Top ten toddler-friendly beaches

Weymouth, Dorset

Give your little one the perfect seaside experience with donkey rides, trampolines and a traditional Punch and Judy show. Weymouth has three miles of golden, fine sand and child-friendly, shallow waters, so is great for paddling and building sandcastles.

Hunstanton and Old Hunstanton, Norfolk

Explore the many rock pools teeming with sea life at Hunstanton or head to Old Hunstanton where your toddler can have hours of fun playing hide and seek in the sand dunes. 

Skegness, Lincolnshire

This spacious, wide sandy beach is made for playing beach games with your toddler, such as croquet, boules or mini football. He can also meet the brightly coloured fish in the aquarium or learn how orphaned seals are cared for before being released back into the sea at the Natureland Seal Sanctuary.

Barricane Beach, Woolacombe, North Devon

Take your little explorer beach combing on this beautiful stretch of golden sand that’s famous for its exotic shells, which have traveled from as far afield as the Caribbean. There are also plenty of rock pools to explore…who knows what treasures you’ll find! 

Bamburgh, Northumberland

Try building a mini Bamburgh sandcastle on the beach with your toddler based on the real thing, which overlooks this beautiful sandy bay. On a clear day, you might even be able to see puffins and grey seals on the Farne Islands.

North Berwick Milsey Bay, Scotland

Toddlers can sail their little boats and safely paddle in the small boat pond on this beach, which holds sea water when the tide is out, then explore the rock pools together.

Bournemouth, Dorset

Bournemouth has some of the warmest sea temperatures in the UK, making it ideal for toddlers to paddle and play. All children are given colour-coded wristbands, which correspond to the zone you’re sitting in and include your contact number. 

Filey, North Yorkshire

Encourage your little artist to tap into his creative side in Filey. The beach is strewn with smooth, flat, white pebbles, which are ideal for creating seaside-themed chalk drawings. 

Porthcurno, Cornwall

With gorgeous fine soft white sand, turquoise sea and high cliffs on both sides, this sheltered beach is good for families. It has a stream that flows down one side, which is great for toddlers to safely paddle about in.

Oxwich and Three Cliffs Bay, Gower, Wales

These beautiful beaches stretch for miles so your toddler can have free rein to run about and play, while still being in your line of sight. They are backed by sand dunes, which are great for exploring and going on mini-beast hunts.