Swanage and Wareham

Swanage is an unspoilt seaside town with a lovely beach, traditional deck chairs, a funfair and amusement arcades. Swanage Museum and Heritage Centre (swanagemuseum.co.uk, open daily 10am-5pm) has activities for children. Dancing Ledge, a large flat area of stone resembling a ballroom floor and managed by the National Trust, is a favourite destination for walkers, picnickers, geologists, and rock climbers – but not many dancers. There are daily steam trains between Wareham and Swanage (swanagerailway.co.uk) and an open-top bus runs from Wareham through to Poole via Sandbanks and then crosses the ferry to Swanage (a day rider costs about £6). Wareham Quay has a weekly market on Saturdays offering fresh fish and local products, and there are regular boat trips offering a sedate trip up the Frome River .
• swanage.gov.uk, wareham-tc.gov.uk

Brownsea Island

This peaceful island in Poole harbour is famous as the birthplace of the scouting movement and the inspiration for one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five stories. Children will love the adventure of getting there by boat and then spotting wildlife including rare red squirrels and a wide variety of birds. Grab a tracker pack from the visitor centre or take part in a self-led orienteering trail, go beachcombing or just have a game of good old-fashioned hide-and-seek. Electric buggy tours are available for the less mobile and there are all-terrain pushchairs for hire. You can also go sailing, canoeing or try your hand at archery. Take your own picnic or eat at the Villano Café, where you can also pick up children's lunch packs.
• nationaltrust.org.uk/brownsea-island. Open 24 March to 4 November, 10am-5pm. Half-hourly boat service (not National Trust) departs Poole Quay (greensladepleasureboats.co.uk) and Sandbanks (brownseaislandferries.com). Adults £9.50, children £6

Moors Valley Country Park

There is something for everyone here, from a peaceful walk or cycle ride through the forest to a ride on a narrow-gauge steam train or a high-wire forest adventure through the tree tops. New this year is the Gruffalo Trail: take the children into the "deep dark wood", where there are wild versions of the animal characters, and activities along the way. Bring your own picnic, have a barbecue or enjoy a light lunch at Seasons Restaurant.
• moors-valley.co.uk, open every day except Christmas Day, 8am-8pm April-September, 8am-6pm October-March. No admission charge; car park charge (from £3.40 a day) covers use of play trail, play areas, and tree-top trail. Gruffalo Trail, 10.30am-5pm until 16 September, £2 per family

Corfe Castle

The view towards this romantic ruin is one of Dorset's most iconic sights, rising as it does from the valley floor and surrounded by the Purbeck hills. It's a 1,000-year-old royal castle shaped by warfare, with tales of treachery and treason around every corner. Have fun spotting the "murder-holes" and counting the arrow loops, try on medieval costumes and pose with helmets, shields and swords. The castle is a short walk from the pretty village, where there are plenty of tea shops for sandwiches, cake and souvenirs.
• nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle Open daily 10am-6pm. Adults £7.72, children £3.86, free to members

 

Farmer Palmers, near Poole

This family-run attraction for children eight and under is a great place for mini-adventures, with a petting zoo and lots of activities, including milking demonstrations, woodland walks, bouncy castles, indoor and outdoor play areas, pedal-powered go-karts, a maize maze and a wet "splashzone" – remember to take costumes and towels. This year saw the launch of a new trailer ride around the deer enclosure.
• farmerpalmers.co.uk, open 10am-5.30pm to 27 October, 10am-4pm to 23 December, adults and children three and over £7.95, two-year-olds £3.50

Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge

See nature as sculptor at the eastern gateway of the Jurassic Coast, famous for its dramatic cove and the amazing Durdle Door (pictured), a natural arch jutting out to sea, just along the cliff path from Lulworth or a short boat trip in the summer. It can get pretty crowded, so arrive early and then head on to neighbouring Kimmeridge, one of the best places in the country to go rock pooling. The oil sands beneath the sea bed form the largest British oilfield outside the North Sea. Children will be fascinated by the "nodding donkey", the oldest working oil pump in Britain, and displays at the Dorset Wildlife Trust marine centre at Kimmeridge.
• dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk summer Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm, winter season, Saturday-Sunday 11.30am-4.30pm, autumn half-term daily 11.30am-4.30pm. Free. The Smedmore Estate charges for parking, at the toll hut just beyond the village

Tank Museum, Bovington

Walk in the footsteps of a first world war soldier, from the recruiting office to the front line. All you ever wanted to know about tanks is here – why they were invented, the living conditions of the modern soldier, and a range of new vehicles used in Afghanistan. At the discovery centre, interactive stations explain the concepts of armoured warfare, and there are live displays throughout the year.
• tankmuseum.org, open daily 10am-5pm, adults £12, children £7.50

Bournemouth

It's bucket-and-spade paradise at Bournemouth, which has an incredible seven miles of beaches. Nestling beneath the cliffs, the bay enjoys its own micro-climate and some of the warmest sea temperatures in the UK. Each section of the beach has something different to offer, from watersports to family attractions. There are three cliff lifts to take you down to the beach and a land train runs along the promenade and gardens.
• See bournemouth.co.uk for a downloadable guide to the area

Tyneham

It's an eerie experience, walking around this ghost village, accessible only at weekends when the military firing range is not in use. The village and 7,500 acres of surrounding heathland and chalk downland were commandeered just before Christmas 1943 by the War Office and the 252 inhabitants were never allowed back. A visit here leaves a lasting impression, especially on children, when they see the old village school. Though littered with scrap used as targets, and subject to regular shelling, the land has become a haven for wildlife. Many of the buildings have fallen into disrepair or have been damaged by shelling. However, the church and school house are preserved as museums.
•See isleofpurbeck.com/tyneham.html for opening times; general information at tyneham.org

North Dorset cycleway

The North Dorset Cycleway wends its way through classic Hardy country. The 73-mile circular route links Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Farnham, Blandford Forum and Sturminster Newton. Ancient hillforts, such as the peculiar Hod Hill, form part of the landscape here, and links to the 137-mile Wessex Ridgeway walk from Marlborough, Wiltshire.
• Download maps for sections of the ride from dorsetforyou.com/cycling. An audio trail linking the places on the Ridgeway is also available at the same site. For bike hire try offcamber.co.uk at Blandford Forum, from £25 a day

• Maddie Grigg writes about life in a Dorset village at worldfrommywindow.blogspot.co.uk