CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Info: Head out on a Crazy Christmas Trail or take part in a festive workshop or guided walk.

Dates: Saturday 13th December 2025 - Wednesday 7th January 2026

Address: Durlston Country Park, Lighthouse Road, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2JL

Website: Durlston Country Park

Info: Search for the festive scenes and find out what other National Trust properties Monty & Matilda have visited this year.

Dates: Friday 5th December 2025 - Sunday 4th January 2026

Address: Corfe Castle, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5EZ

Website: National Trust Corfe Castle

Info: Follow the snowflake trail to meet some clever creatures who know just how to stay warm during a chilly winter. No booking needed. Free trail however normal admission applies.

Dates: Tuesday 11th November 2025 - Sunday 25th January 2026

Address: Kingston Lacy, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 4EA

Website: National Trust Kingston Lacy

Info: Ranger the Elf has been up to mischief and stolen names from Santa’s Nice List. Can you help find them? Purchase your activity pack from the Visitor Centre and find the boards hidden around Moors Valley, solve riddles, complete challenges, and uncover the missing names to save Christmas.

Dates: Friday 28 November 2025 - Monday 5 January 2026

Address: Moors Valley Country Park, Horton Road, Ashley Heath, BH24 2ET

Website: Moors Valley Country Park

Info: Explore the Oceanarium and its animals with the Christmas Quiz Trail! Enjoy a festive colouring activity in the play area and feel merry amongst the Christmas decorations! Don’t forget to stop and watch the scheduled talks throughout the day, where you can learn fun facts about the creatures!

Dates: Saturday 20th December – Sunday 4th January 2026

Address: Oceanarium, Pier Approach, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5AA

Website: Oceanarium

Info: Starting at The Old Thatch, purchase your Christmas trail sheet and follow the directions that will take you on a Christmas Tree Trail along the historic Castleman's trail! Along the way keep an eye our for the markers and answer the questions on your trail sheet that match! Make sure you come back to the pub for your festive gift and certificate!

Dates: Sunday 23rd November 2025 - Thursday 1st January 2026

Address: The Old Thatch, 285 Wimborne Road West, Ferndown, Dorset, BH21 7NW

Website: The Old Thatch

Info: Explore the museum to see how many Gnome Homes you can find and answer the Gnomes' magical riddles.

Dates: Saturday 13th December 2025 - Sunday 4th January 2026

Address: Red House Museum, Quay Road, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 1BU

Website: Red House Museum

Info: Join Snowy for a special artic Christmas adventure to learn about the amazing North Pole and the animals that live there. Snowy is inviting children and their families to take part in an interactive trail through the aquarium as you meet all the jaw-some creatures along the way.

Dates: Friday 28th November 2025 - Friday 2nd January 2026

Address: SEA LIFE, Lodmoor Country Park, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 7SX

Website: SEA LIFE Weymouth

Info: Enjoy free Christmas colouring, Frank on a Tank Elf Trail, Christmas in the Trenches and more! Venture around the Museum to see a Christmas-themed 1940s House and take a photo with the festively lit up Challenger I.

Dates: Saturday 20th December 2025 - Sunday 4th January 2026

Address: Tank Museum, Linsay Road, Bovington, Dorset, BH20 6JG

Website: Tank Museum

Info: Wander through the galleries and see how many hidden Christmas Puddings you can spot. Plus, kids enter for free!

Dates: Saturday 15th November - Wednesday 31st December 2025

Address: Dorset Museum, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA

Website: Dorset Museum

Info: Hunt around the museum to find the presents hidden in the galleries and learn about the gifts children would have received in the past. Complete a trail and enter the raffle for a chance to win a stocking full of gifts. There will be a small prize for every child.

Dates: Wednesday 3rd - Wednesday 24th December 2025

Address: Bridprt Museum, 25 South Street, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3NR

Website: Bridport Museum

Info: Celebrate all things natural history during a museum open day. No admission fee however donations are hugely appreciated.

