Kid Friendly Destinations

Paultons Park and Pepper Pig World

Paulton’s Park is theme park designed for families with children under 14 years old. Peppa Pig’s very own theme Park with lots of rides and fun for little ones aged 1 to 6 years old. Buy your ticket online to avoid the queue to get in.

Longdown Activity Farm

Hands-on family fun with a daily schedule of activities including feeding the goats and calves, meeting pigs, donkey’s and ponies and cuddling baby rabbits! There are indoor and outdoor play areas to explore, including a trampoline barn, soft play area and The Farmer’s Straw Den.

Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park

Keeper talks will captivate your children’s imagination as they answer your questions at feeding times throughout the day. Also Animal encounter Sessions with some of the smaller mammals.

Reptile and Raptor Centre

A retitle house with snakes, lizards and more and a wide range of birds of prey on display including daily flying displays during their open season.

Beaulieu Motor Museum

One ticket grants you access to the National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear, Palace House and the tranquil ground and gardens with the ruins of Beaulieu Abbey

Moors Valley

Just north of Ringwood. Moors Valley has a great network of trails that a toddler or a teenager can manage. There are several different installations around the walk that kids can climb on. All you pay for on the ground trails is parking.  There is also a large facility there called Go Ape aimed at two different age groups.  Go Ape Tree Top Junior is for children over 1 meter tall and aged 6 – 12 years old (although younger kids can go on if supervised by an adult!) or ‘Go Ape Tree Top Adventure’: a challenging tree top obstacle course with zip wires for children over 10 years and 1.4 m in height. Our nieces travelled round Europe for three weeks aged 10 – 16: their highlight? Go Ape.

Swanage Steam Railway

This short stretch of rail is operated by enthusiasts and makes a wonderful day out for kids. The railway starts near Corfe Castle where you can park your car and makes a short trip to Swanage. Swanage itself is a typical, small south coast seaside town and is worth a short nose around, then get the train back to the car. At certain times of years, Thomas the Tank Engine visits and Santa rides the train on certain days in the run up to Xmas.

Titanic museum

In Southampton. Tells the tragic tale well. Got a big thumbs up.

Swimming

If you don’t want to brave the English Channel but are desperate to swim, there is an indoor pool in Ringwood, an outdoor lido in Lymington, ‘Splashdown’ (water park with slides) on the way to Poole.

Paint your pot

There is a pottery studio in Christchurch where you can paint you own pottery. Good for a rainy day.

Marwell Zoo

A bit of a hike, but we loved it when we got there.

Bournemouth Aquarium

As aquariums go, this is a good one. Right by the beach and the pier. A ticket lasts all day so you can come and go as you please.