16 ways to find a world of wonder on family holidays in Dorset
The Dorset coast borders the English Channel in southwest England and offers a look into millions of years of geological history. Along the Jurassic Coast, you never know when you’ll stumble upon a fossil or rock formation that offers a look into the distant past. You can find plenty of exciting adventures for your family holidays in Dorset, from natural rock formations to colourful resort towns, historical sites, parks, games and so much more. Booking your family breaks in Dorset is fast and easy and opens the door to lifelong memories.
Hit cliffside family beaches for Dorset family holiday adventure
1. Explore the Jurassic Coast for rockpools and ammonites
The Jurassic Coast is a wild and interesting place to enjoy a family holiday. Whether you’re looking for luxury family holidays in Dorset or budget-friendly family breaks, you’re sure to find fun and enjoyment here. One of the most popular activities in the region is beachcombing to look for fossils along the base of the cliffs. It’s very common to find ammonites and other fossilised remains. Even if you’re not into fossil-hunting, you can enjoy hours along golden sands and surf that ranges from rugged to calm and serene.
2. Go fossil hunting as you beachcomb Charmouth
Charmouth Beach is one of the more popular places to go beachcombing for fossils along the Jurassic Coast. The visitor centre sets up guided tours traversing the best place to find fossils that you can take as souvenirs of your travels. It’s a wonderful place to peer into the ancient past, long before human beings ever walked the earth. The rocky beaches here are also scenic and a gorgeous place to grab a photo of the channel and cliffs. You can light up your Instagram feed while the kids dig into the pebbles and rocks.
3. Explore the fascinating fossil shelf at Lyme Regis
The ancient fossil shelf at Lyme Regis Beach is the site of many famous finds by acclaimed palaeontologist Mary Anning. Today, explorers are still pulling unique and interesting fossils from the cliff bases and out of the pebbles on the ground. In fact, the fossil shelf here is known as Ammonite Pavement due to the high level of ammonite fossils found. Kid-friendly activities abound at Lyme Regis. These include a walk along the harbour wall known as the Cobb, visiting the Lyme Regis Aquarium, hitting the Dinosaurland Fossil Museum or Lyme Regis museum and many other options. Your Dorset holidays with the kids are sure to be full of adventure.
4. Look for ammonites at Seatown
If you’re looking for ammonites, fossils of small molluscs dating back millions of years, Seatown is one of the best places to go hunting. This coastal hamlet is something of a hidden gem of the Jurassic Coast, offering scenic walks along beaches that are both pebble-strewn and containing stretches of gold sand. You can find great seafood dining as well as quiet, serene and welcoming surroundings. In fact, you can even set up camp for your trip at the local Dorset family holiday parks in Seatown. It’s a wonderful base of operations to explore the region with beauty and serenity.
5. Go rock pooling at Kimmeridge Bay
Kimmeridge Bay is another popular spot for rock pooling, or searching for fossils left behind by the shifting tide. If you come to enjoy the rock pools, it’s important to remain aware of the tide, which comes in suddenly. Also, be careful of the cliff faces. In some places, they are crumbling. If you exercise basic caution, however, the sheer environmental activity of this place can make it an exciting spot to find unique and interesting fossils you might not find elsewhere.
6. Sun, surf and sand sculptures await on Dorset family beaches
If you’re not interested in fossil hunting, the Dorset family beaches offer a world of adventure for kids and grown-ups alike. You can spend whole days laying out on the soft, golden sand that stretches as far as the eye can see. The kids can run and splash in the surf or enjoy wading in calm and secluded bay waters. You can also find some of the most exciting sand art around. All of it beckons tens of thousands of people to the Jurassic Coast every year and makes for outstanding Dorset family holidays.
7. Lay on the gold sands of Weymouth Beach
Weymouth Beach is one of the most family-friendly and popular beaches along the Dorset coast. Here you can enjoy miles of golden sand and dark blue waters with a gentle surf that’s ideal for kid-swimming and seaside activities like pickup beach volleyball games, disc-throwing or kicking around a football. This area also has historic roots; it was a beloved spot of King George III, who convalesced here whenever he wasn’t well.
Surrounding the beach are a range of restaurants, cafes, shops and activities to make your Dorset family holiday a blast. Kids will love the Punch and Judy shows, donkey rides and children’s theme park rides that can be found up and down the beach.
8. Swim in the sheltered bay at Swanage
If you’re looking for a more sheltered, calm and peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle and crowds, it’s hard to go wrong with a visit to Swanage Beach. The beach runs the entire length of the town of Swanage and offers a wide range of enjoyment and entertainment. The back of the beach is lined by a promenade featuring amusement rides, games, shops, live entertainment and many other activities to enjoy. For the more active set, this beach is also a popular spot for windsurfing, waterskiing and sailing.
