Short answer: Launceston Steam Railway for younger children, Hidden Valley for anyone who likes puzzles, Trethorne when it rains. The castle is a good short stop rather than a whole morning.
Launceston is genuinely better set up for children than its size suggests, and much of it works regardless of weather.
A narrow-gauge line running two and a half miles through the Kensey Valley behind a restored Victorian locomotive. The ticket lets you ride all day and hop off at Newmills, and there's a vintage vehicle museum and a 1930s-style café on site. Dogs welcome.
Three puzzle trails at different difficulty levels, an escape room and a hobbit-style forest. Genuinely absorbing for older children and teenagers — families routinely plan two hours and stay five.
Indoor soft play, bowling, dodgems, trampolines and farm animals. The all-weather option, and the one to hold in reserve for a wet day.
The climb up the motte and keep is genuinely good fun for children who like steps, with big views as the reward. Around an hour rather than a morning.
A teddy bear house with themed rooms and a secret-room puzzle to solve. Cheap, indoors, and a hit with younger children.
Hidden Valley and Trethorne are both full-day, properly priced attractions. The steam railway and Charlie Bears are cheaper and shorter. The castle and Lawrence House together fill a morning for very little — a sensible combination if you're spreading the budget across a week.
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