10 School Holiday Activities for Children in Port Isaac: free and wholesome things to do outside around our village

Childhood is magical and with so much to do, see and explore, school holidays in Cornwall are what dreams are made of. Read on to discover our top ten school holiday activities for children in Port Isaac, then get outside and enjoy everything the area has to offer!

1 Rockpooling

There are so many amazing things waiting to be discovered in the rock pools of Port Isaac. Wait until low tide then stick to the left hand side of the beach (as you’re looking at the sea) to find the best pools. Keep your eyes peeled for anemones, shrimps, blennies (small fish), crabs and maybe even a starfish, if you’re lucky! Even if you don’t spot any wildlife, you’ll find so many varieties of colourful seaweed.

Image courtesy of Cornish Rock Tors

2 Crabbing

At low tide you can access the harbour wall, and crabbing from the top of it (or from the steps) is a wholesome activity adored by all ages. Grab your crabbing line, bucket and net and see which species you can catch. You should always put your crabs back in the sea before leaving, and never take them home with you! Young children will need to be supervised as the harbour wall is very high.

3 Sea glass hunting

Another low tide activity is hunting for sea glass. Sea glass is glass that was broken up in the ocean tens of years ago and tumbled around with rocks and pebbles until it has become soft, rounded and cloudy. Loved by locals and holiday-makers alike, the search for sea glass is always bountiful and so much fun. Store your treasure in jars, turn it into art, repurpose them into jewellery or throw them back into the sea for someone else to find! See how many colours, shapes and sizes you can find amongst the pebbles. Will you discover a coveted blue piece?!

4 Paddling

In our opinion, paddling is a year-round activity and a rite of passage! Be prepared for soaking clothes, cold toes and huge smiles. Accessible during all tides (providing it’s not too stormy) we love to see little ones barefoot, splashing in the shallows.

5 Sailing a toy boat

You can bring your bath toys down to the shoreline, or make a day of it by spending the morning making your own boat (folding it from paper as an origami boat or using beach finds) before setting it to sail in one of Port Isaac’s wonderful rock pools.

6 Skimming stones

Skimming stones is endless fun plus a lifelong skill! The harbour at Port Isaac is the perfect place to skim stones at the shoreline, plus searching for the perfect skimmer is just as fun as counting the bounces.

7 Outdoor indoor games

We believe that life is better spent outdoors, so take the rainy day games of noughts and crosses to the beach by using a stick to draw in the sand, or collect pebbles and shells to create a natural draughts board!

8 Picnic on Lobber

Is there anything more Cornish than picking up a pasty from Nikki B’s shop and eating it overlooking the sea? We love to follow the coast path south and walk up to Lobber, a grassy area on the clifftops overlooking beautiful Port Isaac, to spread out our picnic blanket. You could even pick up a takeaway cream tea from the village for pudding. Just remember, when in Cornwall, it’s jam first!

9 Sand darts

Using a stick or your finger draw a big dot, then five circles around it in the sand. Give each circle a score (for example, the ‘bulls-eye’ can be 10 and the outer circle 1) then walk five paces back from the circles you have drawn. Taking a small pebble, take it in turns to throw your stone (the ‘dart’) at the dartboard. Each player has five throws and the highest score at the end of each round wins.

10 The best playground

You’ll find the most picturesque playground ever at the recreation ground at the top of the village. With stunning sea views, grown ups can sit back and relax whilst little ones entertain themselves on the swings, slide and climbing frames. It’s a win win!

The list of family-friendly free things to do during the summer holidays doesn’t stop here; jump in the sea for a swim, explore the village or wander the coast paths. We’d love to welcome you to a Port Isaac property, which makes the perfect base for your summer of fun! Browse our available properties here.