If your idea of a perfect family holiday includes sandy toes, salty hair and a good dose of fresh air, Dawlish Warren is a wonderful place for your next adventure.
But there’s more to Dawlish Warren than its pristine, sandy beach. With a nationally important nature reserve right on your doorstep, it’s one of the best places in Devon for nature activities for kids — where you can swap screen time for wild time and inspire little explorers of all ages.
Here’s our guide to wildlife and nature adventures around Dawlish Warren.
Start with Simple Nature Activities for Kids
You don’t need to be a seasoned hiker to enjoy the great outdoors here. A gentle loop around Dawlish Warren is more than enough to inspire curious minds. Start with a beach stroll, heading into the sand dunes beyond – part of the Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve. Soon you’ll find yourselves surrounded by swaying grasses, birdsong and big estuary skies.
To keep children engaged, turn your walk into a ‘spotter’s challenge’. Small, simple nature activities – from spotting shells, seaweed, feathers or animal footprints will transform an ordinary walk into an adventure. Keep a small notebook and some coloured pencils to hand – these are great for drawing treasures or jotting down what they’ve seen.
From Beachcombers to Little Bird Watchers
From beachcombing to birdwatching, many of the best nature activities for kids here happen at their own pace. Dawlish Warren sits on the Exe Estuary, one of the most important sites in the country for wintering and migratory birds. (This might sound grand, but for families it simply means there’s always something fascinating flapping, wading or swooping by!) You might see elegant wading birds probing the mud, flocks of geese flying overhead or cheeky gulls trying their luck near picnicking families.
Pop into the Nature Reserve Visitor Centre to pick up information, ask questions and browse their displays about the reserve and its wildlife. The friendly team can suggest the best viewpoints and explain which birds are around at that time of year, so you know what to look for. You can also check the tide timetables – lower tides reveal more mudflats, which means more hungry birds busily feeding.
Rock-Pooling and Crabbing Fun
No seaside wildlife adventure would be complete without a bit of rock-pooling and crabbing. Around South Deven you’ll find some brilliant spots where the tide leaves behind miniature worlds filled with crabs, starfish, shrimps and tiny fish, all waiting to be discovered. This includes our very own Coryton Cove in Dawlish (don’t forget to watch for our famous black swans on the way there!).
All you need is a bucket, a small net and a sense of curiosity. Encourage children to move slowly, lift rocks carefully and always return creatures to where they were found. This turns the experience into a hand-on lesson in kindness and respect for nature.
Back at Dawlish Warren, you can continue the fun with seaside-themed colouring or a chat about your favourite finds over an ice cream or a hot chocolate.
Wild Days Out in Devon
If you fancy venturing further afield, our little corner of Devon has some magical days out for nature explorers, big and small. Dartmoor National Park is within reach for a real sense of wilderness, with open moorland, tors and the chance to spot the famous ponies grazing among the gorse.
Animal-loving families will find a wealth of amazing animals adventures in the region. Meet wild animals from around the world at Paignton Zoo and Shaldon Zoo, get close to farmyard animals at Pennywell Farm, or seek out unique animal experiences like being a junior keeper for the day or handling reptiles at Becky Falls. Mixing a ‘big day out’ with slower, low-cost nature days on the Warren is a lovely way to keep budgets and energy levels in balance.
What to Pack for Little Explorers
Happily, you don’t need lots of specialist kit. A small backpack with reuseable water bottles, snacks, a lightweight jumper, sunhat, mini first-aid bits and maybe a magnifying glass or bug pot will see you through most adventures. Add a pair of binoculars and a nature-spotting book or printed sheet of information and you’re all set for a day of discoveries.
At the end of it all, you can stroll back to your cosy caravan, lodge or apartment at Welcome Family, tired but happy, with pockets full of shells and heads full of stories. With the beach, nature reserve and so many outdoor adventures on the doorstep, Dawlish Warren is a brilliant base for families looking for meaningful, memory-making nature activities for kids – your little explorers will be talking about it for years.
To start planning your nature-filled adventures at Welcome Family, request a brochure or book your holiday today.