8 of us with an age range that spans from 20 months to 72 years, so I need some ideas.

Pretty villages within 15 miles.
Stuff to do if it is chucking it down.
Parks, country houses, castles.
Model / miniature railways.
Crazy golf.

I’ve already got Bovington tank museum and a trip to Swanage (Taking in Charlie the Bikemonger’s shop, but don’t tell t’wife 😉 ) pencilled in.

I’m told the tank museum is ok but can be boring if not that interested to start with. They do sleepover nights for kids, might be a laugh for them for 1 night?

Abbotsbury swannery (make sure you have a full wallet)
Monkey World
Corfe Castle (either castle or Corfe itself – can walk across the tops to Studland/Old Harry Rocks & back)
Studland beach (avoiding the nudey bits!)
Brownsea Island
Kingston Lacy is ok too.
Hive Beach cafe is fab too, if you like scoffing fresh fish & don’t mind paying a bit extra for it.
Lyme Regis is worth a good wander around – they do fossil hunts/guides, useful to keep the kids entertained.

Swanage is a bit pants IMO & can be a pain to get to in the summer due to traffic.

Best advice would be get on the tourist info website for the area, or go into the one in town when you get there – the local attraction leaflets usually have money-off vouchers.

2nd fossil hunting in Lyme Regis. Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door are nice.

Swanage Steam Railway – stops at corfe castle
Chesil Beach – walks
Hugh Fearnleys restaurant/farm
Portland Bill – bike ride on the old railway

Sea Town – just out of Chideock.
Great pub(The Anchor)
Walk up Golden Cap.
Fossils on the beach.
Beachcasting.
Car park.

wheelright’s in Abbotsbury – amazing cream teas and homemade cakes, garden out the back if seats are full indoors.

bridport market on a saturday, if weathers nice they usually have band playing in the square.

The tank museum and Monkey world are only 5 minutes apart so it’s possible to combine the 2.
Farmer palmers nr wareham is good for the kids and on tuesdays there a large car boot sale
There’s also the sealife centre or the oceanarium in bournemouth (which I’m 50 ft away whilst typing this)
Paultons park isn’t too far away with the new peppa pig land.
If it rains there’s not a great deal to do, there is 2 indoor play areas and a cinema and a bowling place in weymouth but I’d head to poole and to tower park.
Cerne abbas and the surrounding area is nice for a drive out in hunt of a cream tea.
Depending on when your going there maybe one of the local shows or the steam fair on.
Compton acres, the new forest the list goes on.
Check the tourist information websites for weymouth, poole and bournemouth as you may find discount vouchers or a list of what’s going on.

As above but don’t forget your branded shell suit and intravenous supply of chips/ice cream/cake/chocolate.

Hopefully they will have finished the seafront roadworks when you go it was like Armageddon last week.

Organised fossil hunting at Lyme Regis a total rip walk along the beach for ten minutes and you are practically tripping over ammonites.

cerne abbas far too rude for the family 😉

all the above pretty good…
museum in Dorchester used to be pretty good (good roman stuff I remember as a kid) – also trek up to maiden castle – bleak and windy, but let the kids run round pretending to be romans/celts/whatever….

trip up to Yeovilton Air Museum was always good….

Weymouth beach – great for kids, but crowded. Try Ringstead bay (pebble, not sand).

Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove are must do’s

whip over to Beaminster to the wild garlic, Dorchester also has a Michelin Starred restaurant (never been); Fox at Ansty is a great pub as is Saxon Arms out on the Yeovil Rd…food good and kid friendly.