Rogarnet Caravan Park

Check out a miniature reproduction of Wimborne Minster (15 minutes’ drive) as it was in the 1950s at Wimborne Model Town & Gardens, then take the kids to the Museum of East Dorset, which has a collection of toys and runs workshops ranging from baby yoga to circus skills. The expansive grounds of National Trust - Kingston Lacy Estate (20 minutes) include a kitchen garden and a Japanese Garden with calm ponds and wooden temple-like structures. The house itself, which dates from the 19th century, has elegant rooms lined with priceless artworks and period furniture. If you want (need?) to keep the kids entertained, Splashdown Waterpark (half an hour), on the outskirts of Poole, has waterslides for thrill-seekers of all ages (including the ominously named Screamer), as well as baby-friendly splash zones. Afterwards, recapture your Zen with a visit to Creekmoor Ponds Nature Reserve (10 minutes’ drive from Splashdown), a peaceful area of woodland inhabited by waterfowl and dragonflies.