Best UK Theme Parks for Children Under 100cm
Which UK theme parks give a child under 100cm the fullest day? We checked every ride's height rules and picked the parks where small children can ride the most, with the standout rides at each.
Planning GuideTheme Park Height Guide8 min read
- under 100cm
- uk theme parks
- toddler rides
- family planning
- height restrictions
The Under-100cm Reality
A child under 100cm can still have a brilliant theme park day, but only if you pick the right park. We checked every ride at all 41 UK theme parks in our directory, and the gap is wide: 38 rides and attractions are open to a 99cm child at Twinlakes Park, against just 7 at Thorpe Park.
Our counts include play areas and shows as well as rides, and a ride only counts when the park's published rules confirm your child can board it, either alone or with an adult.
The Parks With the Most for Under 100cm
This table ranks the ten UK parks with the most rides and attractions open to a child of 99cm. It's calculated from our current ride data.
| # | Park | Rides at 99cm | All rides | Share | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twinlakes Park | 38 | 47 | 81% | Leicestershire |
| 2 | Crealy Adventure Park | 34 | 38 | 89% | Devon |
| 3 | Paultons Park | 33 | 41 | 80% | Hampshire |
| 4 | Lightwater Valley | 32 | 40 | 80% | North Yorkshire |
| 5 | Gulliver's Valley | 30 | 35 | 86% | South Yorkshire |
| 6 | Watermouth Castle | 29 | 30 | 97% | Devon (North Devon) |
| 7 | Drayton Manor | 28 | 46 | 61% | Staffordshire |
| 8 | Camel Creek Adventure Park | 25 | 26 | 96% | Cornwall |
| 9 | Gulliver's World | 23 | 31 | 74% | Cheshire |
| 10 | LEGOLAND Windsor Resort | 23 | 32 | 72% | Berkshire |
The full list of every UK park is in our complete under-100cm ranking. Below are the parks we'd look at first, and what your child can actually ride at each.
Our Picks for Under 100cm
Paultons Park: the toddler favourite
Paultons has 18 rides and attractions with no height rule at all, and 33 in total that a child under 100cm can go on (80% of the park). Peppa Pig World is purpose-built for toddlers, and the rest of the park has more than enough for older siblings.
Standout rides for under 100cm:
- Peppa's Big Balloon Ride and Grandpa Pig's Little Train (no height restriction)
- George's Dinosaur Adventure (from 85cm with an adult)
- Dino Chase, a family coaster (from 85cm with an adult)
- Buffalo Falls log flume (from 90cm with an adult)
- Ghostly Manor interactive dark ride (no height restriction)
View all Paultons Park rides and heights →
Twinlakes Park: the longest list
Twinlakes, near Melton Mowbray, has 38 rides and attractions open to a child under 100cm out of 47. A lot of that is indoor soft play and outdoor play areas, which is useful on a wet day, but there are proper rides too.
Standout rides for under 100cm:
- Mercury Mini Coaster (from 90cm with an adult)
- Rum Runner Coaster (from 95cm with an adult)
- Davey Jones Barrel Run, an indoor water ride (from 90cm with an adult)
- Iron Mouse Express Train (any height with an adult)
View all Twinlakes Park rides and heights →
Crealy Adventure Park: bigger rides from 92cm
Crealy, near Exeter, opens 34 of its 38 rides and attractions to a child under 100cm. Many of its bigger rides take children from 92cm as long as an adult rides with them, so a small child can try things that are off-limits at most parks.
Standout rides for under 100cm:
- Maximus coaster (from 92cm with an adult)
- Tidal Wave log flume (from 92cm with an adult)
- Soo's Sweet Balloon Ride in Sooty Land (any height with an adult)
View all Crealy rides and heights →
Drayton Manor: Thomas Land
Drayton Manor has 28 rides and attractions for a child under 100cm. Most of them are in Thomas Land, where many rides take children of any height as long as an adult rides with them.
Standout rides for under 100cm:
- Blue Mountain Engines, Lady's Carousel and Bertie Bus (any height with an adult)
- Thomas & Percy's Submarine Splash (from 90cm with an adult)
- Toby's Tram Express (from 95cm with an adult)
Note that Thomas Land's Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster needs 100cm, even with an adult. Read our Peppa Pig World vs Thomas Land comparison →
View all Drayton Manor rides and heights →
LEGOLAND Windsor: open with an adult
None of LEGOLAND's rides is free of a height rule, but 23 of its 32 rides accept a child under 100cm when an adult rides too. DUPLO Valley has the DUPLO Dino Coaster and DUPLO Airport (from 90cm with an adult) and the DUPLO Express (any height with an adult). Elsewhere, Coastguard HQ boats, Fairy Tale Brook and LEGO NINJAGO The Ride all take any height with an adult.
What to know: a few more LEGOLAND rides open at 100cm, including The Dragon coaster and Pirate Falls with an adult. See what unlocks at 100cm →
View all LEGOLAND Windsor rides and heights →
Smaller Parks Worth the Trip
If you'd rather your child could do nearly everything, smaller parks often beat the big names on share. Camel Creek in Cornwall has 96% of its rides and attractions open under 100cm, Sundown Adventureland in Nottinghamshire 95%, and Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire 80%.
