Cornwall - Eden Project & attractions for kids ?

Cornwall - Eden Project & attractions for kids ?

Anyone been to Cornwall (anywhere, we haven't decide which bit to visit yet) with young kids ?

We are thinking of heading towards St Austell around Easter, with a view to visiting the Eden Project.

Has anyone on AAM been there ?

z

Cornwall - Eden Project & attractions for kids ?

How old are your kids zag? My youngest is 3, and absolutely loved the eden project (buggy friendly too). You need to allow most of the day, and it is an absolutely fascinating place for kids and adults alike. They have no chance to get bored!

cheers,
Diziet

diziet - thanks for that. Kids are 3 & 5 and I think they should enjoy it from what we have heard. I know what the project 'is', but what do you actually do there ? Are there specific kids activities, or is it just looking around and looking at AV presentations ?

Do you have any recommendations for other things to see or do in that area (or elsewhere in Cornwall/Devon) ? We will be staying in a campervan, so accommodation shouldn't be a problem - unless you can recommend a campground by any chance.

z

Sorry it took so long to answer zag! Eden is a lot more than AV presentations. there are lots of very varied displays, many with staff to explain things. There are also playgrounds (with an ecological theme, very very good) and cleverly the restaurant and rest areas are in the centre of the project, so you can have a rest and then continue. You will need it!
When we went there was music, clowns and entertainment outside. Nobody got even remotely bored - it was fabulous!

In terms of other attractions, it always seems to rain when I go to Cornwall, and I find the National Aquarium in Plymouth very good for adults and kids alike, with the added bonus that the water is not falling on your head, but is safely contained in tanks . Very child friendly too.

Enjoy your stay

cheers,
Diziet

I visited the Eden project last year. I would have to agree that it will take all day and should be able to keep your two amused. It might look small but it takes hours just to get around the Tropical dome and the heat and humidity are a real shock to the system.

Nogser

Re: Cornwall - Eden Project & attractions for kids ?

An update following the visits
- overall we enjoyed it and the kids had a good time
- the educational centre is closed for renovation, and there is some huge noisy paintball thing in the middle of the project at the moment, so there wasn't much to do for the kids. They ended up playing in the sandpit in the centre which fits maybe 10 kids at a time
- the hot biome was too hot for our 2 - they had to bail out twice on different days because it really was too warm for them even when stripped down to vests. I know it is supposed to suit the plants and not the people, but given the lack of an alternative at the time (educational centre shut) it did limit what they could do
- the paintball thing in the centre (which was a kind of pay-in educational experience) actually took away big time from the outdoor biome because you couldn't see it most of the time behind the big tent
- if you do cycle (like us) then pay attention to the advice on the web and leave your bike at the *top* of the project and not at the bottom where they put the bike shelter since it is a long way up, especially at the end of a long days trek around the place
- if you are in the area for a few days then shell out for their passport (an extra £2) which entitles you to come back any time for 12 months - this way you can drop in again whenever you want.
- it seemed that the place was busiest (with swarms of people arriving in huge waves as the park and ride coaches offloaded) in the early- to mid-morning. When we came back about 14:00 another day you could see the place getting emptier and emptier by the minute until at about 16:00 there was no queue for the landtrain back up the hill. Earlier in the day you couldn't walk around the biomes without having too keep stoppingand waiting for the people in front to move along.

Enjoy,

z