Top 10 family friendly activities on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a great destination for a family holiday. There are loads of great attractions, which are fun for all the ages. And there are also beautiful beaches as well. Here are my top 10 family friendly activities on the Isle of Wight.

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How to get to and around the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a great destination for a family holiday. My top 10 family friendly activities on the Isle of Wight are just a handful of the great things to do there. It’s easy to get to from mainland England, with several routes for both passenger and car ferries. I used the Red Funnel car ferry from Southampton to Cowes, which worked well.

I’d recommend taking a car for a family holiday. Having a car gives you flexibility to explore the Isle of Wight at your own pace, without having to wait for buses. You can spend as long as you like in each place, and then move on as soon as you are done.

I’d recommend this travel guide to the Isle of Wight (affiliate). There’s lots of detail about things to do on the Isle of Wight, and some great maps as well. Read on for my recommendations of the top 10 family friendly activities on the Isle of Wight.

1. Make a sandcastle on Shanklin Beach

Shanklin Beach is one of my favourite beaches on the Isle of Wight. There’s plenty of golden sand, and gentle waves in the sea. It’s a perfect beach for a family trip. If the weather is nice, spend the day on Shanklin Beach with your family. Build a sandcastle and play in the edge of the sea, making memories that will last a lifetime.

2. Enjoy watching the monkeys at Monkey Haven

Monkey Haven is one of the top rated attractions on the Isle of Wight. It’s a rescue centre for lots of different types of monkeys, as well as some meerkats and owls. I loved seeing the monkeys, especially the lively capuchins. There are really good keeper talks throughout the day as well. You can listen to one of the keepers talk about the individual monkeys and learn more about their personalities. Some of them sounded so cute! The information boards at Monkey Haven also give more details about the sad history of some of the monkeys, but also some really cute details about their personality and favourite things.

3. Play arcade games on Sandown Pier

Arcade games are a traditional favourite thing to do for any family seaside holiday. The Isle of Wight has some great arcade games, and my favourites are at Sandown Pier. There are so many games to choose from. You can play video games, shooting games, air hockey, try your luck at the 2p machines, and even play bowling. It’s a great place to have fun for all the family.

4. Marvel at lions and tigers at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary

Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is another great animal attraction on the Isle of Wight. The highlight here is the lions and tigers. It’s really sad to read about the animals’ history before they were rescued, but it’s lovely to see them living nice lives now. The enclosures at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary looked really nice and spacious, and the animals were well cared for. I really enjoyed visiting here. There was even a moment when one of the lions went and stood on one of the high rocks, and all the kids were loving it as they shouted that it was like the Disney film ‘Lion King’!

5. Paddle in the sea at Sandown Beach

Sandown Beach is another great family-friendly beach on the Isle of Wight. There’s plenty of space for kids to play, and the gentle waves make it perfect to play in the sea as well. Take a paddle in the sea, and maybe try swimming if you’re feeling brave enough for the cold water!

6. Ride the Chairlift at the Needles

The Needles are at the far West point of the Isle of Wight. There are quite a few attractions set up around here to enjoy alongside the beautiful scenery. The chairlift is one of my favourite things to do at the Needles. It takes you down to Alum Bay pebble beach. You get a great view of the Needles on the way down, and also from the beach. You can take the chairlift back up as well, so you don’t need to climb the steps back up to the top.

7. Make friends with donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary

The Donkey Sanctuary is a great free attraction on the Isle of Wight. There’s no entry cost, although they always welcome donations. You can walk around at your own pace and meet loads of donkeys, as well as some Shetland Ponies. You can stroke the ones near the fence as well, and learn their names on the collar around their neck. It’s a really lovely place, and so much fun for kids to make friends with the donkeys.

8. Eat ice cream at Ryde Beach

Eating ice cream at the beach is another favourite tradition for a UK seaside holiday. Ryde Beach is a great place to get ice cream. There are ice cream stalls right behind the beach, with lots of flavours to choose from. Ryde Beach is also beautiful, with views across the Solent to Portsmouth, where you can see Spinnaker Tower in the distance. At Ryde, you can also watch the hovercraft come across the water from Portsmouth as well.

9. Play pirate and dinosaur themed mini golf in Shanklin

There are several great mini gold courses on the Isle of Wight, which are a great family activity. I enjoyed the mini golf courses at Shanklin. Just behind the beach there are two themed golf courses to choose from. One is dinosaur themed, and the other is pirate themed. My favourite was the pirate themed one, but both were good fun. They give you a score card, so you can compete with your family to see who can get through the course in the lowest number of hits. And no cheating!

10. Pretend to be a giant in Godshill Model Village

The last of my top 10 family friends activities on the Isle of Wight is to visit Godshill Model Village. Godshill is a really pretty village on the Isle of Wight, with beautiful thatched cottages and a nice Church. The model village is a great attraction. There’s a model of Godshill village, but also models of other buildings, and tiny figures of people all doing different things. It’s worth taking your time as you around to really notice all the intricate details. Godshill also has lots of family-friendly tea rooms as well for a rest after your visit. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon.

Enjoy the top 10 family friendly activities on the Isle of Wight! Remember to check out this great guide to the Isle of Wight to help you plan your trip (affiliate). Check out my other blogs about the Isle of Wight too, with the best itinerary for 5 days on the Isle of Wight, the top things to do, and the top scenic spots. There’s loads more beautiful coastal scenery in the UK, like nearby Dorset, North Devon and South Devon.