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English Riviera Airshow
The Waie Inn
Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Devon Star Awards 2025
The Primary Times Devon Star Awards for 2025 were a roaring success, and thank you to all of you who took the time to vote!
It was fantastic to see so many of the great family-friendly businesses that our readers enjoy supporting time and time again. The categories were designed to provide an honest and authentic insight into what you value most from the businesses that you choose to support and thank those who provide great value, service and experiences.
With family budgets tighter than ever, it has never been more important to get the most for your money from a family day out and it has been a true celebration of what there is out there to offer to families in Devon that we, the Primary Times team, were able to see such a vast array of businesses and attractions that are enjoyed by our readers.
Becks Edwards, Managing Editor at Primary Times, said:
“A big thank you to everyone who took part in our 2025 survey! Your votes and feedback help local families discover great places to visit and fun things to do. We’re thrilled to celebrate all of this year’s winners and runners-up—each one should feel proud of creating experiences that truly resonate with our readers. A special congratulations goes to Crealy Theme Park and Resort, our overall winner, taking the top spot in four categories! Their continued effort to connect with visitors and raise the bar for family-friendly fun is really inspiring. We can’t wait to see how all our brilliant local attractions and venues grow and evolve over the next twelve months. Here’s to another year of exciting adventures!”
🏆 Overall Winner
🏆 Winner - Best Full Day Out
🏆 Winner - Best Value For Money
🏆 Winner - Best Party Venue
🏆 Winner - Venue you would most recommend to family and friends
Crealy is a family-friendly theme park and resort located near Exeter and spread across more than 100 acres of Devon countryside. It offers rides, shows, animals, play zones and holiday accommodation all in one place. There are over 60 rides and attractions, including gentle rides for toddlers and bigger thrills for older kids and adults, with lots of live entertainment and interactive areas. Other attractions include animal zones with farm and zoo animals like alpacas, emus and meerkats, as well as a large indoor soft play and adventure zones—great for rainy days.
Unique to Crealy is Sooty Land, a themed area based on the classic children’s TV characters Sooty, Sweep and Soo, with rides and shows. In addition, there is a wide variety of on-site accommodation which includes camping, caravans, glamping and luxury lodges if you want more than just a day visit. Visit the website and visit them on social media for updates on special offers and the wide variety of themed events that they host throughout the year.
Overall winners Crealy Theme Park and Resort had this to say about their success in the Awards:
"Crealy Theme Park & Resort is delighted to have been named Overall Winner at the Primary Times Star Awards, as well as winning Best Value for Money. Voted for by families, these awards mean a great deal to our team and reflect our commitment to creating unforgettable, affordable experiences for all ages. We want to thank everyone who voted and our dedicated staff for their continued passion and hard work. We are also incredibly excited for 2026, with the launch of two brand-new rides, Pirates Plummet and Rotor, adding even more thrills to the Crealy experience. We cannot wait to welcome guests in 2026."
The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth
🏆 Winner - Best Half Day Out
The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, England serves as the headquarters and flagship sanctuary for the world-famous animal welfare charity with hundreds of rescue of rescued donkeys. Offering free entry and parking (donations are welcome), visitors can stroll through fields and the main yard to see donkeys of all ages and breeds. On-site amenities include a visitor centre, gift shop, restaurant/café with views across the paddocks and picnic areas. There are various themed trails available for a small charge throughout the year.
The Stay and Play Hub, Plymouth
🏆 Winner - Best Indoor Play
🥈 Runner Up - Best Party Venue
This activity centre in Plymouth is open year-round for soft play, role play, and Taste Safe Messy Play sessions for younger children. Themed events are available on selected dates. Parties and private hire are available – see the website for details
🏆 Winner - Best Family Event
This annual agricultural and country life event is held every year in May at the Westpoint Arena near Exeter, celebrating rural life and farming in Devon with a mix of competitions, displays, family entertainment and local produce. The Show features a wide variety of agricultural and countryside attractions, including livestock competitions, equine events and showjumping, ‘Family Fun zones’, interactive farm areas for children, as well as food, drink and shopping. This year's event takes place from 21st to 23rd May 2026
🏆 Winner- Best Family Dining Venue
Greendale Farm Shop is an award‑winning, family‑friendly farm shop, butcher, deli and café/restaurant set in the East Devon countryside. It combines high‑quality local food retail with places to eat and activities for all ages. Alongside the hugely popular farm shop, which stocks a wide range of local and regional foods, including fresh produce, families can explore the self-guided farm trail, which lets families explore and meet animals, as well as a host of events for all ages throughout the year. In addition, there is an on-site restaurant, fish and chips.
