A day out in Blackpool with a 1-3 year old

Blackpool Model Village and Gardens

Start here, because it asks almost nothing of a small child beyond looking. The models — villages, castles, a church, fairground scenes — sit across about two and a half acres of landscaped gardens, and younger children tend to latch onto spotting the little figures and animals rather than admiring the craftsmanship. A model railway runs through the displays, which is usually the thing that gets pointed at.

The practical case for going first is the ground: paved throughout with no stairs, so a pushchair rolls the whole way and you can go at whatever pace the day allows. There are benches, which matters when someone needs five minutes of sitting still. The gift shop sells snacks and hot drinks, and a wheelchair and a motorised scooter can be borrowed from there. Dogs on leads are welcome. It is a seasonal attraction, open in the spring and summer months, so check before you build the day around it. Allow around two hours, less if the mood turns.

Blackpool Zoo

Also in Stanley Park, so the move between the two is short — a walk across the park with the pushchair, or a very brief drive if you would rather keep the car near the next stop.

This is where you eat. There are multiple dining options and a picnic area, so you can either buy or bring. Do lunch early rather than late; 37 acres and more than a thousand animals is far more than a one to three year old will absorb, and the wandering goes better on a full stomach.

Pick three or four things and accept you will miss the rest. For this age the reliable ones are the big animals and the noisy ones: Project Elephant Base Camp, the penguins, and Active Oceans with the UK's largest sea lion pool. Dinosaur Safari, with over thirty prehistoric creatures, can go either way at two years old — some find it thrilling, some do not. The Big Cat Habitat is worth the walk if the pushchair is still rolling. There are talks, feeds and demonstrations through the day; one of those is plenty.

Blackpool Tower

By now you want to be indoors, and this is several attractions in one 1894 building, which means you can choose according to how the afternoon is going. The Ballroom is the easy option with a tired toddler — a Victorian dance floor where you can watch or move about, with live organ music and a Wurlitzer, and afternoon tea available. The Circus, with acrobats and comedians, holds some toddlers completely and loses others.

The Tower Top has panoramic views, a 4D cinema and the SkyWalk glass platform, with Bar 380 up there. The Dungeon, a walk-through with actors and special effects, is not a toddler proposition. Dino Mini Golf and Madame Tussauds are also on site if you have energy left, which you may not.

Showtown Blackpool

Keep this one in reserve. It is indoors, just off the promenade next door to Coral Island, and takes around ninety minutes — six themes covering circus, shows, dance, illuminations, magic and the seaside, told through the performers who made Blackpool a show town. It runs Showtots sessions for babies and toddlers, which is the version of this museum built for your child rather than tolerated by it.

If the day is going badly, drop the Tower and come straight here, or drop Showtown and go home after the Ballroom. If it rains from the start, swap the order in your head: do the indoor pair, and leave the model village for a dry morning, since it is seasonal and better in sunshine anyway. If your toddler falls asleep in the pushchair at the zoo, let them, and spend the stolen hour deciding which single indoor stop you actually want.