Fancy a weekend in Bournemouth with your toddler? I went a few weeks ago, let me show you what we got up to…

Reggie and I took off to Bournemouth for the weekend to enjoy the beach, the endless possibilities for ice cream, and all the different types of vehicles we could possibly find.

We’d been invited to stay in the super cool and chic Shell House, just a few minutes from the beach. It was a beautiful base to explore the Bournemouth vicinity, and I’d recommend it to all. Check out the pics below.

Bournemouth was great. TBH I’m pretty smitten with that part of the UK right now, and have been checking out the RightMove possibilities since I returned. I currently live in Hampshire, it’s totally doable. But, enough about my never ending deliberation about where I should live, here’s what me and my toddler did in Bournemouth for a wonderful and memorable weekend.

What to Do With Toddlers in Bournemouth

Well, it’s what we enjoyed there anyway.

1. West Cliff Lifts / Funicular

The West Cliff Funicular was only a few minutes’ walk from where we were staying at The Shell House. My 2 and a half year old son loved it.

Get on at the top (or bottom by the beach) and you’ll ride about a minute up or down the cliff. You’ll get to see great views across the sandy beach, and it’s pretty useful for getting around too. It was built in 1908, ‘before the Titanic!’ the guy operating the lift proudly told me.

It’s signposted as a lift, but the same guy was telling me how really, it’s a funicular. Well, seeing as that word is more fun to say, let’s stick with that.

The West Cliff’s Funicular’s two cars operate in tandem, providing a quick and picturesque route to get to where you want to be. It operates seasonally and was £2.75 when I was there – under 5s were free.

2. Playground at Alum Chine

Obviously there are many playgrounds in the Bournemouth area, but this one is on the beach WITH SAND to cushion the tumbles. Perfect.

It was also next to a restaurant, which I didn’t try but looked popular for families. It was also on the Land Train’s route, which is how we found it in the first place. The Land Train, which was decorated with Peppa Pig on our trip, makes a stop there and turns around, so it’s an easy visit.

As well as a pirate ship in the middle of the playground, there were also stations for water play and sand play, a big slide, swings and lots of posts popping up from the ground to balance on. Great little park!

3. City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Tour

The Bournemouth City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Tour was great. I was feeling pretty burned out on the solo parenting and keeping up with Reggie’s wonderful excitement for everything, along with the 10 second attention span. So, sitting on a bus for an hour, where he was blocked in on the seat, was just what I needed for my trip to Bournemouth with a toddler.

He was thrilled sitting on the top of the open top bus, and waving at all the little people going by. I was enjoying the breeze on a hot day, and appreciated the guided tour. I also loved being so high that we could see into the rich people’s gardens and houses from our seat.

It took us through Westbourne, the Carlton Cliffs area, around Sandbanks, and we ended up in Poole. We got off at Poole Quay, like most of the bus clientele.

We had a lovely two-hour look round and a bit of (disappointing) lunch, and then rode the bus back again for Reggie’s nap. It dropped us right near The Shell House at the West Cliff stop.

If you have the time, I’d definitely recommend spending longer at Poole Quay and doing a boat trip of some sort. I’d go to Brownsea Island next time!

4. Bournemouth Beach

Bournemouth Beach makes for one of the best free days out in the UK. It has seven miles of golden sands, lined with ice cream parlours, cafes, restaurants and stunning coastal walks.

One of my favourite moments of this trip was Reggie and I sharing a dinner at West Beach Restaurant by Bournemouth Pier. We’d managed to bag some sun loungers that had a big sign saying you had to pay, but no one seemed bothered, and lay there with a chicken burger and chips, and an orange squash to share. Perfect. It was so sunny and lovely, the whole experience was absolute holiday vibes!

We also had a really lovely evening just playing in the sand, and paddling at the shore after going to Rockwater Restaurant. I’ll go back to Bournemouth, just to do this after dinner.

5. Bournemouth Oceanarium

One of my NCT friends told me how great Bournemouth Oceanarium was for little ones, and ever since I’ve wanted to take Reggie. I can say with the voice of experience that it is great for little ones, even those who seemed to totally ignore the animals and just make a beeline for the lifts and stairs.

No interest in feeding time in the lizard house, but all the interest for going up and down in the lifts. That’s Reggie!

One of the best things about the Bournemouth Oceanarium was the fact you can go in and out all day once you have your ticket. It’s right on the beach, so we kept popping out to see what was happening. And in again. And out. And in…

Some really interesting animals in there though – have to go by myself next time.

6. Bournemouth Land Train

It’s now two weeks since the great weekend in Bournemouth with my toddler, and this is what I’ve heard about most since.

The Land Train.

He loved it.

We went on it successfully the first day – just managing to catch the last one of the day from the Oceanarium up to Branksome Chine. But, the next day we tried to get it, and it didn’t turn up.

This, is Reggie’s favourite story from the trip: The Time The Train Didn’t Turn Up.

When it did arrive, it was great! The driver and his assistant were super friendly and we managed to get the buggy on easily enough. Reggie loved all the stops, and waving at people as we went along. We did the loop and came back again to the Oceanarium, which passed about an hour for £8.50.

As it was the last one of the day, we couldn’t take it all the way to Boscombe Pier – but you could. You can find all the details of the Bournemouth Land Train here.

7. Bournemouth Big Wheel

Yep, up we went. Whether this is one of the best things to do in Bournemouth with toddlers is down to your toddler, but I enjoyed it!

Reggie, not so much. After being desperate to go up he was ready to get off after one rotation. Lucky for us, we got three!

8. Poole Park and Railway

Oh Poole Park was great.

We had a lovely time riding the Poole Park Railway as soon as we arrived. And the entrance on Google Maps led us to a superb playground for some toddler fun. It was next to The Ark, which was a community centre with a cafe and… soft play.

It was one of the best soft plays I’ve been to actually. My two and a half year old loved it, and it was easy for me too. In Southsea where I live we have this massive one called Exploria, and it’s just a massive overstimulation (for me) every time we go.

The one in The Ark was a great size for an hour’s entertainment, and the cafe served really nice jacket potatoes too!

More things to do in Bournemouth for toddlers

Check out my guide to a weekend in Dorset if you want to explore the county further afield. Visit Bridport, Lyme Regis and West Bay with my insider guide.

English Heritage and National Trust sites can make for a good trip out for a toddler – there’s often lots of space for a run around, and they usually get in for free too. The closest ones to Bournemouth include Christchurch Castle and Kingston Lacy.

We had a great weekend in Bournemouth, and as it’s only an hour or so from us, I know I’ll be back!