Dates: Saturday 27th, Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th December 2025

Address: Bournemouth Natural Science Society, 39 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 3NS

Website: Bournemouth Natural Science Society

Info: Pick up a free pocket map from the car park or Visitor Centre and follow the pink and blue waymarked routes through the woods. Along the way, look out for beautiful hand-painted wooden discs hanging in the trees, each one reveals fascinating facts about the animals and plants that call this place home over winter.

Dates: Thursday 18th December 2025 - Sunday 1st February 2026

Address: Thorncombe Woods, High Brockhampton, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8QH

Facebook: Hardy’s Birthplace

Info: Trail maps are available to purchase from the Welcome Centre. Follow the clues around the Country Park to help the Ice Queen put her snowman companion back together! Complete the trail to receive a cuddly prize.

Dates: Saturday 20th December 2025 - Monday 5th January 2026

Address: Upton Country Park, Poole Road, Upton, Poole, Dorset, BH17 7BJ

Website: Upton Country Park

Info: An outdoor winter enchanted lights display will be held within the gardens. Colourful lights transform and illuminate the 18th century gardens and create a wonderful winters trail in the dark.

Dates: Friday 21st November - Wednesday 31st December 2025

Address: Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Buller's Way, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4LA

Website: Abbotsbury Gardens

Info: Nutley Farm will be bursting with Christmas magic for you all to enjoy. This year’s trail features many new light installations, enhanced magical interactions, and fabulous higher-quality projections with sound and surprises around every corner. Meeting Nutley Farm’s real-life magical reindeer, Rudolph, Prancer, Sprout and Parsnip and head to the barn for some hot food and treats.

Dates: Friday 28th November - Tuesday 30th December 2025

Address: Nutley Farm, Winfrith Newburgh, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8DT

Website: Nutley Farm

Info: Wander through a dazzling display of light-up trees, hop aboard Santa’s Express, and take on the Christmas Tree Maze before heading to a festive workshop. With the iconic Big Wheel lighting up the skyline, this magical trail is a must-visit part of Christmas in Bournemouth. And that’s not all, families can also enjoy the Christmas Market, Alpine Lodge Bar and Skate Ice Rink in the gardens.

Dates: Thursday 13th November 2025 - Sunday 4th January 2026

Location: Bournemouth Town & Gardens

Website: Christmas in Bournemouth

Info: Follow the magical light trail from the Lighthouse Poole, through the High Street, and down to Poole Quay, as the streets shine with festive cheer. Explore a range of impressive light installations including a glistening ceiling of lights, a light fountain, stunning Christmas tree displays, including the spectacular 14-metre tree in Falkland Square.

Dates: Saturday 22nd November 2025 - Thursday 1st January 2026

Location: Poole Town & Quay

Website: Poole Tourism

Info: Cool Coast Ice Rink is the largest seasonal indoor ice skating rink on the South Coast. All sessions provide 15 mins to put your skates on, 60 mins on the ice, and 15 mins at the end to take your skates off.

Dates: Saturday 13th December 2025 - Sunday 22nd February 2026

Address: Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5BH

Website: Cool Coast Ice Rink

Info: Glide under the twinkling lights, enjoy the sparkle of the Christmas Lights and soak up the atmosphere. Polar Bear support aids are available free of charge to aid stability for younger children.

Dates: Saturday 29th November 2025 - Saturday 3rd January 2026

Address: Brewery Square, Copper Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1GH

Website: Brewery Square

Info: A unique festive experience on board a closed-top festive decorate single-decker bus soaking in the sights and sounds of Christmas.

Dates: Thursday 4th - Wednesday 31st December 2025

Location: Bournemouth

Website: Magical Tour

Info: Get Up & Bounce will be holding 4 fun events over the Christmas holidays, some with inflatables, games and kids entertainment, and a big New Years Eve party!

Dates: Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th, Wednesday 31st December 2025 & Friday 2nd January 2026

Locations: Poole, Bournemouth & Colehill

Website: Get Up and Bounce