9. Explore Viking history at Church Ope cove
The quiet, secluded cove of Church Ope makes for another hidden gem for your Dorset family holiday. With a connection to Viking history, legend has it that this landing site was among the first raids that the Norse made upon the British Isles. The beach is accessible from a walking path that takes you past the Portland Museum where you can learn all about Viking raids. When you arrive at the beach, you can go snorkelling and diving to explore real-life shipwrecks among the surrounding waters.
Explore other family holidays in Dorset attractions
10. Explore a hidden gem of adventure at Fantasy Island Fun Park
This county offers plenty of things to do that fall outside the typical beachfront family holidays in Dorset. Adventure parks, like Fantasy Island Fun Park, abound here. In fact, Fantasy Island is something of a hidden gem of Dorset with classic rides like spinning tea kettles, a big wheel Ferris wheel, a helter skelter thrill ride and bumper cars. The arcade offers everything you want from a traditional amusement park experience like slot machines, video games, a penny arcade area and plenty of other entertainment options. Naturally you’ll have all the traditional theme park food you want from fish and chips to sweets.
11. See the improvisational art at Sandworld Sculpture Park
Building sandcastles and other sand sculptures is a time-honoured tradition that dates back hundreds and possibly thousands of years. While nobody knows where the tradition began, today you can see some of the most brilliant sand art in the entire world at the Sandworld Sculpture Park. This unique gallery showcases an ever-changing range of detailed sculptures representing popular culture and simple imagination. Get inspiration on your own or by enjoying the artistry on display.
12. Check out a variety of aquariums for your Dorset family holiday
Two of the most popular oceanic attractions in Dorset include the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth and the Oceanarium in Bournemouth. At the Sea Life Centre, you can visit a live octopus, sharks and stingrays in their natural habitats. You can also see a rare and unique colony of fairy penguins. Enjoy an outdoor rock pool, crazy-golf course and an adventure playground.
The Oceanarium at Bournemouth lets you get up close with sea turtles, penguins, dwarf crocodiles and playful otters spread over 12 different themed environments. You can take the adventure quiz trail where you’ll learn about ocean life and experience hands-on animal experiences or watch the animal feedings.
13. Get adventurous with the RockReef Zip Line
Bournemouth’s RockReef Activity Centre’s Pier Zip Line attraction is great for family holidays in Dorset with older kids. This attraction is the first pier-to-shore zip line in the entire world. It takes you on a wild adventure, stretching over 250 metres long and 25 metres above the water. It takes just 30 seconds to complete the track, and since it’s a dual wire, you can even try to race your family members. Kids who want to ride will need to be over 1.3 metres tall, so it’s best for families with teens.
14. Hit water parks in Dorset for flumes, thrills, and splashzones
Like any good waterfront area, this county offers plenty of water parks to enjoy on your Dorset holidays with kids. Two of the most popular are Splashdown in Poole and the Waterpark at Dorset Adventure Park. At Splashdown, you’ll find attractions for everyone, from children under 8 to teens and grown-ups. This waterslide park has 13 different flumes, offering every level of excitement from gentle to thrilling.
The Dorset Waterpark is part of the Dorset Adventure Park, a theme park that offers thrill rides, games, food and live entertainment. At the water park area, you’ll find a different sort of adventure. Instead of splashzones and flumes, you’ll navigate obstacle courses overlooking 2 lakes. These include obstacles like wobbly bridges, balance beams, floating stones and others. You’ll get 30 minutes per lake to try and navigate the obstacles from one side to the other. While the minimum age is 6, kids will need to be able to swim for this one.
Head for outdoor adventure on Dorset family holidays
15. Check the children’s Play Trail at Moors Valley Country Park
Moors Valley Country Park is perhaps best known as the home of the Gruffalo and its child, the famed monsters from the popular children’s book, ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Kids and grown-ups alike can wander along the children’s Play Trail where you might spot the fearsome monster with its poisonous nose-wart and purple prickles on its back.
Besides the play trail, there are lots of hiking and cycling trails as well as the opportunity to ride a real steam train through the countryside. You can head for the Go Ape Junior High Ropes Course to try your hand at swinging amongst the trees.
16. See exotic flora at the Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens
The Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens in Weymouth offer an enchanting look into worlds far beyond the shores of the United Kingdom. Here, you can see rare and exotic species of plants from all over the world. When it comes to family holidays in Dorset, kids love exploring the Wonderland Sculpture Trail where they can see all the characters from famous storybooks, including Alice, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and others. Additionally, kids can enjoy the play area created just for them.
Grown-ups will enjoy spotting golden pheasants that hide inside the gardens where you’ll walk paths that take you by lily ponds and across rope bridges. Special events and festivals are held here throughout the year including a popular winter light festival.