Things to do With Babies and Toddlers in West Dorset
West Dorset Leisure Holidays is a family friendly holiday group with plenty to offer visitors with young children. Families can enjoy a variety of activities and attractions in the local area during a stay at one of award-winning holiday parks. Here we outline just some of the best things to do with babies and toddlers in West Dorset. We guarantee you’ll have a fantastic stay and make many happy family memories to cherish for years to come.
The Little Fire Station Soft Play
The Little Fire Station Soft Play is located at Highlands End Holiday Park near Bridport. This fire engine themed indoor play area is the perfect wet weather activity, should rain make an unwelcome appearance during your stay! The Fire Station is aimed at children aged 6 and under and boasts plenty to keep toddlers entertained. There’s a ball pit, building blocks, slide, tunnels, puzzles and even a mirror maze to explore!
The soft play area is situated within Martin’s Bar and Restaurant. Adults can enjoy a bite to eat or a cup of Costa Coffee as the children play. The Little Fire Station Soft Play is open to guests from any of the WDLH parks as well as the general public.
Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium
Delve deep into the waters of Lyme Bay during a visit to the Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium. Learn more about the various species that can be found along the Jurassic Coast, including wrasse, lobsters, sea scorpions and anemones.
Children can gaze into the various tanks and admire the beautiful colours of our native marine wildlife. They’ll also have the opportunity to participate in a number of interactive experiences during a visit. If they’re feeling brave, they can hand feed mullet, hold a starfish and have their photo taken with a gigantic brown crab! Children of all ages will enjoy this small, family run aquarium.
Vurlands Animal Farm
A short drive along the coast road will take you to Vurlands Animal Farm. Younger members of the family can meet and feed a host of animals including, donkeys, goats, birds, pigs and alpacas. There are various activities dotted around the 20-acre site to enjoy throughout the day. Pig racing takes place twice daily during peak season and there’s an outdoor play area and willow maze to explore. If you’re feeling peckish we highly recommend the tearooms on site, where you’ll find a range of tasty snacks. There are also plenty of picnic benches if you’d prefer to bring your own food and drink.
Abbotsbury Swannery
Abbotsbury Swannery is situated in a picturesque location on the shores of the Fleet Lagoon. It is home to the world’s only managed colony of mute swans and offers a fun-filled day out for all the family. There are around 600 swans in the nature reserve at any one time, which means that the daily feed is a spectacle not to be missed! Little ones can help the rangers throw scoops of feed to the hungry swans at the mass feeding, which takes place at 12pm and 4pm each day. We highly recommend a visit between mid-May and late June when the eggs hatch. Children will get an up-close look at the fluffy grey cygnets as they emerge from the shells!
Once you’ve finished walking along the shoreline, let the kids run around the willow maze. There’s also a park with swinging nests where children can play.
Highlands End Leisure Club
Splash and swim to your hearts content in the swimming pool at Highlands End Leisure Club. Help your children build water confidence and play games in our 20m indoor heated swimming pool. Sessions are currently limited to 45 minutes in the water, but that’s still plenty of time to enjoy a family dip! It’s the perfect place to spend quality time as a family participating in a fun-filled activity.
Outdoor play areas
There are a couple of outdoor play areas in West Dorset to keep little ones entertained. If you’re staying at Highlands End, you don’t have to travel far, there’s a wonderful fire engine themed outdoor play park on site. If you fancy venturing slightly further afield, we highly recommend the West Bay Play area. Just a short walk from the picturesque harbour this popular park has much to offer, including slides, climbing frames, swings, trampolines and roundabouts.
West Dorset Leisure Holidays is an award-winning holiday group offering family friendly holidays in Dorset. There is a range of accommodation available to hire, including touring and camping pitches, glamping, lodges and deluxe caravan holiday homes.