REVIEW: Brewery Square Summer Playbook Review

We spent five hours at Brewery Square with the kids... and they still didn't want to leave! From FREE Summer Playbook activities and splash fountains to independent shopping, great food and live music, here's why it's become one of our favourite free family days out in Dorset.

We spent five hours at Brewery Square this summer... and the kids still didn't want to leave!

When the sun's shining, it's easy to automatically head for the beach. But if you're looking for a relaxed family day out without the traffic, crowds or sandy car afterwards, Brewery Square in Dorchester is well worth adding to your summer holiday list.

We recently spent the day there with our two daughters (aged 8 and 5), and what started as a quick visit turned into nearly five hours of shopping, playing, eating and making the most of the fantastic FREE Summer Playbook activities.

FREE Summer Playbook Fun

We visited on a Wednesday when the Paper Aeroplane Workshop was taking place.

The children had so much fun designing and making their own paper aeroplanes before everyone gathered together for a competition to see whose plane would fly the furthest.

The Brewery Square team were brilliant throughout, chatting to the children, handing out sweets and making everyone feel involved, with medals and prizes for the winners.

It's exactly the sort of simple activity that children absolutely love, and because it's completely FREE, it's a great way to entertain them during the holidays without spending a fortune.

The Summer Playbook is packed with different themed activities throughout the holidays, so there's always something new happening.

The fountains are still a winner!

After the activity, it was impossible to keep the girls away from the fountains.

Watching them run through the water, laughing and cooling off in the sunshine while I enjoyed an iced latte from Loco Loves' lovely little café felt like one of those perfect summer moments.

There was also live music creating a fantastic atmosphere around the square. We were lucky enough to catch an incredibly talented 15-year-old singer performing Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner classics. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn't have believed she was only 15!

Independent shops you'll actually want to browse

One of the things we love most about Brewery Square is the mix of well-known brands alongside brilliant independent businesses.

We couldn't resist popping into:

• Loco Loves for beautiful homeware, gifts and women's fashion (plus excellent coffee!)
• Mutt Everything Dog for treats and gifts for four-legged family members
• Woods
• Memory Lane
• Halo Fine Art
• C-Side, which quickly became a favourite with the children after they discovered Taylor Swift badges! The staff were absolutely lovely and made such a fuss of them.

It's the sort of place where you can happily wander in and out of shops without feeling rushed.

Lunch at one of our favourites

By lunchtime we'd worked up quite an appetite, so we headed to Wagamama.

It's become one of our family favourites because the children's Bento Boxes always go down a treat, and the staff are consistently welcoming and brilliant with children.

It was the perfect stop before heading back out to enjoy more of the square.

Easy, relaxed and stress-free

One of the biggest things that stood out was just how easy the whole day felt.

There's plenty of parking, everything is within easy walking distance, there are loads of places to eat and drink, entertainment throughout the holidays, independent shopping, a cinema and plenty of space for children to enjoy themselves.

Unlike many summer attractions, there was no battling through queues or worrying about overcrowding. It was simply a relaxed day where everyone could enjoy themselves at their own pace.

Our verdict

What was meant to be a short visit ended up lasting almost five hours—and honestly, none of us wanted to leave.
If you're looking for a family day out in Dorset this summer that's affordable, relaxed and packed with things to do, Brewery Square is definitely worth a visit.

Whether you're joining one of the FREE Summer Playbook activities, tackling the Butterfly Trail, grabbing lunch, enjoying the fountains or simply browsing the fantastic mix of independent shops and restaurants, it's one of those places that's incredibly easy to while away an entire day.

Top Tip: Don't forget to pick up a Butterfly Trail map from the Concierge Office before you start exploring - you'll have even more reason to wander around the square and discover somewhere new.