Christmas with Santa at Discovery Village
A magical two-hour Christmas adventure for the whole family
Looking for a magical Santa experience near Bournemouth? Join Mrs Claus and Father Christmas for a relaxed two-hour festive adventure at Discovery Village.
This December, Father Christmas is taking to the skies on his important training flights, making sure his sleigh and reindeer are ready for the biggest night of the year.
Discovery Village is one of Santa’s favourite places to stop, rest and meet the kind and caring children who live nearby. But before he can find us, Mrs Claus needs the children’s help to prepare the village and guide him safely through the winter sky.
Join Mrs Claus for an interactive festive adventure filled with imaginative play, teamwork, music and Christmas magic, followed by 45 wonderful minutes with Father Christmas himself.
Unlike a traditional Santa’s grotto, this is an experience for the whole family to enjoy together.
A peek inside our Santa experience
Help Mrs Claus prepare for Santa’s training flight
Mrs Claus is the person who makes sure Santa has everything he needs for his journeys.
She packs his travelling supplies, organises his letters, checks on the reindeer and makes sure there is somewhere warm and welcoming for him to rest. This year, however, there is far too much for her to do alone.
She needs the help of Discovery Village’s little Christmas helpers!
During our live interactive story, the children can work together to complete four important festive activities.
Then Father Christmas arrives!
Sleigh bells begin to ring, the village comes alive with Christmas magic and Father Christmas arrives during his training flight for a very special rest.
Santa stays with us for approximately 45 minutes, giving families plenty of time to enjoy the magic without feeling rushed.
During his visit, Santa will:
• Greet and interact with the children
• Read the letters posted in our Magic Post Box
• Join everyone for a festive song
• Explore Discovery Village alongside the children
• Let children show him their favourite shops and role play areas
• Create plenty of opportunities for family photographs (please bring your camera)
• Leave a special Christmas gift for every child
Rather than watching Santa from the other side of a grotto, children can play, explore and interact with him inside a familiar environment created especially for them.
A wonderfully relaxed way to meet Santa
Meeting Father Christmas can sometimes feel overwhelming for younger children, particularly when the experience involves queues, unfamiliar surroundings or a very short meeting. Christmas at Discovery Village is different.
Our sessions run at a specially reduced capacity, helping us create a calm and relaxed atmosphere in which every child has an opportunity to meet and interact with Santa.
Children do not have to walk into a separate grotto or sit beside someone they have only just met. They can become comfortable with Santa while exploring the village, joining in with the song or showing him their favourite place to play.
This makes the experience particularly magical for babies, toddlers, preschool children and little ones meeting Father Christmas for the first time.
Participation is always encouraged but never forced. Children can enjoy the experience in the way that feels right for them.
The children create the Christmas magic
At Discovery Village, kindness, teamwork and love are not simply mentioned as part of the story. They are what make the story happen.
It is the children’s letters, helping hands, teamwork and joyful singing that create the magic Santa needs to find the village.
Throughout the adventure, Mrs Claus sees the children sharing, helping one another and showing how caring they can be. When Santa arrives, he already knows that Discovery Village is filled with wonderful little helpers.
What is Included
Every paid child’s Christmas ticket includes:
• A two-hour Christmas play session
• A live interactive adventure led by Mrs Claus
• A letter to write to Santa
• Approximately 45 minutes with Father Christmas
• The opportunity for you to take photos (we actively encourage it!)
• A special gift from Santa
• Time to explore all nine Discovery Village role play areas
Every booking also includes a reserved table in our woodland café, where festive food, drinks and treats will be available to purchase.
Free on-site parking is included with your visit.
Christmas ticket prices
Walking Child: £31.45
Crawling Child: £31.45
First two adults: £2.95 each
Additional adults: £5.75 each
Babies in arms: Free
Parent & baby in arms £14.95 for those wishing to attend without an older child
(including a gift, excludes letter & dedicated time with santa)
Babies in arms attending free of charge do not receive a letter or gift from Santa.
A Christmas memory for the whole family
Christmas at Discovery Village is not simply a visit to see Santa.
It is a complete family adventure where children become part of the story, grown-ups share in the magic and Father Christmas has time to play, talk and create memories with everyone.
Whether it is your child’s first time meeting Santa or part of a much-loved family tradition, we cannot wait to welcome you for a truly magical Christmas at Discovery Village.
Spaces are limited because of our specially reduced festive capacity, so advance booking is strongly recommended.
Santa Experience FAQ’s
Christmas at Discovery Village is a magical two-hour family experience featuring a live interactive adventure with Mrs Claus, festive activities, free play across our role play village and approximately 45 minutes with Father Christmas.
