Out of the house
Family days out in Devon
Exeter, the coast and the moor: days out that survive rain, budgets and short weekends.
On this page
6 pieces in this section.
01 What Family life in Devon covers
Devon is a good county to be a family in and a difficult one to plan around, because the weather changes the plan more often than the diary does. This section is about getting out of the house in and around Exeter: the free hours, the wet afternoons, the coast in the off season and the small logistics that decide whether a day out is remembered fondly or not at all.
It is written for the household that has children some weekends and not others, and therefore cares a great deal about making the ones it has count. That said, none of it is exclusive to shared families. A good rainy Saturday is a good rainy Saturday.
02 How the pieces fit together
Three pieces anchor the section. Things to do in Exeter with children covers the city itself, the quay, the parks and the walkable afternoon. Rainy day outings in Devon is the one that gets opened at nine in the morning with the forecast already lost. Devon beaches with young children deals with tides, kit and the realistic length of a beach day.
We name places and describe what is actually there. We do not publish opening times or prices, because those change faster than any magazine can keep up with, and a wrong time is worse than no time at all.
The county rewards low ambition. A short walk, a flask and somewhere to sit usually beats a long drive to a headline attraction, particularly with children under seven.
Two newer outings join them: a child's first produce show and watching the sea with children.
03 Every piece in this section
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Indoor things to do in Exeter when it rains
The museum, the tunnels, the cathedral and the climbing wall: a wet day in the city, place by place.
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A free hour on the coast path: watching the sea
A clifftop, an hour and a leaving time agreed in advance. The cheapest outing on the coast.
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A child's first produce show: reading the benches
A cheap shared Saturday: classes, staging, judging, and whether a family can enter.
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Things to do in Exeter with children
The quay, the parks, the museum and the river path, arranged for a walkable weekend.
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Rainy day outings in Devon with children
When the forecast collapses: indoor places that work, and wet walks worth doing anyway.
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Devon beaches with young children
Sand, shingle, tides and car parks. What suits small children and how long a beach day lasts.