We have just returned from a lovely campervan holiday on the Isle of Wight. There are endless family friendly attractions for kids to suit everyone’s needs. Here I have listed a few ideas for things to do on the Isle of Wight for kids, including free activities and rainy day activities on the Isle of Wight for families.
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FAMILY FRIENDLY CAMPING ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT
As a family of five in a VWT5 converted campervan, (not forgetting camping with our dog too) We try to choose smaller campsites that have plenty to do locally, so that we don’t have to move the campervan every day. Because let’s be honest, packing up and moving the campervan every single day can be a faff, and not to mention exhausting too.
We don’t always take our driveway awning, depending on where we are going and how long we are staying for, but we do always take a small tent, as this works for storing a few of our bits and pieces such as car seats, camping chairs and paddleboard. You may find our camper storage ideas post helpful with a few of our best storage hacks to make life on the road easier.
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is somewhere we have wanted to visit for years.
There are loads of Isle of Wight campsites to choose from, but this time we stayed at Adgestone Campsite, a Camping and Caravanning Club site in a quiet countryside setting (Read our full Adgestone campsite review here).
What we loved about Adgestone campsite is the pool, as it provided endless hours of fun for kids. Kids love nothing more than a campsite with a pool and as we all know, happy kids = happy parents.
Things to do on the Isle of Wight for kids
There are plenty of family friendly activities on the Isle of Wight. Here are a few ideas for you to keep kids entertained on an Isle of Wight holiday.
Find Dinosaur Footprints on the beach
Did you know that you can find dinosaur footprints on the beach on the Isle of Wight?
So where are the dinosaur footprints on the Isle of Wight I hear you ask?
Head to Compton Bay or Yaverland, hotspot for finding fossils. We drove to Compton Bay and finding them was pretty straightforward. What I would say is check the tidal times before you visit as they can only be found at low tide. You can also book at guide to help you find them too.
Wild Heart Animal Sanctuary
You will find Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown near to Sandown Beach. I loved the ethos, the sanctuary is well known as a rescue centre, rescuing animals including big cats from a variety of backgrounds. It is a registered charity which aims to promote the survival of endangered species. The kids loved the visit here. A family of 2 adults/2 children costs £47.00 entry.
The Needles
The Needles is a landmark attraction on the Isle of Wight, you can take a chairlift ride past the sand cliffs to the beach, or even get closer to the Needles by boat!
When you think of the Isle of Wight you instantly think of the Needles, and this attraction is not one to miss!
Blackgang Chine
Known as the land of imagination, Blackgang Chine is a family Theme Park on the Isle of Wight. With plenty of rides and attractions, and lands of imagination to discover, the kids will love a visit to Blackgang Chine.
Visit the website for prices.
The Red Squirrel Trail
The Red Squirrel Trail, offers 32 miles of mostly traffic-free cycling through the heart of the Isle of Wight’s countryside. The trail is accessed close to Adgestone campsite and allowed us to walk/cycle into Sandown with ease.
Isle of Wight Aqua Park
If your kids love water, then the Isle of Wight floating aqua park is a must. Situated at Tapnell Farm in Yarmouth, this offers great fun for families, adults and children. Please bear in mind that children need to be aged 7+, confident swimmers and over 110cm in height.
There are on-site facilities include showers and toilets and a spectator area and wetsuits and buoyancy aids provided. Changing rooms are limited so easier to come in swimwear ready to put on the wetsuit.
All sessions must be booked in advance online.
Dinosaur Isle
Dinosaur Isle Museum is located in Sandown and just a short walk from Sandown’s beach. If your kids love dinosaurs they will love this dinosaur museum. Yaverland beach is also nearby to go and hunt for some fossils! Here you will find everything about dinosaurs including life-sized dinosaur models, skeletons and plenty to see and learn about the dinosaurs that roamed millions of years ago. A great place to visit on a rainy day too.
Adult tickets cost around £8, children £5, and a family ticket (two adults and three children cost £24.
Visit the beach
There are so many incredible beaches to choose from if you visit the Isle of Wight, our Favourite beaches that we visited during our stay were Compton beach where we found the Dinosaur footprints, Yaverland beach and Steephill Cove, Ventnor. All these beaches were dog friendly too, with parking nearby and toilets.
Godshill Model village
Godshill is a beautiful village on the Isle of Wight and is definitely worth a visit. Here you will find Godshill model village where you will find scale models of Shanklin and Godshill villages as they were in the 1920’s.
For 2 adults and up to 3 children entry is £25 per ticket.
Sandown Pier
There are so many beaches to visit and we visited Sandown most days. The pier offers so much fun with Lost world adventure golf. Superbowl, dodgems, snake slide, amusements, cafes, bars and PLENTY more.
Free Activities for families on Isle of Wight
- Search for dinosaur footprints on Compton bay or Yaverland beach. Parking is free at Hanover car park for National Trust members)
- Fly a kite at Sandown
- Swim at the beach
- The Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary (free entry and free parking)
- National Trust properties (free for members)
- Visit the Garlic Farm
- Search for a red squirrel on the Red Squirrel Trail
- Take cycle ride (Red Squirrel Trail)
There you have a few ideas for things to do with kids on the Isle of Wight.
For more information on travelling to the Isle of Wight from the UK, click through here, or visit Wightlink online
If you have found this post useful for planning your family camping adventures, you can show your support by buying us a glass of wine or a coffee to watch the sun go down. Thanks so much!
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.