. We stayed at Una St Ives, a development of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom properties situated on the edge of St Ives. Our luxury self catering lodge was just a mile away from the stunning Carbis Bay Coastline, and the white sands and cobbled streets of St Ives were just a short drive away.

Una St Ives

Visiting in February we experienced St Ives through different eyes…and it was a little bit special. Quiet and tranquil, yet there was still the wonderful vibrant atmosphere of a busy seaside coastal town. The sun was shining and we had a lovely few days, so much so that we have already made plans to return this Summer to explore the area more.

There is so many things to do with kids in St Ives -we were spoilt for choice, but here is a snapshot of what we got up to during our midweek St Ives getaway.

Things to do with kids in St Ives

St Ives getaway

Visit Carbis Bay Beach

Carbis Bay was a short drive from our lodge at Una St Ives, so it was lovely to explore this beautiful beach. It was a particular favourite of ours, and it’s not hard to see why. Just one mile east of St Ives, it is one of Cornwall’s eight award-winning Blue Flag beaches. A lovely expanse of sand, it is beautifully clean and ideal for families. It has also been awarded a Keep Britain Tidy Seaside Award for 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Carbis Bay Beach

 A picnic on Harbour Bay Beach, St Ives

Harbour Bay Beach is sheltered and safe for paddling. At low tide the harbour beach joins up with Porthminster Beach to form a mile of beautiful sandy beach. This is the town’s nearest beach with cafes, restaurants and shops overlooking the beach. St Ives is a working port and you can watch the local fishermen landing with their daily catches. We grabbed a takeaway from The Cornish Bakery and headed to the beach for a coffee and a picnic….those pasties are good!!!

 St Ives getaway

Harbour Beach, St Ives

Crafting at Barnoon Workshop

One of the highlights of our few days in St Ives was to have the opportunity to spend a little quality time with my two girls. We headed off to Barmoon Workshop to spend a morning crafting. If you know my girls, they absolutely adore their arts and crafts and spend many an hour, drawing, colouring, gluing, painting and beading, so needless to say they absolutely loved their morning here. The Barnoon Workshop is a dedicated space for arts and crafts activities in the heart of St Ives. The workshop is overlooking Porthmeor beach. We got to make beautiful shell mobiles and the girls spent some time painting shells and threading beads – it was a lovely morning spending quality time with my babies. There are a great selection of events and creative workshops available – find out more online

Shopping in St Ives

There are some great shops in St Ives. I love to come across fab independent and quirky shops. We stumbled upon The Drill Hall which has a few independent shops to meander and we stopped by Café Art for a cake and a cuppa. Mr Otis and Us purchased a pair of sunglasses, and the kids came back with unicorn bears (anyone else have to collect a cuddly toy from everywhere they visit …. or is that just us?).  I can highly recommend visiting the Digey Tea Rooms for a bite to eat. We also couldn’t pass the Cornish Bakery without a takeaway of Cornish Pasties before heading to the beach.

Cornish Bakery

Seal spotting at Godrevy

Godrevy beach is considered one of the most dramatic and exposed beaches off the Cornwall’s North Coast, set at the far end of St Ives Bay. It is popular with surfers, families, walkers and nature lovers. It is connected to Gwithian beach at lower tides and terminates with rocky headland. Godrevy beach is overlooked by the stunning Godrevy lighthouse situated on an island just off the coast. We loved it here, the kids enjoyed climbing the rocks and exploring the rock pools, the views were spectacular, and we even got to spot a couple of cheeky seals whilst looking out from the beach. We got chatting to a lovely local lady who pointed us in the direction of Mutton Cove a short walk away and much to our delight there were seals a plenty – a lovely sight!

Visit Tate Art St Ives

You cannot visit St Ives without a visit to the iconic Tate St Ives. The Tate gallery over looks Porthmeor beach. I did have reservations taking three young children to Tate, however I found it extremely family friendly. Tate St Ives has a number of free family friendly events and activities all year round.  We all loved exploring the gallery, although it was a little difficult to keep the toddler from touching the displays (think he loved the art a little too much!). After our visit we headed over to the beach to let off a little of that energy!

