40+ ‘sick’ things to do in Devon with teenagers

Activities at River Dart Country Park

There’s plenty of outdoor activities at River Dart Country Park near Ashburton. Kayak around the lake, try the high ropes, climb into a water zorb or set your teens free to explore the acres of adventure playgrounds and swimming lake.

Find out more about activities and visiting River Dart Country Park.

Fairground fun at Dawlish Warren

Dawlish Warren has a host of traditional seaside attractions including Go Karts, fairground rides and arcades.

Find out more about things to do in Dawlish and activities at Dawlish Warren.

Activities at Dynamic Adventures Dartington

Dynamic Adventures have loads of activities for families to try from canoeing to abseiling and high ropes as well as archery, zip wires and bushcraft. Find them in Dartington, South Devon.

Check out the activities for teens available at Dynamic Adventures.

Indoor skateboarding in Plymouth

Prime skatepark is an indoor skating facility made up of a series of bespoke wooden ramps and a street section set in three warehouses.

The first room features a 33ft long mini ramp which is 4.5ft high with 6ft extensions at the far end, a 10.5ft roll-in to a foam pit and a sound proof hut for chilling.

Here’s all you need to know about Prime skatepark.

Find more things to do in Plymouth.

Adventure your way through Haldon Forest 

Haldon Forest near Exeter has lots of activities for teens. We love Go Ape. And the good news about the courses at Haldon Forest is that they are good for kids of all ages. Kids just have to be 1m to play.

There’s a Treetop Adventure for novice apes and Treetop Challenge for more adventurous teens and adults. 

As well as high ropes you can book a Segway tour for over 10-year-olds and cycle hire for all the family.

Get your ape on at Haldon Forest, get ready for a Segway adventure or hire bikes at Haldon Forest.

Walk on Dartmoor

Dartmoor National Park is a walker’s paradise with easy hikes and more challenging treks to take you to incredible beauty spots. There are even places you can go wild swimming which might be a fun thing to do with teens in Devon.

Here are some of our tried and tested Dartmoor walks with kids and if you are looking for more hikes check out Mum on Dartmoor.

Here’s even more things to do in Dartmouth with kids.

Go climbing on Dartmoor

Scale a tor and come back down to earth with professional instructors. Abseiling and climbing is a top adrenaline pumping activity that your teens can do on their own with the pros or you can book a family session.

Here’s companies offering climbing, abseiling, navigation and expedition skills on Dartmoor:

• Crag 2 Mountain

Ski in Plymouth 

If your teens love winter sports then they can do them all year round at Plymouth Snow Sports Centre. There’s skiing, snowboarding, tubing and tabboganning down this dry ski slope on the outskirts of the city. 

Plan your ski centre adventure.

Slip and slide at Splashdown Quaywest 

Let teens slip and slide to their hearts’ content at this epic splash park in Paignton. It’s the UK’s largest splash park with ten attractions ranging from black hole slides for fearless kids to paddling pools for toddlers. 

Splashdown is located on Goodrington Beach with plenty of its own attractions like arcades, go karts and swan boats to make it a full on day out for families in the summer.

Find out more about Splashdown Quaywest.

Here’s even more things to do in South Devon with kids.

Race Mode racing simulators

Race Mode is a Sim Racing venue in Barnstaple, North Devon. It offers a fully immersive experience of racing some of the world’s fastest race cars on some of the world’s greatest circuits – perfect for adrenaline junkie teens who don’t yet have a license.

Simulators can be booked individually, as a small group or you can hire the entire venue.

Find out more about Race Mode.

Activities at The Ultimate Adventure Centre

There’s plenty of activities to get adrenaline pumping at this activity centre on the North Devon Coast.

Have a go at surfing, paddle boarding and coasteering. Or avoid the water and have a nerf battle, tackle the high ropes or try mountainboarding. 

Find out more and plan your action-packed day.

Make a splash at North Devon Wake Park

If your teens love skateboarding or snowboarding they they’ll want to try wake boarding. The North Devon Wake Park welcomes pros and absolute beginners to try this water sport with their professional coaches.

There’s also an aqua park assault course, ringo and activities for younger children from the age of five. So younger siblings won’t feel left out.

Lots of activities are suitable for children from the age of five. Check specific age restrictions before you book.

Find out more about this wet and wild day out in North Devon.

Become a falconer with North Devon Hawk Walks 

This unique experience for wildlife loving teens introduces you to falconry on and around Exmoor. Book an introduction to falconry during which you learn how to get a hawk to fly to you and how to feed it. You will also learn why Harris Hawks are often used in falconry and about their way of life.

This experience is ideal for kids of all ages. 

To plan your hawk walk visit the website.

Tackle high ropes at H2Outdoor 

If you’re looking for high energy activities in North Devon challenge your family to a day of high ropes fun at H2Outdoor just outside Bideford.

If you’re feeling really adventurous H2Outdoor can also take you kayaking and coasteering on the Atlantic Coast.

Find out more about high ropes and other activities at H2Outdoor.

Axe throwing with Norse Hawk

Book something a little less ordinary as part of your North Devon holiday – axe throwing! 

Norse Hawk is North Devon’s first axe throwing activity centre and offers indoor and outdoor axe throwing, with family throwing games and a Viking Garden for picnics.

Axe throwing is suitable for families with kids aged 11 and up.

