Short answer: Saunton Sands is the move — three miles of flat firm sand ten minutes away, dogs allowed all year, and a grill right beside it. The Tarka Trail through Braunton is level and traffic-free. Braunton Burrows is extraordinary but floods in winter and has no facilities.
Braunton is a village rather than a beach, and the honest plan with a toddler is to use it as the base and go to the sand. Saunton Sands is ten minutes away, with three miles of firm flat beach, dogs allowed all year and a car park that takes contactless. Parking in Braunton is cheaper than Croyde, which is the reason to stay here.
Right next to Saunton Sands and dog friendly, which means you can come straight off the beach. Book at busy times — on a hot Saturday in August turning up with a tired toddler and no table is a bad position to be in.
Flat, surfaced and traffic-free, running through Braunton along the old railway line. With a toddler on a balance bike or in a buggy it is as easy as walking gets in north Devon, and you can do as much or as little of it as the mood allows.
A UNESCO biosphere reserve with D-Day training relics in the dunes, and genuinely remarkable. With a small child, know what you are taking on: the dunes are soft and tiring, it floods in winter, and there are no toilets. A short wander in from the edge is the sensible version.
The Williams Arms does a carvery every day and is dog friendly — check carvery times before you set off. The Duck Dive is the best rated in the village, opens at 8.30am and runs late, which makes breakfast there the easy start to a day.
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