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12 Brilliant Things To Do In Bournemouth With Toddlers

June 11, 2013

Looking For The Best Things To Do In Bournemouth With Toddlers? Read this!

What are the best things to do in Bournemouth with toddlers kids? Here are 12 of the best things to do with kids, babies, toddlers and small children.

There are so many brilliant things to do, when it comes to indoor activities in Bournemouth and of course, all the outdoor activities for kids. Including beaches, seafront and the piers in Bournemouth.

Beach life - on Boscombe beach, things to do in Bournemouth with a toddler

Why Take your Children To Bournemouth?

Bournemouth is a great place to visit with a toddler. My parents moved down to the coast a few years ago from land-locked Shropshire, and now live in Boscombe with a sea view, and lots of cream teas.

Best things to do in bournemouth with a toddler

We’ve visited since the children were babies and toddlers, and there are a lot of things to do with kids in Bournemouth

Here Are 12 Things To Do In Bournemouth With Toddlers

  1. Of course, the beaches! All the beaches around here are amazing – clear sea, sandy beach. Boscombe beach is really lovely. Our toddlers  spent a lot of time happily paddling and running towards the waves. Apparently the local schools have sports day on the beach, how much fun would that be?
  2. There are lifeguards over the summer, so it’s safe to swim (check first though).
  3. We love walking on the pier. It’s decidedly non-seasidey and there’s just something very calm and relaxing about it (and Wayne Hemmingway said Boscombe pier was cool, so it really must be)
  4. If you walk along the the seafront to Southbourne there’s a ventricular railway.
  5. And if you turn right you can walk or get the land train down to Bournemouth beach.
  6. Spot the multi-coloured beach huts 
  7. Play crazy golf – for the children, of course…ahem. There’s loads of courses in the area, including one in the Chine Gardens
  8. There’s also a children’s play park in the Chine Gardnes.
  9. Food-wise Cafe Boscanova is great, and very child-friendly, although it’s not massive so you’ll need to fold a pram. Urban Reef on the seafront is also good, as well as the takeaway pizza place
  10. Boscombe high street could be…lots nicer – the only shop of note is the medium-sized Primarni we always have to investigate – but there are a whole load of charity shops, furniture and antiques shops in the area
  11. And the bonus of being at your parent’s house is babysitting, so a good thing we do when we can is go out for child-free drinks. We like the Urban Beach Hotel
  12. And Reef Encounter (non-stop surfing videos, and an patio with blankets). Urban Reef is also great for drinks and a sea view; Alex and I had our wedding anniversary dinner there last year

Boscombe pier

Make sure you also read our Greentom stroller review and guide to the best south east London parks – you can also follow me on Instagram

17 Comments

  • @ADadCalledSpen

    June 11, 2013 at 7:13 pm

    Lovely post. I took T&K down to see some friends who live in the area and we visited the Oceanarium, which both loved. It was a rainy day when we all went but I also went down a couple of weekends ago on a glorious day, and can’t wait to take them again when the weather is nice. K wants to use ‘diggy things and patty things’ on the beach so we’ll be doing that. 🙂

  • Laura

    June 11, 2013 at 10:24 pm

    I’ve lived in Bournemouth most my life and I’ve loved bringing max up here!
    Some of our favourite things to do are: going to farmer palmers in Poole, so much fun! We love going to Lymington and Christchurch for trips (cheese and Alfie’s in Christchurch is a must!) the aquarium is gorgeous and not too big, your ticket is valid all day too, lulubelles cupcakes are amazing. Hamworthy park has a great toddler Pool and is right on the beach.
    Oh I could name so many things.

    Laura
    Xxx

    1. gillian

      June 13, 2013 at 12:49 pm

      Oh you’re so lucky! Do you go for walks on the beach all the time? Thank you for all these suggestions – planning another trip down there soon just so we can do them all! I didn’t even know there was an aquarium 🙂 x

  • Charlotte

    June 12, 2013 at 9:31 am

    I grew up in Lymington and my folks are still down in the area and we do a lot of trips to Bournemouth, it’s so nice there. Love the atmosphere. We always used to go to Southbourne beach in the summer as it always seemed so quiet. So glad you mentioned Cafe Boscanova, I’ve had many a good breakfast there. There’s a lovely shop that sells vintage kitchenalia, but is also a second hand bookstore and a sweet cafe too – that’s just around the corner from Boscanova on the road towards Pokesdown Station (I forget the name).

    How about a bus ride to Poole and then a boat to Brownsea Island for a day out? I’ve not been there for years, but I remember many adventures had there as a child.

    1. gillian

      June 13, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      All those sound great – thank you! I’ll get my mum to check them out (she will love the vintage kitchen shop). Such a great part of the world to grow up in. I think my parents have mentioned Brownsea Island – are there squirrels there?! x

      1. Sarah Queenan

        June 27, 2013 at 1:42 am

        Yes, red squirrels – only place that they are still to be found outside of the Isle Of Wight. And lots of peacocks!

  • Josie

    June 24, 2013 at 10:37 am

    This makes me soooooo excited for moving there soon. Thank you!

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  • Sarah Queenan

    June 27, 2013 at 1:41 am

    I grew up in Bournemouth and now live next door in Poole. If the weather is good then Poole Park is great – free parking, mini train, duck ponds, boating lake, play parks, go karts, cafe and restaurant, cycle track and an indoor soft play centre (Gus Gorilla’s) if the weather turns -you can do a walk all round the lake and even head along the harbourside to Poole Quay in one direction or Whitecliff park (a great park for kids) in the other. Also, a trip to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour (or at least a harbour cruise) is a fab adventure for kids.
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