Bank holiday weekend. Book the big days out, keep a wet-weather plan in your pocket.
Late August, so mild valleys and cooler tops, and bank holiday roads that fill up early. We can't tell you what the sky will do from here, so check the MWIS Lake District forecast before you set off, especially if the plan involves a fell.
Last weekend of the summer holidays for most Cumbrian schools (term starts around Wednesday 2 September), and a bank holiday on top. That means shows, sheepdogs and a lot of traffic, so pick one big thing a day and leave early.
Start: Tarn Hows main car park, near Hawkshead, LA22 0PW
It's a proper tarn with big views towards the Coniston hills and the Langdale Pikes, and the path round it is wide and compact for most of the way, so you can get six and seven year olds round without a fight. There's a toilet block at the car park and, in season, an ice cream van, which does a lot of the persuading for you.
Some rougher sections and steeper gradients, so it's not smooth for buggies all the way. The car park is busy on a bank holiday weekend, so go early or go late.
From Fri 28 Aug, daily during grounds hours, until 31 March 2027
Wray Castle, Low Wray, near Ambleside LA22 0JA Free exhibition; parking charges apply, free for National Trust members, All ages
Big outdoor prints of Rupert Potter's Victorian photographs, Beatrix Potter's dad, dotted around the grounds. The castle itself is shut for refurbishment, but the grounds, cafe and shingle beach on Windermere are open, which is honestly the better bit for children anyway. Details and booking
Crosby-on-Eden, near Carlisle CA6 4QL See website, All ages
Cumbria's biggest indoor play area, plus electric mini-quads, pedal go-karts, animals and the barrel train. It's the sort of place that swallows an afternoon, and the indoor bit means Friday after school works whatever the sky's doing. Details and booking
King George V Playing Field, Patterdale CA11 0PJ Check the organisers' site, All ages
A small, old-fashioned show at the head of Ullswater with an open sheepdog trial and plenty of other classes, under the Helvellyn fells. It's the kind of day out where the children get bored of the sheepdogs after ten minutes and you'd happily watch for two hours. Details and booking
South Quay, Maryport CA15 8AB See website for 2026 prices, All ages
Fish tanks, hourly feeding talks and a free 14-hole crazy golf course included with admission, plus a free pirate-themed playground round the back. Free parking by the play area, though the harbour bays are pay and display. Details and booking
The Beacon Museum, West Strand, Whitehaven CA28 7LY See website, All ages
The Beacon's summer exhibition, running until October. It's a decent wet-day fallback on the west coast, and Whitehaven harbour is right outside for a walk if the weather lets you. Details and booking
The Showfield, Stock Lane, Grasmere LA22 9SJ Free entry on the gate; parking is charged, All ages
Fell racing, Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, hound trails and a junior fell race in the afternoon, and the kids' sprints, egg and spoon and tug of war start around 3.30pm. Free to get in, but Grasmere is tiny and the car parks fill early, so this is a leave-at-nine day. Details and booking
Haverthwaite Station, near Ulverston LA12 8AL See fares page, All ages
A steam train ride to the foot of Windermere, where you can join a lake cruise or wander to the aquarium. Dogs ride free, which is a detail I like more than I should. Details and booking
Pump Field, Braithwaite Old Bridge, near Keswick CA12 5TD At the time of writing: adults £10, ages 5 to 16 £2, family £20, All ages
Sheepdog trials, wrestling, terrier racing, vintage vehicles and a brass band, first held in 1860. Free parking by the field and a free shuttle bus from Keswick town centre, which is the sensible way to do it. Details and booking
Castle Way, Carlisle CA3 8UR See English Heritage for prices, All ages
Mary Queen of Scots was held here in 1568, and there's a World Builder trail for children plus a military museum inside. Handy if the show fields turn to mud. Details and booking
Cark-in-Cartmel, near Grange-over-Sands LA11 7PL See website, All ages
Twenty-three acres of formal and woodland gardens on the Cartmel peninsula, open on bank holiday Mondays. A calmer option if you've had enough crowds by Monday. Details and booking
Outdoors
Tip. Sunset is about 8.14pm in Keswick tonight and arrives getting on for 20 minutes earlier each week from here, so the long after-school evenings are on the way out. The bank holiday shows all have their own parking arrangements, so read the organisers' page before you leave the house.