We recently had a really lovely hot Sunday and the kids wanted to go to the beach so we packed up the car and went to Swanage for the afternoon.

We managed to park the car on a side road which had no parking restrictions however in the past we have parked in the long stay car park which has fairly reasonable prices for the day.

We were on the beach within 5 minutes and I was so pleased I packed my bargain £10 Tesco umbrella because not only was it hot but it was also quite breezy and it protected us when we sat on the blanket.

The kids and my husband ran straight in the sea and they squealed with every wave they jumped.  Once I was organised with all our stuff I went in and whilst it was a little chilly to start with I soon warmed up and was jumping with them.

Back on the beach, it was time for our sandwiches and then my husband took the kids off for an ice cream.  When he came back he told me my daughter’s ice cream was £5.50 because she asked for a waffle cone and flake - my husband nearly had a heart attack haha.  Everyone loves a proper ice cream but my kids know that they can’t have one every single time we’re out and quite often I’ll pop into a Supermarket Express or Co-op and buy a box of 4 for us to share.  In fact, once, they couldn’t agree on ice cream or ice lolly so I bought both boxes and it was still cheaper than one ice cream on Bournemouth beach!  Because we had too many and we were far from home I offered the remainder to strangers who were sat near us and everyone was really grateful.

While we were sat on the beach we could hear Punch and Judy performing and they had a lovely area sectioned off for families to sit in and watch the show.  We could hear the laughter and all remarked how it felt like we were on holiday for the day.

While the kids and my husband went back in the sea I went off to the Tourist Information Centre.  This is something I always do when I see one, regardless of it being near or far from home.  I always pick up some great leaflets and magazines for reading, plus any event lists which are handy for me to know.  I also bought an awesome postcard of Swanage which I’m going to send to an elderly relative.  Outside of the TIC you’ll see lots of buckets and spades and these are for anyone to borrow, so if you get to the beach and forget your own then you know where to go.

When everyone had had enough wave jumping we packed up and put everything in the car before going for a stroll.  One of the kids was getting hungry yet again so I suggested the café which is up by the Sante Fe Fun Fair.  It’s changed massively since I was there last and when we went in we found a maze of super cool seating areas which are set on 3 wooden levels.  We went up to the highest one and were greeted with the most amazing views of the sea and each area had lovely comfy seating.  We knew we had to stay and I went off to get a menu.  The children both wanted hot dog and chips which was £9 and knowing both of them wouldn’t eat a whole one each I said they could share.  It’s a shame they don’t do kids meals or even lunch boxes because I think it would have been a hit being so close to the beach. I was tempted to have a cocktail because the location suited it perfectly but I can go one of 2 ways, I’ll either want to party or fall asleep haha.  Plus I figured the £10 I’d save would be better spent on the kids in the holidays.

Once we finished we went into the fun fair for a look around and noticed a few new additions.  The 2 crazy golfs look pretty cool, one is Jurassic themed and the other is Shipwreck themed.  There’s also a runaway train, bungee trampolines, arcade, space wars spinning bumper cars, a few little rides and an amusement arcade.

Our last stop was the play park next door which has an incredible elevated position and stunning views of the coast.  The enclosed Chadwick Playground has a cool wooden train, play frames with slides, boat climber, see-saw, spinners, pyramid net and swings.

The Recreation ground is also home to the Town’s War Memorial and the bandstand has hosted many events over its time.

We had such a brilliant day for less than £30 and there was no family arguments all day so I’d say it was up there with one of our best days out!

Good to know:

• Dogs are not allowed on the main beach from 1st May to 30th September.

• Deckchairs can be hired on the beach.

• You won’t have to go far to find ice cream kiosks, fish and chips and snacks as there are several outlets by the beach.  If you fancy something different then head into town which is only a short walk away.

• If you are watching Punch and Judy then please have some change with you.  They ask for £2 per adult or child to watch and as this is their only source of income when performing.

• Close to the Tourist Information Centre are excellent facilities which include ladies, gents and disabled toilets, plus baby change facilities and even showers.

• There is a long and short stay car park close to the beach plus road side parking.  Please always check if there is any time restrictions.

• Sante Fe Fun Park is generally open 7 days a week from Easter through to October.

For more ideas for things to do in the area, please see more of our Blog posts below.

Durlston to Swanage Circular Walk

The Blue Pool

Margaret Green Animal Rescue 

RSPB Arne

Walking the Lawrence of Arabia Trail

Tyneham Village and Worborrow Bay

Free & Low Cost things to do in Dorset with Kids