Children will write and post a letter to Santa, search for the items needed to prepare his travelling kit, decorate the magical Christmas Flight Marker Trees and join Mrs Claus for a special reindeer song. Their kindness, teamwork and Christmas cheer help guide Santa to the village during one of his December training flights.
Father Christmas stays at Discovery Village for approximately 45 minutes.
During this time, he will read the children’s letters, join in with a festive song and explore the village alongside them. Children can show Santa their favourite shops, play near him and enjoy plenty of opportunities for photographs.
Yes, absolutely! (We were shocked to discover that other Santa experiences don’t let you!) You are welcome to take as many photographs and videos of your own children as you wish throughout the experience. In fact, we actively encourage it.
Unlike many traditional Santa experiences, there is no requirement to purchase an official photograph. Santa spends approximately 45 minutes in the village, giving families plenty of natural opportunities to capture magical and relaxed moments together.
We simply ask visitors to be considerate of other families and avoid photographing or filming children who are not part of their group.
No, not at all.
Every child is different, and meeting Father Christmas can feel overwhelming for some little ones. Children will be invited to sit with Santa on his special bench, but they never have to.
They can stand nearby, sit with their grown-up, wave from a comfortable distance or simply continue exploring the village while they become familiar with him. Our relaxed format allows children to meet Santa in the way that feels right for them.
Yes. Christmas at Discovery Village is a complete two-hour interactive family adventure rather than a short visit inside a traditional grotto.
Father Christmas spends approximately 45 minutes in the role play village, where children can interact with him, join in with a song and show him their favourite places to play.
Sessions run at a specially reduced capacity, helping every child enjoy a relaxed and unrushed opportunity to meet Santa. What’s more – we don’t even make you stand in a cold garden centre queue.
Yes. Our experience is particularly suitable for babies, toddlers, preschool children and little ones meeting Father Christmas for the first time.
Santa arrives in a familiar play environment rather than waiting inside a separate grotto. Children can watch him from a distance, continue playing and approach him when they feel comfortable.
Participation is always encouraged, but it is never forced.
Yes, it does!
At the end of the play session, everyone is invited to join our special snow dance. As the music plays, magical snow falls across Discovery Village, creating a wonderful festive finale for children and grown-ups to enjoy together.
Every child attending with a paid crawling or walking child ticket will receive a special Christmas gift presented by Father Christmas.
Babies in arms can attend free of charge but do not receive a letter or gift. A paid child ticket will be required should you wish for your baby to receive the full experience and a gift from Santa.
We’ll ask you for your children’s ages when you make your booking so our little elves can get everything ready.
Every child attending with a paid child ticket will receive a special letter to write for Father Christmas.
The completed letters are posted into the Discovery Village Magic Post Box before Santa arrives. Santa will read the letters during his visit. Extra bonus points for humour adults! Just make sure Santa can read the writing as his eyesight isn’t what it used to be!
Yes. Christmas at Discovery Village is designed to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Grown-ups are welcome to help with letters, join the search, decorate the trees, sing the reindeer song and share in the magic when Father Christmas arrives.
Our Christmas sessions run at a specially reduced capacity so that every child has an opportunity to meet and interact with Father Christmas.
The experience is deliberately relaxed and unrushed. However, children are never pressured to approach or sit with Santa if they do not feel comfortable.
Yes. Siblings are very welcome to attend together, although each crawling or walking child will require their own child ticket. Babies in arms are more than welcome to get a photo with Father Christmas when their older sibling visits him.
Babies in arms can attend free of charge but will not receive a letter or gift from Santa.
Yes. Children will still have time to explore all nine of our role play areas during the two-hour session.
Our festive activities are optional, and children can move between the Christmas story and independent role play at a pace that suits them.
Yes. Every booking receives a reserved table in our woodland café for the duration of the session.
Festive food, drinks and treats will be available to purchase from the café during your visit.
Yes. Free on-site parking is included with your visit. Please remember to register your vehicle when you arrive.
Yes. Shoes are removed before entering the role play village, and both children and adults must wear socks in the play areas. Please feel free to bring some slippers with you (the more festive the better!)
Advance booking is strongly recommended.
Our Christmas sessions run at a reduced capacity to create a calm and unrushed experience, so spaces are limited and popular dates may sell out quickly.
That is completely fine.
All of our festive activities are optional. Children can watch, join in gradually or continue exploring the role play village. Mrs Claus and our team will encourage participation warmly, but no child will ever be forced to take part.
