There’s loads of fun-filled events happening for kids throughout the year in Swanage – from art workshops & educational activity trails in nature, to seasonal games & special events during school and festive holidays.
Find a family-friendly event or activity to keep the children entertained whatever the weather, whether you live here or are visiting on holiday – and there’s loads of free options too.
🗓️ Friday 10th – Saturday 18th January 2025 (Selected dates) Get the date in your diary for Swanage Drama Company’s next pantomime. The SDC’s retelling of Jack & The Beanstalk will be on at The Mowlem in January 2025. Dates & Times Tickets Book tickets via Ticketsource: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/swanage/the-mowlem-theatre/jack-and-the-beanstalk/e-ylybyk
🗓️ Saturday 14th December 2024 Join performer and singing teacher James B Partridge (Primary School Assembly Bangers LIVE) at The Mowlem this December as he brings his UK tour of The Big Christmas Assembly to Swanage. It promises to be a fun-filled evening of nostalgic Christmas songs, magical mash-ups and other festive surprises. Fun for […]
🗓️ Saturday 7th – Monday 23rd December 2024 Visit Santa this festive period at the magical setting of The Blue Pool. Follow the enchanting trail that leads to Santa’s grotto and have your photo taken on his sleigh, before receiving a special Christmas gift. Throughout the month there’ll also be plenty of winter warmers on […]
🗓️ Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th September 2024 Come and see everyone’s favourite Blue Heeler puppy at Corfe Castle Railway Station this September. Bluey will be at Corfe Castle Museum (adjacent to the station) across the weekend and it’s free to meet her for anyone with a valid Swanage Railway ticket. Timings Bluey will be […]
🗓️ Tuesday 27th August 2024 Learn how to draw everything from animals to plants at this artist-led workshop at Durlston Country Park. Artist Mark Page holds several art workshops for children at Durlston throughout the year. All materials are provided. Booking your place online: www.durlston.co.uk/event/kids-drawing-workshop-27-08-2024-1030
🗓️ Thursday 22nd August 2024 Get green-fingered at Durlston this summer and learn all about how to plant seeds to grow your very own flowers. You’ll get to decorate your own flowerpot before sowing some seeds and taking it home to watch them grow! You might get a bit painty/muddy, so wear something to dress […]
🗓️ Friday 16th – Thursday 29th August 2024 Gru and his family – with the new addition of Gru Junior – are back for a fourth instalment of the hit comedy animation. The family embarks on a new adventure, and Gru (Steve Carrell) faces new nemesis Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell). Film Times […]
🗓️ Tuesday 13th August – Thursday 5th September 2024 Grab a trail pack from the castle reception to help you discover the magic of Durlston’s wildflower meadows this summer. The trail will lead you around the country park’s meadows, where you’ll learn all about the wildlife that calls them home as you go.
🗓️ Tuesday 13th August 2024 Join in this fun workshop at The Mowlem with artist Darrell Wakelam, who will show you how to make your very own 3D dragon. You’ll use simple building techniques and materials, along with lots of cutting, sticking and painting, and you’ll get to take the dragon you dreamt up home […]
🗓️ Saturday 10th – Sunday 18th August 2024 The annual Swanage Lifeboat Week is back this summer for nine days of RNLI festival fun both on the water and on land at Prince Albert Gardens and around town. It’s a packed programme of activities and entertainment, from the much-loved build-a-boat competition and family-friendly charity duck […]
🗓️ Saturday 10th & Saturday 17th August 2024 There’s fun to be had and prizes to be won on Swanage Pier this summer at its Lego drag racing days. Drop in any time during the day and challenge your friends and family to race your pull-back Lego car. Cars are provided – you’ll get to […]
🗓️ Thursday 8th August 2024 Get outside and join in the minibeast hunt at Durlston this summer. You’ll be accompanied by one of the country park’s rangers to find some of Durlston’s interesting insects and brilliant bugs – such as moths and grasshoppers – in this outdoor activity. Book online: www.durlston.co.uk/event/mini-beast-safari-kids-activity-08-08-2024-1030
🗓️ Wednesday 7th August 2024 Kids can come together to create a magical shadow performance at this artist-led workshop at Sandy Hill Arts today. You’ll create your own animal and scenery shadow puppets using card, split pins and scissors to recreate the story of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, alongside his orchestral score. The creative […]
🗓️ Tuesday 6th – Wednesday 7th August 2024 SISATA Open Air Theatre is back in Swanage once more for two performances this summer. Full details are yet to be announced, but we can expect the theatre company’s trademark retelling of a well-loved tale. SISATA’s Peter Pan will feature original live music and song, along with […]
