Discover 24 amazing things to do with kids in Dorset
Dorset is a picturesque county located along England’s southwest coast that’s known for the stretch of fossil cliffs known as the Jurassic Coast. It’s also famed for 2 natural landmarks: the Lulworth Cove cliffs and the ancient Durdle Door stone arch. Visitors and locals alike flock to the beaches at Weymouth, Swanage and Poole. Family days out in Dorset can include swimming and playing on the waterfront, visiting historic and natural landmarks, searching for fossils, visiting theme and water parks, and even having animal experiences. It’s a brilliant place to go to make memories and have adventures your family will talk about for many years.
Go fossil hunting or rockpooling, or relax on Dorset beaches
1. Go beachcombing in Charmouth to find ammonite fossils
If you’re looking to go beachcombing for fossils on the Jurassic Coast during your family days out in Dorset, Charmouth Beach is one of the most popular options. You can either wander the rockpools and tidal coast yourself or book a guided tour that can show you some of the best places to fossil hunt. Not only can you look for that ideal memento of your trip, but you can also catch spectacular photos of the jagged cliffs and channels. Whether you’re peering into the past or out over the ocean, this is a wonderful place for a family adventure.
2. Explore the entire Jurassic Coast for fossil adventures
The whole Jurassic Coast is an entertaining, untamed place to find waterfront excitement on your days out with the kids in Dorset. Beachcombing is a wildly popular activity here, as is seeking fossils at the base of the cliffs that are ripe with ammonites. You can also find plenty of other options like vast pebble and sand beaches with clear, clean waters that offer calm swimming in some areas and rugged surf ideal for bodyboarding in others. Some beaches are popular with surfers, while others are secluded coves frequented by couples. Whatever you’re looking for in terms of a seashore holiday, you’ll find it on the Jurassic Coast.
3. Discover the coastal hamlet beaches of Seatown
Seatown is an ideal place to find fossilized molluscs known as ammonites, but it’s also a hidden gem of the region that offers a quaint seashore village experience. In Seatown, you can take coastal walks along golden-sand beaches just steps away from seafood dining. Local restaurants serve up fresh catches and seasonal dishes. You’ll also find that locals are welcoming to visitors. A lot of attractions are found in this village, so it makes for a brilliant place from which to stage your travels across the county as you seek things to do with kids in Dorset.
4. Head for Kimmeridge Bay for a rockpooling experience
Kimmeridge Bay is an ideal location for rockpooling, but watch out for the tide, as it can come in very suddenly. The cliff faces along Kimmeridge are also crumbling in some places, so it’s best to keep away from them or at least exercise caution when searching for fossils nearby. Simply exercising some awareness and caution, however, will allow you to explore a location with more environmental activity than almost anywhere else, and where you can find some of the best rock pools around.
5. See the wondrous fossil legacy of the Lyme Regis seafront
Lyme Regis Beach is the location of an ancient fossil shelf where the famed palaeontologist Mary Anning made many of her most famous finds. Even today, vast finds are being removed from the ground and cliff sides here. The shelf itself is famed for the sheer number of ammonites found here and has become known as the Ammonite Pavement as a result. You can book guided walks around the Cobb harbour wall here, head for any of several museums in the town nearby or visit a local aquarium, among other fun and interesting things to do with kids in Dorset.
6. Explore the site where Vikings landed at Church Ope Cove
Church Ope Cove has a legendary history behind it. As the story goes, this is the first place where the Norse landed when they raided the British Isles, and it’s the place where that cultural influence first made its way to the UK. A nearby museum will tell you all about this important part of the nation’s history. Today it’s a quiet and secluded hidden gem of a sandy beach with calm waters that’s a great place to catch a sunrise or sunset, or just to relax with your family. Many people who come here favour snorkelling and wading, but it’s a peaceful place for family days out in Dorset.
7. Relax on the golden sand and crystal waters of Weymouth Beach
Weymouth Beach is arguably one of the most popular beaches along the Jurassic Coast. This beach offers miles of silky soft sand and calm, dark waters that make for great swimming. Days out with the kids in Dorset here offer plenty of fun like beach ball games, building sandcastles and body surfing. The beach is said to have been a favourite spot for King George III to come when he was feeling under the weather and needed some relaxation to get better again. You can also head for many shops and restaurants that are just steps away, or enjoy many kid-friendly attractions like rides, puppet shows and others.
