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Discovery Village is a large role play village on the outskirts of Bournemouth. Unlike most role play villages, play sessions are led by actors who lead the children through a story.

How to get to Discovery Village

Discovery Village is opposite Bournemouth Airport, 6 miles north of the town centre, a straightforward drive along the A336/B3073.

By Bus

Discovery Village claims that it is on the 737 bus route from Bournemouth to Bournemouth Airport which stops right outside the entrance. This is misleading as there aren’t actually any airport buses after 7.25 am. So you would arrive 2 hours before the site opens. You would then have to wait 2 hours after your session finished to catch a bus home. Realistically, public transport is not an option as the nearest regular bus stop is 3 miles away.

Access

The entire site is in one large building so access is easy. There is a large space outside for pushchair parking. But as the car park is so close, we didn’t bother with a pushchair.

Parking

There is plenty of free parking on site. There is paid airport parking within the same car park, so make sure you follow the signs to the correct (pink) zone and enter your registration number at reception.

Opening Times

During the week there are two sessions:

• 9.30 am – 11.30 am
• 12 pm – 2 pm

At weekends and during school holidays, there is a third session:

• 3 pm – 5 pm

Price

The price for children varies according to the day and the child’s age, ranging from £7.65 to £12.85. Adults costs £2.50 each for one or two adults.

Suitable for age

The village is described as being perfect for children aged 1-8 years old.

Details

Role Play Village

There are several role play villages in and around Bournemouth. Discovery Village is by far the largest – it’s like a role play village on steroids. The village consists of nine separate areas:

• Hair & Beauty Parlour
• Post Office
• Farm Store
• Fire Station
• Construction Site
• Italian Restaurant
• School
• Theatre
• Vet

Each area is very well stocked with plenty of things for imaginative play. Including lots of dressing up clothes in each section. Orla loved changing outfit as she moved around the village.

peformer guided play

Each session lasts two hours. This starts with some time for the children to play freely. After a while, an actor appears. The stories change throughout the year. When we visited, it was a detective looking for lost treasure. The children can join in as the story develops, looking for clues and trying to solve the puzzle.

Once the mystery is solved and the culprit (a magpie) discovered, the session ends with a story. I was worried that Orla would find this format overwhelming. But the performance led sessions were spread across the two hours and the actor was great at engaging the children.

Special Events

Various special events are held throughout the year with their own seasonal storyline. For example, during October half term, Wizard Glowbeard’s Halloween Adventure will take place. Whilst in December, there is a special festive story which culminates in the arrival of Father Christmas.

Food & Drink

The large cafe area is right next to the village. It serves a breakfast and lunch menu – mainly sandwiches and salads. Plus cakes and drinks. There is an extensive children’s menu. A children’s meal consisting of a toasted sandwich or brioche, hummus & veggie sticks, fruit, a mini donut and fruit squash costs £5.25. We were there in the morning, so opted for toasted teacakes, which were enormous.

Orla particularly loved her babychino, which she finally drank, after she’d eaten all the marshmallows…

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Discovery Village. It may be more expensive than other local role play centres, but it’s quite unique. I think it’s worth the additional cost and we will be back…

Toilets/Changing Facilities

There are ample toilet and changing facilities at the rear of the building.

• Updated: October 2025

For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.