Survival Games 

If you’re looking for things to with teens near Bideford then they’ll love Survival Games which offers airsoft and laser tag.

These outdoor combat, all weather activity are played in natural woodlands with towers, bunkers and various buildings, where you can experience the adrenaline of laser combat, the game where everyone is equal.

Quad biking at Keypitts

Have an off road adventure quad biking near Ilfracombe. As well as quad bikes, Keypitts have axe throwing and 4×4 Land Rover Experiences.

There are quad bike routes suitable for children aged six and up.

Segway with EasiGlide

Kids as young as seven can have a go on a Segway with EasiGlide at Ilfracombe. Their tours take place with amazing coast views and last between 45 minutes and an hour. 

If it’s raining this is an activity in North Devon that can still go ahead. Sessions take place in a indoor arena instead.

Cycle the Tarka Trail 

This figure of eight trail covers 180 miles with plenty of starting points from Lynton on the coast to Okehampton on the edge of Dartmoor.

Find out more about the Tarka Trail.

Ride the coasters at Crealy Adventure Park & Resort

Crealy is the best theme park in Devon for teens with rollercoasters, a log flume, bumper boats and drop slides.

There’s easily enough here to keep teenagers entertained all day along with places to hang out with a smoothie or coffee.

If you’re visiting with younger kids there’s plenty to keep them occupied too including toddler rides, giant soft play and adventure playgrounds.

Check prices for a day out at Devon’s top theme park.

Take a look at our full guide to days out at Crealy Adventure Park.

Play a round of foot golf

Foot golf combines two of the nation’s favourite sports to make a fun day out for families with kids aged five and up. Head to FootGolf on the eXe to try it for yourself on this 18 hole Football Golf Course near Exeter.

Find out more and book FootGolf on the eXe.

Go Alpaca trekking

For something completely different to do in Devon with teens, why not go trekking with alpacas?

Bearhouse Alpacas are based in the beautiful Roncombe Valley, East Devon, and can take you on half hour wanders along local bridleways in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Find out more about trekking with Alpacas in Devon.

Water sports in Devon

There’s a whole range of instructor-led water sports available for young people to try out across Devon. These centres of excellence are ready to teach you and your teenagers a new power, sail or paddle sport, or they can build on their existing skills.

• Seasports South West in Exmouth
• Bantham Surfing Academy in South Devon
• Waterborne in Kingsbridge
• Singing Paddles in South Devon
• Surf South West in Croyde

Of course, if your teen would just prefer to hang out at a beach then here are the best beaches in South Devon and top North Devon beaches to visit.

Pottery painting in Devon

If you have an artistic teen, and even if you don’t, pottery painting is a wonderful way to bring out their creative side and inspire a bit of mindfulness. It’s also a great activity for a wet day in Devon. You’ll find pottery painting in Devon at:

• Something Lovely Pottery Painting in Sidmouth, East Devon
• China Blue in Totnes, South Devon
• Poppins Pottery in Torquay, South Devon
• Honiton Pottery in Honiton, East Devon
• Tarka Pottery at Little Torrington, North Devon
• Paint Pots of Devon in Crediton, Mid Devon

Bounce at trampoline centres in Devon

Another rainy day activity bound to keep teens happy is bouncing. Here’s where you’ll find trampoline centres in Devon:

• iBounce Newton Abbot and Exeter
• Super Tramp in Plymouth
• The Barn Indoor Climbing Wall in Tavistock
• Air Extreme in Barnstaple

Devon cycle routes

Bring your bikes or hire some for a cycle around some of Devon’s family-friendly cycle routes. Here’s where to go cycling with teens:

• The Tarka Trail 
• Tamar Trails
• Plym Valley
• Stover Country Park
• Haldon Forest Country Park

Bowling in Devon

A top thing to do with teens when the great British weather isn’t playing ball is bowling. Here’s where you’ll find bowling alleys in Devon:

Bowling in Plymouth

• Tenpin Plymouth
• Barbican Leisure Park

Bowling in Exeter

Tenpin Exeter

Bowling in South Devon

AMF Bowling Torquay

Bowling in East Devon

Ocean Exmouth

Bowling in North Devon

Let’s Go Barnstaple

Cinemas in Devon

If your teen is a film buff then here’s where to find cinemas in Devon to fulfil their need to see the latest blockbusters or arthouse flicks:

Cinemas in Plymouth

• Barbican Leisure Park
• Cineworld Plymouth
• Plymouth Arts Cinema
• Reel Cinema Drakes Circus

Cinemas in South Devon

• Vue Cinema Paignton
• Central Cinema Torquay
• Palace Theatre Paignton
• Totnes Cinema
• Barn Cinema, Dartington
• Kings Cinema, Kingsbridge

Cinemas in North Devon

• Neo Cinema Woolacombe (part of Woolacombe Bay Hotel)
• Scott Cinemas Barnstaple
• Bideford Cinema
• Lynton Cinema
• Embassy Cinema Ilfracombe

Cinemas in Exeter

• Odeon Exeter
• Exeter Picturehouse
• Vue Cinema Exeter
• Exeter Phoenix

Cinemas in Mid Devon

• Tivoli Cinema Tiverton

Cinemas in East Devon

• Scott Cinemas Sidmouth
• Scott Cinemas Exmouth
• Beehive Honiton