Rockshop Ambleside
Do you want to know more about the RockShop Ambleside? It’s a great place to take the kids on a rainy day in the Lake District. It’s located in the entre of Ambleside and is a fantastic place for the whole family. Find more things to do in the lake district when it rains here.
Where is the Rockshop located?
Rockshop is in Ambleside town centre. It’s located near the top of the town centre. There are plenty of shops to explore in Ambleside and Rockshop if just set back from the high street but is really easy to find.
The address is North Rd, Ambleside LA22 9DT
What to expect at Rockshop Ambleside
Rockshop is more than just a shop. Yes it is a shop and you can pop in to have a look around and buy some stones or gems but there are some great experiences for kids too.
The 3 experiences are:
- Gem pit
- Dinosaur den
- Pippin bead bar
The shop recommends these experiences for children from the age of 4 years. Each experience is £5 per child.
The shop at Rockshop
You’ll find loads of rocks, gems and semi-precious stones for sale and to browse in the shop. Find crystals like rose quartz and many more. If you’re looking for a unique gift then this is a great place to start.
Rockshop gem pit
For us the highlight of this shop is the gem pit. My kids love it. I think most kids would love to climb in to the gem pit! Mine got right in, digging deep, lying on the bed of rocks and examining the rocks.
The gem pit is a large pit (this photo is about half the width as there were other children playing in the right hand side) in a bay window. It is filled with thousands of small, polished, colourful stones. Children can spend as long as they like in the pit playing with the rocks and deciding which ones they want to take home in their little pouch.
There’s a wide ledge along one side of the gem pit where parents can sit and supervise their children.
To the right of gem pit are a selection of boxes of larger, unpolished rocks which can also be taken home in the pouch if you children would like.
For £5, your child can spend as long as they like in the gem pit area and fill a small pouch with as many gems/rocks as they can fit.
Dinosaur den
Dinosaur den is located upstairs and it is full of replica dinosaurs, fossils and crystals. It’s a short 15 minute treasure hunt with clues to solve and the children get a small prize at the end.
The experience is recommended for children aged 6 plus. It is dark upstairs so you will be given a torch to use. Adults go free but must accompany children. Only one family at a time will be in the dinosaur den.
Pippin bead bar
In this area for £5 your child can use the beads to design and make their own bracelet to take home with you.
Our visit to Rockshop Ambleside
My own children were 7 and 10 at the time of our visit and not really into dinosaurs and we have so many bead kits at home so we decided to do the gem pit. It’s a really unique experience and our girls spent far longer than I expected in the gem pit. They took a lot of time ant attention selecting the perfect stones to fill their small pouches with.
They also spent a lot of time later that day and week, examining their stones, lining them up and arranging them in patterns.
So if you are shopping in Ambleside with kids or faced with another rainy day in the Lake District head to Rockshop for a fun an unique experience.
More things to do nearby
All experiences last 15 minutes approximately. We spent longer than this in the gem pit but it’s not somewhere you’ll spend hours. Here are some nearby things that you could combine with your rockshop trip.
Walk up to Stock ghyll force waterfalls. There is a great walk just a short walk from Rockshop.
Head down to Waterhead pier on the shores of lake Windermere. From here you could even get on a Windermere cruise.
Visit bridge house which is just around the corner and you have to see this tiny house on a bridge.
Find more Child-friendly attractions in the Lake District here.
Find more Things to do with kids in Ambleside here.
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