Water Rides Under 100cm
Log flumes and boat rides are often a small child's favourite, and plenty of UK water rides take children under 100cm, usually with an adult. These are the parks with the most water rides a 99cm child can go on:
| # | Park | Rides at 99cm | Of this type | Share | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twinlakes Park | 5 | 6 | 83% | Leicestershire |
| 2 | Camel Creek Adventure Park | 3 | 3 | 100% | Cornwall |
| 3 | Gulliver's Land | 3 | 3 | 100% | Buckinghamshire |
| 4 | Crealy Adventure Park | 2 | 2 | 100% | Devon |
| 5 | Flamingo Land | 2 | 2 | 100% | North Yorkshire |
| 6 | Gulliver's Kingdom | 2 | 2 | 100% | Derbyshire |
| 7 | Adventure Coast Southport | 1 | 1 | 100% | Merseyside |
| 8 | Brean Theme Park | 1 | 1 | 100% | Somerset |
A few to look out for: Buffalo Falls at Paultons Park and Thomas & Percy's Submarine Splash at Drayton Manor both take riders from 90cm with an adult, Tidal Wave at Crealy from 92cm with an adult, and Davey Jones Barrel Run at Twinlakes from 90cm with an adult, indoors. At Gulliver's Land, The Log Flume and Jungle River Ride have no height restriction.
Pack a change of clothes and a towel, as you can get properly wet. Our guide to water ride height requirements covers the bigger flumes and rapids too.
Wet-Weather Picks Under 100cm
Most rides for small children are outdoors, so a wet day can shrink the choice quickly. Some parks have far more under cover than others. This table ranks UK parks by indoor rides and attractions, with how many are open to a 99cm child:
| # | Park | Indoor rides | Indoor at 99cm | All rides | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Grand Pier | 14 | 13 | 19 | Somerset |
| 2 | Twinlakes Park | 12 | 10 | 47 | Leicestershire |
| 3 | Crealy Adventure Park | 10 | 10 | 38 | Devon |
| 4 | Alton Towers | 11 | 9 | 37 | Staffordshire |
| 5 | Babylon Park London | 11 | 9 | 11 | London |
| 6 | Watermouth Castle | 9 | 9 | 30 | Devon (North Devon) |
| 7 | Blackgang Chine | 8 | 8 | 23 | Isle of Wight |
| 8 | Sundown Adventureland | 7 | 7 | 22 | Nottinghamshire (Retford) |
Indoor counts include soft play and play areas as well as rides, which for a child under 100cm is often exactly what you want on a wet afternoon. For more ideas, see our rainy-day guide to indoor theme park rides.
Planning Tips
Use the height checker before you go. Enter your child's exact height on any park page to see the specific ride breakdown. A child at 95cm has different options from one at 85cm.
Book return visits around height milestones. The biggest unlock points in UK parks are 90cm, 100cm and 120cm. Note which rides your child couldn't go on this time, and plan a return trip when they've grown into them. Our guides to what a 90cm child can ride and what opens at 100cm show what to expect at each step.
Head to the toddler areas first. Peppa Pig World and Thomas Land are busiest in school holidays and at weekends, so go there at opening and explore the wider park later.
Check the "with adult" rules. Many rides let a smaller child on if an adult rides with them, and at some parks that's the only way in for under-100cm visitors. Our park guides show both heights on every ride. How "with an adult" rules work →
What About CBeebies Land at Alton Towers?
Alton Towers has 23 rides and attractions open to a child under 100cm, most of them in CBeebies Land. The Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure and Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! both take riders from 90cm with an adult, In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride takes any height with an adult, and Hey Duggee's Big Adventure Badge and the Something Special Sensory Garden have no height rule. Outside CBeebies Land, Gangsta Granny: The Ride and Hex also take riders from 90cm with an adult.
View all Alton Towers rides and heights →
Check Your Child's Height Against Any Park
Not sure which park suits your child best? Our height calculator lets you enter a height and instantly see how many rides are open at every UK park, sorted by the best match.
Frequently asked questions
What rides can a child under 100cm go on?
More than most parents expect. Across the UK parks we cover, 806 rides and attractions are open to a 99cm child. They're mostly carousels, trains, gentle boat rides, play areas and family rides, plus a good number of family coasters and log flumes that take smaller children with an adult.
Which UK theme park is best for a child under 90cm?
Look for parks with lots of rides that have no height rule at all. Paultons Park is a strong choice, with 25 rides and attractions open to a child under 90cm. Our first theme park visit guide ranks the parks for this height.
Can a child under 100cm ride a roller coaster?
Yes, a family coaster, usually with an adult. Dino Chase at Paultons Park takes riders from 85cm with an adult, the Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure at Alton Towers from 90cm with an adult, and Rum Runner Coaster at Twinlakes Park from 95cm with an adult.
How much difference does reaching 100cm make?
A noticeable one. Across the UK parks we cover, a child can go on 806 rides at 99cm and 905 at 100cm, partly because a batch of family coasters opens at exactly 100cm with an adult. See what opens at 100cm.
What if I'm also bringing an older child?
The parks that suit a small child best often have less for an older sibling, so check both heights before you choose. Our guide to visiting with siblings of different heights has more on choosing a park that works for both.