From suitable rides and activities, to how to plan the perfect day, find out if it’s worth visiting Legoland with a toddler.
Let’s face it, toddlers are demanding little creatures! Yes, we love them dearly, but the prospect of a whole day out somewhere new with a toddler can be daunting.
Recently, we decided to take our 2-year-old son to Legoland Windsor. He’s at a really fun stage, with a growing vocabulary, a lot more energy and stamina and, thankfully, not too many meltdowns. We knew the day would be packed with stimulation, but we also wondered if he might be a touch young to get the most out of it.
Legoland is a theme park designed with younger kids in mind, full of bright colours, Lego sculptures, and family-friendly rides. However, if you’re reading this post, you’re probably wondering at what age you should take your kids there.
In the UK, a toddler is generally defined as a child aged from 12 months to 3 years of age. If you have a child spanning this age range, let’s dive into whether they’d enjoy a day at Legoland.
In short, if you ask me if it’s worth taking a toddler to Legoland, my answer is yes… but with a few caveats depending on their size and stamina!
Here’s everything you need to know before you visit, from the rides that toddlers will enjoy, to top tips for making the day as stress-free as possible.
Planning your first trip to Legoland Windsor Resort? Don’t miss our 16 practical tips to help you get the most from your visit.
Legoland for toddlers: What you need to know before visiting
What age is Legoland best for?
Legoland Windsor officially markets itself for children aged 3–12 years.
I do think there’s a sweet spot though, and if your toddler is small for their age, you might find it harder to find things to do. The majority of rides and attractions have a minimum height of 90cm. Our son is still under this height, so it meant that we couldn’t take him on a lot of things. However, there was still plenty to fill a whole day, including playgrounds and shows.
One bonus? Kids under 90cm get free entry, so while they might not be tall enough for every ride, it’s a more affordable day out.
Best rides for toddlers at Legoland Windsor
There are plenty of activities at Legoland for younger visitors. Here’s a quick rundown of our favourites from our day out.
Duplo Valley
This whole area is great for little ones. Our son loved the playground here. During the summer months, there’s also a large splash zone here (don’t forget to pack swim stuff).
There are a few rides in Duplo Valley that are suitable for kids under 90cm, such as Fairy Tale Brook and the Duplo Express (a small train ride). For children over 90cm, there’s Duplo Dino Coaster and Duplo Airport too.
Miniland
This is the incredible Lego-built miniature world featuring famous landmarks. Our son absolutely loved spotting all the vehicles moving around! It was also fun seeing miniature versions of famous London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and the London Eye, as well as our local landmark, Windsor Castle!
We really liked this area as it was calmer and less crowded than other parts of the park.
LEGO City Deep Sea Adventure
This fun attraction has no minimum height and was one of the highlights of our day at Legoland. Essentially, you board a submarine-style ride, and head underwater where there are lots of sea creatures to spot, alongside Lego models. We saw sharks, stingrays and lots of colourful fish. It was really good fun!
Legoland Express
This colourful train takes you on a tour of the park and is great for families. We all loved this one! There’s plenty to spot as you go around, including witches with cauldrons, monkeys, and a few places you might get wet!
L-Drivers
You’ve probably seen the Lego City Driving School before, but this section is especially for toddlers between 0.9m and 1.1m. Little ones can drive electric vehicles around the course. At the end they’ll get a Legoland driving license to take home too!
Coastguard HQ
This is another great option at Legoland for toddlers under 0.9m as it has no height restriction. You get to hop in an electric boat and steer around the waterways, spotting various Lego figures as you go. Our son enjoyed steering the boat, even if it meant we were often crashing into the sides!
Balloon School
We loved this ride. It felt like we were flying in a little hot air balloon, pulling the cord to soar higher than the other balloons. There’s no minimum height restriction on this one either, so it’s great for the whole family.
Fire Academy
The Lego Fire Academy is one of the coolest looking experiences at Legoland! There are several small fire engines which move with levers you raise and lower. Once you reach the building, grab a hose and put out the ‘fire’. It’s a lot of fun for younger ones, although they’ll need to be 0.9m to take part. To be honest, even if they’re not big enough, they’ll enjoy watching! Our son was glued to the fence watching the engines moving around.
Haunted House Monster Party
We didn’t get the chance to test this one out, as our son was a little under the 0.9m minimum, but I’ve heard this is a lot of fun! It’s not recommended for under 3s, so bear that in mind. The ride makes you feel like the haunted house is being turned upside down.
Shows and 4D Cinema at Legoland
We visited on a week day out of the school holidays, so there weren’t any live shows or performances taking place. If you can catch one though, it should provide some entertainment for a little while for your toddlers!
There are also a few cinema experiences in the park. We visited Lego Studios 4D and watched ‘Alien Invasion’ – an entertaining animation on the big screen. We wore 3D glasses, and enjoyed how immersive it was. When it was windy in the movie, we got blasted by cold air. At one point it snowed and there were bubbles everywhere! Our two-year-old didn’t want to wear the glasses, but he still enjoyed the excitement of the cinema experience.
There are a few different films available, so you might be able to see more than one in a day. It’s a great place to have a little breather from standing in queues too!
Facilities for babies and toddlers at Legoland Windsor
We spotted a lot of useful facilities for families with toddlers.
Baby changing facilities – These are all over the park.
Toilet inserts – I spotted that most toilets in the park had toilet seat inserts, which are ideal for little people. Our son was potty training while we were there and so I’d packed one anyway, but it’s great to know they have thought of this!
Baby care centre – There’s a baby care centre in the First Aid building in Heartlake City, which is a private place for parents to breast or bottle feed babies and change nappies.
Reheating food – The website also says if you want to reheat baby food, you can speak to staff at the restaurants and they will give you a jug of hot water to heat up baby food. They don’t have microwaves available for guest use though.
High chairs – There were absolutely loads of these in the burger restaurant we ate at.
Sensory Space – Located in Heartlake City, this is a calming space for children with any additional needs.
Top tip: bring a buggy or wagon
A day out at Legoland involves a lot of walking, and some areas are hilly. Even if your toddler is a great independent walker, they might get tired by the afternoon. I’d recommend bringing your buggy if you’re in any doubt they’ll manage for a whole day. We were really glad to have ours with us, even just to carry our bags, coats and snacks around!
If you arrive at Legoland and think ‘why didn’t we bring a buggy?’ there are some ‘Scooterbugs’ available to rent for the day (single and double buggy models).
I also saw a lot of families with wagons / trolleys, essentially to carry all their things around for the day. When you factor in the clothes, bags, snacks, drinks and activities, it can feel like a lot to lug around in a backpack. There are buggy parks by all the rides. You leave your belongings at your own risk, but this felt fine to us as there was nothing of value in ours.
A note on toddler naps at Legoland
Good luck encouraging your toddler to nap at Legoland! We did see some babies and younger children sleeping soundly in their buggies and prams, but our son refused his nap that day. With so much excitement, colour and noise all around, it’s not the easiest place for little ones to switch off.
The best locations to encourage a buggy nap are by the Legoland Resort area where it’s a lot calmer and quieter or around Miniland. Fingers crossed your child has more success!
Is it worth visiting Legoland Windsor with a toddler?
As you’ve heard, a trip to Legoland is a great family day out! Your toddler is likely to enjoy it, but they will get more out of it if they’re 3+ and over 90cm. If you’re keen to go on lots of rides (or have older kids who will want to), I’d wait a few more years.
For more advice, check out our top tips for visiting Legoland Windsor. Or, if you’re planning a longer trip, here are our favourite things to do in Windsor for families.