Tate Modern, St Ives

St Ives getaway

It is safe to say we had a wonderful few days exploring St Ives. There is so much to do here, from seal spotting and rock climbing, shopping and surfing to enjoying a coffee and cake whilst admiring those beautiful sea views. St Ives is a truly special place and we can’t wait to return.

Do you have any tips for things to do with kids in St Ives?

For more information head over to St Ives, Cornwall Tourism Association online

I love to hear what you think of my blog, do leave a comment. You can find us over on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

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St Ives Getaway #Cornwall #StIves #familytravel

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Should you click to purchase, this is at no extra cost to you, but I receive a small commission. 

16 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Margie DQ says

    October 29, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    Cornwall does look beautiful. That bakery looks delicious and those view of the coastline are pretty amazing too. #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  2. Lydia C. Lee says

    October 29, 2018 at 11:51 pm

    Looks lovely! #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  3. beatravelling says

    October 30, 2018 at 12:45 am

    Cornwall is on the list!! 🙂 #mondayescapes

    Reply
  4. Keri | Ladies What Travel says

    October 30, 2018 at 9:38 am

    Although I live on the edge of the UK’s South West I’m yet to visit Cornwall. It looks really pretty though, I must make an effort to go explore more of the SW! #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  5. Emma Raphael says

    October 30, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    Beautiful. Cornwall is one of the first places my children wanted to visit when we moved back to the UK, they LOVED it! 🙂 #mondayescapes

    Reply
  6. Emily says

    October 30, 2018 at 4:45 pm

    We are huge Cornwall fans here but we haven’t been to St Ives yet. It will have to be on our list for next year (perhaps we should go in winter – it’s so quiet!). All those seals – how amazing to see them! #mondayescapes

    Reply
  7. Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says

    October 30, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    Absolutely love Cornwall, but I haven’t been down there for years. It’s such a long way from Kent, but we really must head down there again soon. #mondayescapes

    Reply
  8. megan - truly madly kids says

    October 30, 2018 at 9:48 pm

    Cornwall is beautiful – so much of it to explore and such varied landscape and that’s before you start on the art, food and drink! Beautiful images #mondayescapes

    Reply
  9. Bryna - Dotted Line Travels says

    October 31, 2018 at 1:45 am

    I went to Cornwall once, many years ago and I loved it! The blue skies, the sea, and of course the cornish pastry! Your post brings all of it back. I hope to get the chance to visit again one day!

    Reply
  10. Sandra says

    October 31, 2018 at 9:24 am

    St. Ives looks so idyllic! I love winter beaches – so much quieter.
    #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  11. Leona says

    November 12, 2018 at 4:00 am

    I went toncornwall for the first time this year and fell in love! St ives is next on my list

    Reply
  12. Sandra says

    April 23, 2019 at 6:26 am

    This looks like a perfect short (or even a longer) break spot for me.
    #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  13. Clare - Flip flops or Wellies says

    April 23, 2019 at 7:29 pm

    It really is such a beautiful place and somewhere I’ve not been for years. My mum was born in Cornwall so it has a special place for our family. Another to add to my list! #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  14. Clare (The Travelling Wilbennetts) says

    April 24, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    I do love a beach in winter. Not ever been to St Ives although have visited a few around Cornwall but have heard such lovely things about it and this post makes it even more appealing #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  15. Keri | Ladies What Travel says

    April 26, 2019 at 4:11 pm

    I’ve not visited much of Cornwall at all, but St Ives looks lovely. Sounds like you guys had a great trip! #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  16. Catherine’s Cultural Wednesdays says

    April 29, 2019 at 9:10 pm

    I love Cornwall and a beach in winter is just perfect #MondayEscapes

    Reply

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Vanlife • Camper Family • VWT5


Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......

I’m reall
Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5


Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕

Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)

🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx


Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my ne
Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?


Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography


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Ad/ Oh the places we will go ....... I’m reall Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕 My next campsite to 🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx
Camping with kids 🏕 I was going to share my ne Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography
Happy Sunday!!! So I have decided on a Sunday fo Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3

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