I bought a voucher online for the Blue Pool which gave us admission and a cream tea for 2 which was almost half price and a great deal.  We visited on a super sunny day in June and had such a lovely time, it almost felt like we were on holiday for the day.

After paying you will see there is a stand by the plants stall and this is where you can pick up some trail forms.  Before we even had a chance to look around my son fell and scraped his knee and a lovely man passing us said he had the first aid box and within minutes he was cleaned up and presented with a huge magic plaster which instantly put a big smile on his face.

The view from the tea rooms is spectacular and we quickly settled down for our lovely cream teas.  I noticed they had quite a variety of sandwiches, pasties and specials on offer and everything was very reasonably priced.  

After our delicious cream tea with homemade scones we went to find the Red Route which we had been advised was suitable for my elderly Auntie and the pushchair as it had no steps.  I visited the Blue Pool years ago and followed the Green Route and had no idea that there actually was another route which took you right around the top of the pool and also around a small pond with ducks.

The trail form we picked up invited us to find and count lots of things in the trees like model squirrels, coins and even an owl and woodpecker.  There were also lots of cute fairy doors at some of the tree stumps and my son never tired of knocking on them (even though we told him we had to be quiet so we didn't wake the fairies).

After a good hour or so we found the play park and then to our surprise we found another 2 hidden very nearby.  My boy loved the big slide, but beware it does get very hot in the sun. 

While we were sitting in the park I saw a sign which said ‘Corfe Castle Viewpoint’ so I climbed the steps and had good old giggle at the top.  You can see Corfe Castle however I would advise you take a magnifying glass with you!  (I should also apologise to any walkers who saw a woman running around frantically trying to find a bush and then suddenly whipping her trousers down - I had a HUGE ant run up my leg haha).

We spent over 2 hours hours walking around the Blue Pool and playing in the park so when we got back we visited the gift shop and had a look at the Wareham Bears which we all adored.

Just before leaving we took our forms to the Tea Rooms to receive our son’s certificate and bought a souvenir fridge magnet in the gift shop plus a well deserved ice lolly. 

GOOD TO KNOW:

There is a lovely picnic spot around by the small pond however we also passed several benches around the pool and park.

Don’t forget the baby wipes, there’s lots for little ones to touch and feel and I was glad I had some for snack time.

Don’t be afraid to take a pushchair, the ground was no problem and should you wish to pop down the steps for a photo I’m sure it would be safe.

The toilets are found by the gift shop and there are baby change facilities in the disabled toilets.

Children under 16 are free if accompanied by an adult.*

There is a small museum located to the side of the tea rooms which shows the early history of clay mining in the area.

Thank You to everyone at the Blue Pool for a wonderful day, it truly is worth every penny and a real hidden gem.

For more information on location, opening times and special events, please visit The Blue Pool. 

*Please note, details are correct at the time of writing in June 2015.

We visited Sandworld in Weymouth last week with nanny and were luckily enough to enjoy one of our rare sunny days.  We got there as they were opening and were immediately met with great big warm smiles from every member of staff we spoke to and you can tell they are all passionate about the attraction and their visitors.

As you go in there is a sand sculpture right in front of you and you are immediately drawn to it's towering size.  Having seen pictures before, I knew they’d be good but the detail really is something else.  I could see straight away that there was a play area with spades, toys, a wendy house and ride on’s but before I had a chance to inform my boy he was straight in the house offering me tea and sandy toast.

We did try to encourage him to have a walk around the indoor sculptures but after having a near heart attack when he got too close to one we decided we’d rush him around and then we did a tag team so he could play outside while we took turns to have a good look inside.  Each sculpture has a plaque telling you all about it and some history on the artist, many of whom flew in from another Country.

When I went to find my mum and son I realised he’d discovered the large sand pit which had tools to make your own sculptures and huge plaques on the wall with instructions on how to make a perfect sandcastle, turtle and pillar of sand.  The area does clearly state ‘Under 5’s only’ and I can see why as my son just wanted to jump on any sandcastles we had attempted to make.  The staff are quite relaxed though and as there was literally only a couple of children (and we were watching him like a hawk) they didn’t mind him playing in there.  It really was quite lovely to be able to sit next to the pit with a cuppa and enjoy the sunshine for a little bit.

While we were there I noticed a very lovely elderly couple and after saying hi they started telling me that they had visited before and had come back to see the new sculptures.  I asked them what their favourite one had been and the lady said that there was a D-Day sculpture which she would never forget as there were what looked like hundreds of teeny weeny little tanks around it.  After speaking to them I arranged for them to have a free cuppa in the café as part of our ‘Random Good Deed’ for the month and had to laugh when the gentlemen tracked me down inside and demanded me to tell him who had paid haha.  I explained that my son was doing good deeds and that I hoped himself and his wife had a lovely day.

We didn’t have lunch while we were there because we had promised our son a picnic outside but there is plenty of food on offer and an appealing kids menu which included a roll, drink, crisps, biscuit and activity book.

Opposite the café there is a lovely bright area for children to fill a bottle with layers of coloured sand.  My son loved this activity and I was actually quite surprised at the level of concentration he had.  Half way through he did go back to the sand pit for a play but then came back in to finish it off and we now have a fantastic souvenir of our day.                 

While we were there I actually noticed quite a few adults making their own sculptures and I myself found it quite therapeutic sitting down with the tools provided and attempting to make a masterpiece (whilst battling off a wildly excited 2 year old!).

We ended up staying for a couple of hours and would of stayed longer if we had not already made plans to play in Lodmoor Country Park.  We’ll most certainly go back and take daddy with us although I know straight away that he would say ‘I can do that!’.  (He couldn’t haha). 

If you are planning to visit then I'd recommend visiting Sandworld to see if there are any special offers or seasonal events coming up.