🥈 Runner Up - Best Full Day Out
Woodlands Family Theme Park is a large all-weather family theme park and attraction located near Dartmouth / Totnes in South Devon, England. It is set across about 90 acres of countryside and offers a mix of rides, play zones, animals and activities for all ages. Visitors can enjoy around 16 rides and attractions, including water coasters, swing ships, toboggan run and adventure play areas. For wet weather days, there are extensive indoor play centres with huge slides, climbing nets, ball blasting arenas and a mirror maze. Outdoor activities include aerial Ninja Towers, bumper boats, pedal towns and more. In addition, their Zoo-Farm and Falconry Centre is home to around 500 animals, including birds of prey and farm animals to meet and interact with.
🥈 Runner Up - Best Half Day Out
The National Marine Aquarium, located in Plymouth, is the UK’s largest marine aquarium focused on marine life, ocean ecosystems, and conservation. Run by the Ocean Conservation Trust, they play host to over 5,000 marine animals from around the world with four main exhibit zones that take you on a journey from local waters to global seas: Plymouth Sound, British Coasts, Atlantic Ocean and Blue Planet. One of their most popular exhibits is the UK’s deepest and largest tank (about 2.5 million litres) filled with sharks, rays and diverse ocean life. For added value, tickets often include 12-month unlimited return access – see the website for details
🥈 Runner Up - Best Indoor Play
Ocean Exmouth is a large seaside entertainment and leisure destination on the Exmouth seafront, offering food, family fun and activities for visitors of all ages. Two restaurants offer a range of dishes for visitors, and families can enjoy the large soft play area with multi-story play frames and a dedicated area for younger children (aged 0 to 5 years). Furthermore, there is an indoor bowling alley and arcade/amusement zone for family fun. Party packages are also available – see the website for details
🥈 Runner Up - Best Family Event
The English Riviera Airshow is a free annual air show held on the seafront at Paignton in Torbay, Devon, England, typically the first weekend in June. Over the course of the event, the skies above Torbay are filled with flying performances and on-the-ground attractions such as funfair rides, food and stink stalls, live music and entertainment, as well as military and STEM exhibits for families and enthusiasts
🥈 Joint Runner Up - Best Family Dining Venue
The Waie Inn is a family-run country pub, restaurant and accommodation provider set in rural Devon. The Inn has a casual restaurant and bar serving homemade meals, classic pub dishes and local drinks. Visitors can also enjoy their family-friendly facilities with Waie2Play, their hugely popular indoor soft play barn and coffee bar, ideal for children to play in while adults relax. In addition, they offer a heated indoor pool with sessions and lessons available and sports facilities including squash courts, snooker, skittles and a sports hall for badminton, football and more. The fun continues in the open air with an outdoor play park and astro turf area for kids to run around outdoors. Party packages are also available for their swimming pool and Waie2Play – see the website for details
🥈 Joint Runner Up - Best Family Dining Venue
Ullacombe Farm is a family-run countryside destination combining a farm shop, café, butchery and children’s play area on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, providing a relaxed spot for food, local produce and a bit of farm fun. The Farm Shop sells a wide range of locally sourced produce, including meats, cheeses, dairy, jams, pies, ready meals and artisan goods. Their café serves freshly prepared meals in a welcoming barn setting with an on-site butcher offering quality meats from Devon farmers. In addition, there are child-friendly indoor and outdoor play areas — swings, a slide and a vintage tractor to explore, plus farm animals to see, as well as occasional pop-up play events and family activities (see their website and social media for details)
🥈 Runner Up - Best recommendation to family and friends
World of Country Life is a multi‑award‑winning family attraction in Exmouth, Devon, England, combining a farm park, interactive rural museum, play areas and entertainment for visitors of all ages and all-weather activities.
As their name might suggest, they offer several animal and farm experiences with the opportunity to meet and interact with a range of friendly animals, including pygmy goats, sheep, alpacas, rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as the chance to bottle feed lambs and calves and take part in goat walking sessions. There are also daily shows and fun events such as Hawkridge Birds of Prey flying displays and demonstrations, ferret racing, sheep shows and seasonal themed days