England's longest lake from the deck of a proper boat, and for most children the boat is the point, scenery a pleasant bonus. Colour-coded routes run from the 45-minute Islands circuit out of Bowness to the Red and Yellow half-lake cruises, with a Freedom of the Lake day ticket if you want the lot and combo tickets linking the aquarium, steam railway and motor museum at Lakeside.
Board early for the open top deck; it goes first on fine days. The Yellow route to Lakeside connecting with the steam train is the classic Lakes day assembled without a single extra car park.
What it costs: Yellow Cruise and steam train combined return from Bowness: adult £29, child (5 to 15) £17, family (two adults and up to three children) £84; under 5s travel free. Tickets are valid on any departure on the day. Well-behaved dogs travel free.
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The old national park visitor centre on the Windermere shore, now run by BeWILDerwood and still mid-makeover. The grounds are free to wander; Minty Land indoor play, Zip World's treetop courses, Wild Bounce and the lake cruises are the paid extras.
Peter Rabbit's world recreated in walk-through scenes, ending in the garden with Mr McGregor's vegetables. Squarely for the under-8s; it is small, sweet and unashamed of it.
The classic first family fell: a short climb from Windermere village to a proper summit with the whole lake and the high fells laid out below. A surfaced accessible path now runs all the way up, though it is still a real 120-metre climb, not a stroll.
Ten acres of fellside garden looking down over Windermere, run by the Lakeland Horticultural Society: terraces, a walled garden, glasshouses and children's trails. No fixed entry price and children go free.
Lakeland Arts keeps Windermere's historic boats floating under cover in a wet dock on the Bowness lakeshore, so children see them in water and not propped on stands.
A new woodland-themed adventure golf course at Troutbeck Bridge, just outside Windermere, with little animal characters to spot round the holes and a golf-and-swim family deal with the health club pool next door.
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.