posted Jun 04, 2024

Things to do with Toddlers in Lancaster County, PA

Explore Lancaster County with your kiddo by visiting a children’s museum or an outdoor farm experience and find a tasty place to grab a bite along the way!

Explore activities that parents can do with their young children under 5 in Lancaster County.

Visit a children's museum or experience an outdoor farm. Even find places to grab a bit to eat while you are having fun.

Attractions

Tiny Town
This indoor collection of luxury playhouses is the perfect place to let your little one explore at their level. You can relax in the café section or follow your tot through the village from the café to the fire station. Tiny Town also holds events, has a gift shop with Melissa & Doug toys, and even offers party packages for birthdays and other group events.

Tiny Town also offers summer camps for the those up to age 8 to run around, play and get their energy out. From the future of robots to the future of fashion; Tiny Town has numerous unique summer camp opportunities.

Train Excursions
Few things are more exciting than watching a train roll down the tracks when you are three years old. Enjoy a train ride with the whole family at Strasburg Railroad, Reading & Northern Railroad, Northern Central, or Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad and then stop by the gift shops to pick out a train to take home. If you are visiting around a holiday, check out some special events like a train ride with the Easter Bunny or Santa. Lancaster is full of train-themed attractions!

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
Open May through November, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm is the perfect outdoor adventure for everyone in your family. For your youngest family members, explore the Discovery Barn, Animal Grove, and the Lil Wagon Express. Cherry Crest also has an outdoor village called Sproutsville where your child can freely roam through a tiny barn, grocery store, and playhouse, and café.

Dutch Wonderland
Dutch Wonderland isn’t just for the big kids. There are plenty of attractions you can ride right alongside your little one including a train ride through the park, a drive-through exploration island, and the classic merry-go-round. Take a walk with the dinosaurs on the Prehistoric Path, visit Duke’s Lagoon for waterpark fun, and even join in on one of the many shows around the park.

Choo Choo Barn
Fun for all ages, the Choo Choo Barn is an expansive exhibit of model trains, airplanes, and automobiles. You and your child will be wowed by the attention to detail as well as fun authentic representations of Lancaster County on a mini scale. Finish your trip in the gift shop for a souvenir from your visit.

Farm Experiences
Lancaster County is known for its farms and Amish culture, many of which you can visit with your child for a fun outdoor experience. Some working farms will offer tours through the barns or spaces to pet the farm animals, and others have farm-themed play places geared for younger children to explore farm life.

Hands-on House
Hands-on House is an interactive children’s museum with a focus on learning through play and discovery. Wander through the many exhibits on science, technology, and creative arts and watch your child’s love for learning flourish. Hands-on House even offers classes for children ages three and up for free with admission!

The Tree House
Intentionally designed to include features like a soft ground surface and a wheelchair swing, The Tree House aims to provide children of all abilities with a space to play safely. This playground was designed, in part, by local elementary schoolers and built by over 550 community volunteers—truly a labor of love from the Lititz community. The Tree House is open to the public, dusk – dawn year-round.

Toddler-Friendly Restaurants:

Speckled Hen

The best of both worlds—tasty coffee shop & quick artisanal dining for the adults with a fun play area to occupy the kiddos. Grilled cheese or ham & cheese options are great for the kids and breakfast is served all day!

Lapp Valley Farm Creamery & Cafe
Lapp Valley offers a nice selection of kid-friendly meal choices AND you can enjoy their hand-crafted ice cream for dessert. The best part? They have an indoor farm-themed play set with a slide and pretend farm animals!

Fox Meadows - Ephrata
Fox Meadows’ Ephrata location is on a real-working dairy farm! Finish your farm-fresh meal with a delicious, hand-crafted treat created with milk from their own dairy herd while enjoying the view of the farmland. They even have plenty of outdoor seating and an outdoor farm-themed playset!

Casey Jones Restaurant
Experience family dinner in a train car! The little ones can select one of their favorite meals from the “Little Engineers” menu and you can even watch the Strasburg Rail Road Trains travel down the track right from your seat.

Oregon Dairy
Oregon Dairy is a great family-oriented restaurant with a wonderful selection of kid-oriented foods. Order from the kid’s menu and you even get a complimentary kids’ dip of ice cream! After your meal take some time to enjoy the deck and playground where you can zip down the silo slide, enjoy the sand digger, and toddler swings, and visit with some of their farm animals!

Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant
This spot is the perfect way to get your buffet & smorgasbord fix while also filling the kids’ tummies! There is a wide selection of PA Dutch foods that the kids will enjoy plus a dessert bar with homemade puddings, cakes, cookies, and more! Kids 3 and under eat free!

Hayloft Ice Cream
Hayloft is so much more than ice cream! With their expanded lunch and dinner menu, there are great options for the whole family including a wide variety of soft pretzels and pretzel logs. After enjoying a great, casual meal in the log-cabin-themed dining hall or on their outside deck, take a stroll around their duck pond, feed the ducks, and burn off some energy on their playground!

Join the Lancaster County Ice Cream Trail! Happening Memorial Day through Labor Day, this trail is perfect for those of all ages. Download our free mobile passport, check in, redeem coupons, and start winning prizes!

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