Suggestions for things to do in Swanage

[LittleAndOften]

We're off for a week's holiday to Swanage in Sept with DH and our 3.5 year old. I will be 30 wks pregnant and can't walk far right now (pgp). We're staying in a cottage in the town.

Please can you suggest budget-friendly activities for dry and wet weather? The beaches are great but we've had such poor weather this summer I'm a bit worried. I've started to look online at nearby attractions and things seem pricey (monkey world for 2 adults and a 3 year old is £38!). Any suggestions would be much appreciated

The Ark Poole Park if it’s wet and Whitecliffe playground (also in Poole) if the weather is dry.
Corfe Castle Model Village costs £12 for a family. As well as the fantastic models, there is an enchanted fairy garden, croquet, giant games and during the school holidays there are trails and quizzes for the children to participate in at no extra cost, always leaving with a little token present of their trip.
A trip to the Oceanarium in Bournemouth would cost the three about £23 if you pre booked tickets online.
Upton Country Park is nice. There’s a small soft play area in the tea rooms and a summer splash fountain in the walled garden. There’s a woodland play trail which involves a little walk.

These are great suggestions, thank you so much!

Bumping for any more ideas please

The steam railway is nice if your child is into trains. Can't remember how much it is, but it's online.

We're familiar with the area, holidayed there with now 3 year old DS for the last couple of years.

We like Swanage, time on the beach, play in the arcades, fish and chip lunch. Same again in Weymouth.

There's a nice pier at Swanage, paid for though.

Are you national trust members? Corfe Castle and Polesden Lacey are nearby, and the beach at Studland is NT but the it can pay to park, the beach is lovely and has a cafe at Knoll Beach.

Get the ferry (with car or as a foot passengers) from Studland to sandbanks?

There's a few kids farm/play areas about. Mister Palmers Farm Park, we went a couple of years ago. There is another soft play/farm place near Swanage but we haven't been.

There's a sea life centre at Weymouth but we've not been.

We've always been quite lucky with the weather, even when we've been in February so haven't had to plan for many very wet days.

Weymouth Sea life centre had a cheap prebookable toddler rate.

Steam railway is fab!

There's also a little museum on the beach front that ds and I went to when we did the steam train.

These are all great, thank you. Our cottage is right by the railway line as ds loves trains, so that's top of the list

Putlake farm in langton matravers (v close to Swanage) has a cheapish soft play suitable for a 3.5 year old.

There is a decent playground and skate park which little kids use their scooters on at the main car park in town called King George's.

There is also a playground above the beach and some (not cheap) amusements like ride on trains and stuff like that.

There is also a children's center and the library which you could probably look up online to find activities, I know there are some, but not sure which days.

If it's not beach weather, but not raining, crabbing is always a winner. Go to the monkey beach next to the stone quay, it's the best place.

Just wanted to point out the ferry is out of action at the moment, so check before making plans for that.

@JohnWolfenstein really helpful thanks. Play parks can be hard to find in new towns!
@SuzanneV ooh thanks for that, do you know if it's a temporary or long term thing?

It may not be great for you if you can’t walk much, but I really enjoy the Blue Pool. It would be ideal if your partner wanted to take him out for an afternoon to give you a chance to rest. There is also a tea room if you just want to sit and have a cream tea.

The model village in Corfe Castle is nice (you can stop there on the railway).

Also really recommend a day trip to Tyneham, which should be relatively easy to do from Swanage. It’s a ghost village that was abandoned during WWII. The beach there is lovely too, but it’s probably too far to walk for you (at least a mile from the car park).

Last I heard the ferry was off being repaired until November! So best check.

Don’t aim to go far from swanage

The traffic is really bad and since the ferry is out of action it is even worse through corfe.

Putlake farm is fab for the little ones, it’s a short drive/bus into the next village and has a huge indoor play barn if it rains. Decent tea shop too or take a picnic

Kids love the 2p slot arcades.

Swimming pool at either of the caravan parks at each end of town are open for non residents

Nice little play area at a few of the pubs eg crowd nest so kids can play whilst you wait for food

Steam train into corfe and then model village for lunch is a brilliant day out. But not cheap adding both together.

Check out the tourist centre along the beach front for other ideas and what is on locally.

Crabbing on the pier with a cheap line and some bacon is a popular thing to do.

Beaches are great and if it does stay dry I doubt you need to do anymore than that.

There’s a small cinema in the town if it rains really badly but not always showing a film and not every day by any means. It’s called the mowlem theatre so can check on line.

Have fun. It’s a great place to holiday with little ones.

No Studland Ferry for a foreseeable future, it's broken

Thanks for the info about the ferry. We've got no wish to spend the holiday in traffic jams. Seems like there's plenty to do nearby so we won't have to trek to poole/Bournemouth the long way.

Corfe Castle and model village, go there by the steam train.

Another vote for Putlake Farm. The softplay is great for that age group.

Whilst Monkey World isn’t cheap it really is amazing. If you’re going that way, The Granary in Wareham is a lovely place to have a meal.

The Blue Pool is amazing on a sunny day.

It’s such a shame the ferry is out as getting a boat across to Brownsea Island is lovely.

Lulworth Cove is also beautiful but very busy these days. Although if you are going out of season it might be quieter.

Have a lovely time!