🗓️ Tuesday 6th August 2024 Come along to The Mowlem today for an afternoon of farmyard fun with clay. Artist Deborah Clarke will show you how to make your favourite farmy animals from air-dry clay in this Creative Clay session. **This event has now SOLD OUT** Call The Mowlem to book your space: 01929 422239 […]
🗓️ Tuesday 6th – Thursday 15th August 2024 Garfield and best friend Odie leave their comfortable home life where they are pampered pets, to go on an adventure – and crazy heist – after an unexpected reunion with Garfield’s street cat father, Vic. Garfield is voiced by Chris Pratt (Jurassic World; Guardians of the Galaxy). […]
🗓️ Thursday 1st August 2024 Enjoy an outdoor theatre performance of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck in the magical setting of Corfe Castle. The new adaptation by Michael Whitmore is performed by Quantum Theatre and will be full of family fun and song. Bring a picnic blanket or camping chair to sit on […]
🗓️ Wednesdays & Fridays during summer holidays If you’re between six and 10 years old, get ready to make a splash at Ulwell Holiday Park this summer. Open to everyone, the hour-long inflatable fun session is on every Wednesday and Friday throughout the summer holidays. Spaces are limited, so call or pop in to book […]
🗓️ Monday 29th July – Sunday 4th August 2024 Animated comedy adventure sequel from Pixar, which follows main character Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman), who’s encountering new emotions now she’s a teenager. Inside Out 2 (U) also stars Maya Hawke (as Anxiety), Tony Hale (Fear) and Liza Lapira (Disgust), amongst many more emotions. Directed by […]
🗓️ Saturday 27th July – Saturday 3rd August 2024 **Save the date for 2025: Saturday 26th July – Saturday 2nd August. More info coming soon** Swanage Carnival is one of the main highlights of the year in Swanage and across the Isle of Purbeck, with eight days of entertainment taking over the town in one […]
🗓️ Saturdays during summer holidays Whether or not you’re staying as a guest at Ulwell Holiday Park this summer, everyone is welcome to their brand new weekly kids’ movie nights. Running each Saturday throughout the summer holidays, there’ll be a children’s film being shown on The Village Inn’s 75″ TV in the beer garden. Come […]
🗓️ Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th July 2024 Save the date for a summer performance at The Mowlem by Swanage-based Ranger School of Dance. It will be the first full-school show in 20 years, with a cast of 80 performers, ranging from aged three to adult. Showtime will feature a specially-devised work from James Lovell, […]
🗓️ Friday 19th July – Monday 12th August 2024 Find the Purbeck Pirates’ hidden treasure at Durlston this summer holiday. Pick up your activity trail booklet from the castle reception and find where X marks the spot!
🗓️ Thursday 18th July 2024 Come along to St Mark’s school fete this Friday for plenty of traditional games, great food and stalls, and inflatable fun. (This event was postponed from Friday 5th July due to the weather.)
🗓️ Saturday 6th – Sunday 7th July 2024 Come and have a roar-some adventure on the Swanage Railway this summer on its special ‘Jurassic Line’. Across the weekend of Saturday 6th – Sunday 7th July you’ll get the chance to meet the railway’s Jurassic friends Loki the Velociraptor and Betsy the Triceratops at Corfe Castle […]
🗓️ Saturday 8th June 2024 Head to Corfe for a fun-filled family afternoon at the annual Corfe Castle PTFA summer fete. Held in the village hall and field, there’ll be lots of stalls, kids games & competitions, and entertainment from local musicians SunDrunk and Seafury Shanty Crew, and Saxon reenactment group SÆXIA. Food stalls and […]
🗓️ Saturday 1st June 2024 Swanage Skatepark Community Project is holding a special community day with free skateboard lessons, competitions, demonstrations and lots more. It’s open to all ages and all wheels (roller skates, bikes, skateboards and scooters). Whether you’re a complete beginner or experienced skater there’ll be something for you, including: Timings Find out […]
🗓️ Friday 31st May- Saturday 1st June 2024 See Swanage’s Sandpit Field transformed by a sprinkling of fairy dust and a whole lot of mermaid magic during the Swanage Fairy Festival. It’s a feast of colour with mischievous pixies, swashbuckling pirates, magical mermaids and of course beautiful fairies – find them dotted about the craft stalls […]
🗓️ Friday 31st May – Thursday 6th June 2024 Enter the world of ‘real’ imaginary friends in IF as young girl Bea (Cailey Fleming, The Walking Dead) discovers she can see all the imaginary friends, or ‘IFs’, left behind by grown ups. Together with Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Bea sets out to reconnect the forgotten IFs […]
🗓️ Thursday 30th May 2024 Make your own bird feeder with a park ranger at Durlston. Be sure to dress for mess! Find more events at Durlston and book online: www.durlston.co.uk/whats-on