8. Visit the serene and calm Swanage Bay
Swanage Bay offers a sheltered beach with super calm surf and crystal-clear waters that’s something of a hidden gem of the area. It’s the place to go for family days out in Dorset when you want to escape from the crowds and hustle and bustle but still enjoy thrills and attractions like theme park-style rides, shops, games, restaurants and live shows. It’s also a great place to come to watch or participate in sports like windsurfing, sailing and waterskiing. Overall, it’s a place that offers all the entertainment and excitement of the more popular beaches, just without the crowds.
9. Find more family fun at other area beaches
Some people are less concerned with fossil hunting and are looking for more traditional beachfront things to do with kids in Dorset. For those folks, Dorset family beaches offer a world of traditional adventure. Whether you’re looking for a picnic lunch on the sand, a beach volleyball game, surfing, snorkelling or just building sandcastles and sunbathing, these miles upon miles of gold-sand beaches offer it all. Tens of thousands of visitors come to the Jurassic Coast annually to enjoy these beaches and take advantage of the soft sand and clear water.
Check out exciting Dorset theme and adventure parks
10. Visit the Sandworld sculpture park to see sand art
After you spend some time on the Jurassic Coast beaches building your own sandcastles, why not head out to see what kind of art the pros can make with sand? Though no one is really sure how or when building sand sculptures began as a pastime, the Sandworld sculpture park takes the art form to a whole new level. The artwork here is constantly changing as old sculptures are removed and new ones are constructed, and they represent everything from Spongebob to dragons to traditional sandcastles and beyond. Whether you go here to get inspiration for your own creations or just to wonder at the art, it’s a great option for family days out in Dorset.
11. Ride coasters and kettles at Fantasy Island Fun Park
Fantasy Island Fun Park is a typical family theme park right in the heart of the county. Things to do with the kids in Dorset here are nearly endless and include spinning tea kettle rides, roller coasters, bumper cars, thrill rides and even a big wheel where you can see the entire surrounding area from the top. The park includes a penny arcade with games ranging from classics to modern arcade consoles and slot machines. Traditional fair games abound, as do takeaway amusement park eats. Live entertainment, much of it kid-centric, is also on display here all season long to make your day out a wild and entertaining one.
12. Fly over Dorset at the RockReef Activity Centre
The RockReef Activity Centre offers all manner of outdoor extreme adventure attractions in Dorset for families. One of the top attractions here is the PierZip, which is among the longest zip lines of its kind in the world and the first that goes from pier to shore. It takes just over 30 seconds to traverse the 250-metre distance, and you’re 25 metres high as you zip over the open water. The dual wire even lets you race your friends. Other attractions here include the Clip ‘n Climb climbing walls, the Highline aerial obstacle course, a vertical slide, obstacle courses and ball caves.
13. Ride the flumes at Splashdown Poole
Splashdown Poole offers a wide range of water park family attractions in Dorset for kids from ages 7 to 70 and beyond. Water slides here range from tame to pulse-pounding, with 13 different flumes from which to choose. You can also enjoy a toddler area with special pools that have 3D reef liners that give the illusion that kids are swimming with rays and other exotic sea life. An interactive play area lets little ones shoot water cannons and try a starter slide. Sun terraces let you kick back and relax, while the Splash Café is the place to go for lite eats, snacks and drinks.
14. Find thrills at Dorset Adventure Park
Dorset Adventure Park includes its own water park that offers a waterborne obstacle course where you can traverse between 2 lakes over balance beams, inflatable floating stones, wobbly bridges and other tricky hurdles that you’ve got 30 minutes to overcome. Kids as young as 6 years old can enjoy the family attractions in Dorset here. If you want to go the opposite way, try getting down and dirty in the park’s mud trail. This obstacle and assault course will get you messy as you slip and slide in mud while you try to outwit your family and get to the end.
Explore the undersea world at Dorset aquariums
15. Visit Sea Life Weymouth to see a live octopus
Sea Life Weymouth offers family days out in Dorset that place you in the centre of a majestic and magical underwater world where you can see bioluminescent jellyfish, penguins, sharks and stingrays all in their natural habitat. One of the major attractions here is the unique, rare fairy penguin colony, one of the few places you can see these interesting birds. In addition to the sea life on display, you can hit the outdoor rock pool to wade and explore, or the kids can run in an adventure playground while you try your hand at sea-themed crazy golf.
16. Head for the Oceanarium and visit a dwarf crocodile
In Bournemouth, you’ll find the Oceanarium. Here you can get up close to see penguins, sea turtles, otters and even dwarf crocodiles all in their different natural environments. The aquarium offers 12 themed areas to explore from the deepest depths of the Atlantic Ocean to the Penguin Beach encounter. After you explore all the different habitats, you can head for the cafe to grab a bite to eat and the gift shop to find a memento of your travels. Kids will also love the up-close animal experiences where they can touch and feed some of the marine animals on display.
