Wareham, Dorset - things to do

[ConflictedCheetah]

Hi
We're spending next week in an Air BnB in Wareham, Dorset.
Any good suggestions of things to do nearby with 8 year old and 10 year old boys? Have a car, so can do day trips.
Have previously been to Swanage so have done Corfe Castle, the steam train etc. down that way.
Have seen Monkey World isn't far - any good?

Any experience shared gratefully received!

Monkey World is fantastic, been several times. Better if not raining as mostly outside. The tank museum is nearby but I've not been there.

Moors Valley Country Park is also fabulous, again, weather dependant though.

Monkey World is fab.

You also have the tank museum not too far away which is an amazing day out. Once you buy a ticket you can go back as many times as you want in a year.

Tower Park in Poole have Splashdown if they like swimming and slides and lazy rivers etc.....

I love going to swanage to the Wimpy. One of the few left in the country and it takes me back to being a child.

Fossil hunting in Charmouth or any of the Jurrasic Coast really. Always a nice time to be head.

Bovington Tank Museum.

The Jurassic Coast and Isle of Purbeck- Dancing Ledge with its sea pool, then the Square and Compasses in Worth Matravers.

Kimmeridge Bay with its fossils (you're only supposed to look, not collect there), then the Etches Collection in Kimmeridge to see the new piliosaur skull (watch the David Attenborough programme on its discovery first. Then walk along the coast to see if you can work out the spot where they found it- I reckon I know where it is!)

The abandoned village of Tyneham, on a non firing day, then walk down to Worbarrow Bay.

Brownsea island isn't too far away. Arne RSPB nature reserve is just outside Wareham - it was on TV - Springwatch, Autumnwatch or something...
Maiden Castle hill fort in Dorchester is huge and should tire them out 😁 (or Badbury Rings near Wimborne - similar but smaller) - both free.
Wimborne Model Town is excellent.
You can hire rowing boats, kayaks etc in Wareham to paddle up and down the river - I assume they're open by now (they close for the winter).

@crackofdoom said "the Etches Collection in Kimmeridge to see the new piliosaur skull (watch the David Attenborough programme on its discovery first. Then walk along the coast to see if you can work out the spot where they found it"
This is NOT a good idea unless there is an extremely low tide because you have to go around several headlands that quickly get cut off when the tide starts to come in - and even so it's rocky, slippery and the cliff is crumbling all the time along there so there is a constant shower of stones - occasionally big ones! DH did it with a local walking group - it's very dramatic, I would have loved to see it but it was too difficult for me to risk. Here's a picture DH took on the walk

CastlesinSpain
sorry, I meant walk along the coast path on top of the cliffs!

Visit Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Thanks for all the suggestions! Lots for me to check out for sure.

@OhhhhhhhhBiscuits is Splashdown good then? We had been planning a trip but the online reviews are pretty awful which really put us off.

It's not my thing as a middle aged woman but the kids absolutely love it.

It’s kind of scummy ( Dh calls it “land of the used band aid”) but kids love it. I only take mine when the outside bit is open though ( should be this time of year). There’s also a bowling alley next door and a few chain restaurants on the same site.

Bovington is surprisingly good and there’s a memorial to Lawrence of Arabia on the road as that’s where he crashed his bike. Monkey World is great.

if the weather is really bad there’s a good Escape Room in BH2.

Weymouth is quite nice for a seaside town. Not quite the weather for the beach but it does have the usual punch and Judy with arcades. Poole quay is nice for boat trips around the harbour. Tank musuem in Bovington is very good. Farmer Palmers farm park is good for kids.

We are closer, in Blandford, but My 2 have loved splashdown in Poole, for the last 10 years and still beg to go every time. I don't know which bad reviews you've read, but my 2 have loved it from aged 3 though to 18!

Plus maybe a bit too north for you, but my 2 also liked Go Ape, Moors Valley.

Ha ha. Quite. Not quite my thing as a middle aged woman either but as you say the boys will love it.

The Blue Pool (lake) is lovely for a walk.

Splashdown: the reviews are bad because to parents it is the seventh circle of hell- noisy, hot, overpriced snacks, not 100% clean, especially in the afternoon, crowded. To kids (who don't write reviews) it is Mecca (waterslides. everything else is irrelevant). So basically you could argue that they know their actual target audience really well.

If you’re going to Weymouth, carry on a bit further and visit Portland Bill and Chesil beach (don’t go in the sea though).

I’m sure your boys would love a visit to the Parkdean resort at Warmwell (near Crossways) which is open to day visitors and I take my granddaughter there when she visits me: there is a large outdoor ski slope for skiing or snowboarding (lessons available if prebooked) or they can go on the ringos (inflatable tyres) down the slopes. Do drive down the hill to the ski slope though as it’s quite a walk if you park near th man entrance. Also phone ahead to book a time slot for the skiing or ringos.

There is also an indoor swimming pool, fishing lake, high ropes course and crazy golf. Indoors near the pool there are lots of arcade games and there’s also a restaurant and bar. Info on the Parkdean resorts website.

Your boys may even enjoy visiting the Nothe Fort in Weymouth or the Sea Life Centre or/and the Pirate Adventure Crazy Golf next door.

Lots of suggestions already but to add a couple more:
Upton Country Park - great playground and nice walk around the wetlands for bird spotting
Prevail - indoor scooter park in B'mouth if the weather is bad. Can hire scooters there.
FlipOut in Pool is an indoor play/ laser tag/ everything venue. Might be better with a group though.