Ah, the Great British weather – it’s guaranteed to be glorious while you’re working. But as soon as the holidays kick in…it knows – it just knows. Cue wet weather fun. We’ve lived and holidayed in South Devon for a few years now and have a trusty list of tried and tested Devon attractions for grey days. Here are a few activities we can recommend if you find yourself looking for things to do on a wet day in South Devon:

Things to do in South Devon in the rain

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Riviera International Centre, Torquay

Grab your swimming costume and head to this indoor pool for wave and flume fun. Tin Box Tot loved jumping waves with her daddy and rode her first water slide here. It made my legs a bit wobbly watching but she loved it. There’s also a kids splash area. Afterwards we visited the cafe, which has a Starbucks and a pirate-themed, free soft play area. We killed a morning at the Centre while the rain lashed down outside. Just be aware that there’s no family changing room so you will have to split your swim bags boy and girl-style.

Woodlands Family Theme Park, Dartmouth

This South Devon family theme park offers indoor and outdoor fun. There’s 11 zones to explore, from a water slides and a zoo farm to circus drome and huge soft play area. It is great place with activities for kids of all ages but take your wet weather gear as you have to walk between the different zones. Here’s several reasons why we enjoy days out at Woodlands and can recommend it to anyone looking for family days out in South Devon near Dartmouth.

National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth

This is the largest aquarium in the UK and home to hundreds of different species of marine life. The sheer scale of the tanks at this Plymouth attraction will have your mind boggling. We spent a few hours looking around the different exhibits, from sea life found in Plymouth Sound to the planet’s deepest oceans. The NMA is a marine conservation leader and works with organisations around the world to protect sea life. There’s a huge focus on education with plenty of facts and figures to keep older children interested as well as amazing tanks for the whole family to enjoy. Check out my full review of our South Devon day out at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth.

The Round Robin – train, bus and boat tour

It became a bit of a family tradition to do a section of this tour, if not all of it, each time we visited South Devon before we moved here properly. In 2017 we did the whole journey around South Devon by train, bus and boat. The round robin is a circular route from Dartmouth travelling by boat to Totnes, by bus to Paignton, on the steam train to Kingswear where you cross back over the River Dart to Dartmouth. You can add in a bus loop to Torquay if you have time. You can also do the tour in reverse. The train and boat are my favourite parts as you enjoy fantastic views of the countryside and Dart Valley. If you get on the train early enough you can bag a spot in the observation carriage which has a glass roof. This is a great day out in South Devon if you want to see a lot of the area’s natural beauty.

Kents Cavern, Torquay

It’s another Tin Box tradition to find a cave or mine to explore on holiday. Kents Cavern is a network of pre-historic caves offering lots to keep young explorers entertained, from fun archeological digs to cave painting. There are daily guided tours around the caves. Here’s what we thought of visiting Kents Cavern with two young kids. It’s probably something to do in South Devon with kids who are a little older.

What about when the weather is fine?

If you’re looking for Devon attractions to visit whatever the weather check out my tried and tested family days out in Devon. If you’re holidaying in East Devon then there’s loads of things to do with kids in and around Sidmouth, Seaton and Exeter. And if you’re staying in North Devon you’re just as spolit for choice with great Devon attractions around Bideford, Ilfracombe and Barnstable. I can also recommend you visit some of Devon’s lesser known beaches.

Check out each of the Devon attractions’ websites for opening times and entrance fees. A few offer discounted rates for booking in advance online, so don’t miss out on a bargain!

What’s you favourite place to visit South Devon on a wet day? I’d love the hear your recommendations on things to do to entertain kids when it rains.

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Things to do on a wet day in South Devon with kids - places to go and things to do with your family with the Great British weather isn't playing ball

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Claire Hall - Tin Box Traveller

Monday 31st of August 2015

Most definitely. It comes with the territory :)

What a shame about the weather. I hope you have a lovely time regardless! x

The rain is such a downer in the holidays. We were lucky to be in an area with lots to do but I think I going to have to be a lot more prepared as the kids get older. We managed a day inside before we got our act in gear with something to do. I'm not sure tweens or teens would have been so patient

Chloe Ciliberto

Sunday 30th of August 2015

This is so useful. We're going to Devon soon for a couple of days with Evie and I have a feeling it's going to be raining. I'm definitely bookmarking this. Thank you so much for linking this up to #whatevertheweather x

sam r

Thursday 27th of August 2015

Great list of wet available to activities. Always handy to have a back up plan in th the UK lol!