Have some family-friendly outdoor adventures
17. Visit Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens for rare, exotic plants
If you head to Weymouth, you can find the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens to view rare, exotic flora from the farthest reaches of the world. These colourful flowers and plants are sure to bring a sense of wonder and magic to your family days out in Dorset. When it comes to kid-centric attractions here, you’ll definitely want to walk the Wonderland Sculpture Trail. Here the kids can wander among the unique plant life while encountering all the characters from Lewis Carroll’s novels, including the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and, of course, Alice herself. For the littlest ones, there’s a play area they can enjoy.
18. Visit the Gruffalo’s Child at Moors Valley Country Park
‘The Gruffalo’s Child’ is a classic and popular children’s book, and you can find the Gruffalo and its child at Moors Valley Country Park. All along the children’s Play Trail, you and your little ones can enjoy plenty of fun things to do, from meeting mythical monsters to hopping on a bicycle to tackle a cycling trail. Or you can let the kids climb and jump on the Go Ape Junior High Ropes Course. If you’d like, you can even hop on the park’s genuine steam train and chug along on a fun and relaxing ride through the scenic countryside.
19. See the magnificence of Durdle Door
Durdle Door is an iconic natural rock formation in the West Lulworth region that offers a wondrous and fascinating option for things to do with kids in Dorset. It’s among the most photographed national landmarks in the county and is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The ‘door’ is actually a natural stone arch that stretches over the water and is surrounded by a pebble beach and calm surf with clear blue waters. You can park at the nearby car park and access the beach via a footpath, but be aware that there aren’t many amenities as it’s an unspoiled natural area.
20. Try some active adventures at Lulworth Outdoors
Lulworth Outdoors offers a wide range of active sports adventures for your family days out in Dorset. Here you can enjoy cliff diving and kayaking, snorkelling in clear waters, hitting the trails for cycling on mountain bikes, trying your hand at orienteering or heading to an archery range to see if you can shoot a bullseye. For more serene activities, the park offers a number of hiking trails. Because the park is set between 2 of the most scenic landmarks in Dorset, you’ll also get the chance to capture stunning photos of a serene, sheltered cove and a stunning natural rock formation.
21. Go dolphin spotting at Durlston Country Park
Durlston Country Park is both a park and nature reserve that offers some of the best things to do with kids in Dorset connected to both coast and countryside. It’s located right on the corner of the Isle of Purbeck and offers lush green grass and colourful natural flora along its 130 hectares of walking trails. If you’re lucky and it’s the right time of day, you might even get a chance to spot dolphins, sharks and seals out in the ocean waters. To make sure you don’t miss anything, the park visitor centre offers trail explorer books, family entertainment events and even a medieval castle with cameras and a fossil room.
Get up close on an animal adventure in Dorset
22. Go ape at Monkey World Ape Rescue Center
The Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre offers rescue animals from all over the world, and proceeds go to fight primate smuggling across the world. The sanctuary features more than 250 endangered and rescued primates including one of the largest groups of chimpanzees outside of Africa, 3 groups of orangutans, several groups of gibbons and many other kinds of monkeys, prosimians and apes. While you’re here, the staff will be happy to teach you all about the conservation and protection of these species that are really so much like us, and why ape smuggling is such a problem. The on-site gift shop lets you find memorabilia to support the cause and remember your trip.
23. Find fabulous fun at Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park
For absolutely fabulous things to do with the kids in Dorset, pay a visit to Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park. This one even appeals to the youngest kids. They can meet and pet an alpaca, take a woodland walk, feed the goats, watch pig exercising and even take a ride on a farm tractor-trailer to see the working farm in action and explore the rolling green countryside. To give children room to run and jump, the farm offers a kids’ play area. When it’s mealtime, you can visit the farm’s own restaurant that offers home-cooked meals and cakes, and even Sunday roasts.
24. See a colony of mute swans at Abbotsbury Swannery
Swans are beautiful animals, but it’s often not advisable to approach them in the wild, especially when they’re nesting. If you want to see a nesting swan up close, however, head for the Abbotsbury Swannery to top off your wondrous family days out in Dorset. These mute swans are lovely creatures, and if you visit between May and June, you might even get to see the baby swans hatch from their eggs. After you visit with the swans and learn all about them, you can tackle the Giant Swan Maze or visit the charming Swannery Café that serves locally sourced homemade food from meat and fish to locally grown vegetables and even speciality ice cream.