Bournemouth Christmas kids trail: booklet and prize
Bournemouth Christmas kids trail: where to pick up the 2026 booklet, how the clues and secret letters work, where to hand it in and how the prize is decided.
On this page
The Bournemouth Christmas kids trail turns a walk round the market and the Lower Gardens into a puzzle hunt: children pick up a Christmas booklet of puzzles, jokes and scavenger hunts with a trail map, find clues and secret letters across the market, the Festive Trail and the ice rink, and hand it back in for the chance of a prize at the end of the season. That is how the organisers, Alpine Christmas Markets, set it out on their Kids Trail page, read on 19 October 2026. Christmas in Bournemouth opens on Thursday 12 November.
What is in the booklet?
The organisers describe a Christmas booklet with puzzles, jokes and scavenger hunts, plus a map of the trail. The map is the useful part on the day: it shows where to look across the Square and the gardens, so children can follow it rather than wander.
The clues and secret letters are spread across three areas:
- the Christmas market in Bournemouth Square
- the Festive Trail in the Lower Gardens
- the area around the SKATE Bournemouth ice rink
Where do you pick one up?
The organisers list five places:
- The Alpine Lodge, in the market in the Square
- Santa's Workshop, in the Lower Gardens beside Santa's Express
- The Christmas Tree Maze
- Glow Golf, the festive mini golf
- The ice rink
The trail page does not say whether the booklet costs anything, so ask when you collect it. If you have a booking at the maze, golf, rink or Santa's Workshop, collecting it there is the easy option; otherwise the Alpine Lodge is the nearest point to the top of the Square.
How do you hand it in?
Once the booklet is complete, there are three ways to enter:
- hand it in at Santa's Workshop
- hand it in at the Alpine Lodge
- submit the answers online through the organisers' site
One family wins a prize at the end of the season, the organisers say. The page we read does not describe the prize, the closing date or how the winner is chosen and told, so check the trail page before the season ends on 3 January 2027, and keep a photo of the finished booklet in case you hand in the paper copy.
How long does it take?
The organisers do not give a time. The trail runs from the Square down through the Lower Gardens, which is a short walk end to end, but children stopping at every clue, with a ride or a hot chocolate on the way, can easily make an afternoon of it. Splitting it across two visits works too.
Fitting it into a family day
The booklet fits around the other things children come for:
- Weekends: fairies, elves and Elsa roam the Square and the gardens from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. See Christmas characters in Bournemouth.
- Santa: a booked session in the workshop, where you can also hand in the booklet. See Story Time with Santa.
- Rides: Santa's Express and the Big Wheel along the trail, no pre-booking. See Santa's Express and the Big Wheel.
The Bournemouth Guide's Christmas Tree Wonderland listing and its Bournemouth with kids page have more for families, and our family activities guide covers the rest of the year.
Practical points
It is all outdoors and continues in most weather, so bring a pen and something to lean on, and a plastic wallet if rain is forecast. The market is cashless, card and contactless only. Toilets, including accessible ones, are on site and nearby, and many outdoor areas have accessible routes, the organisers say.
Staying nearby
Flexiestays' hotels are on the West Cliff, about ten minutes on foot from the Square and the Lower Gardens, so a family can do half the trail one afternoon and the rest the next. Self check-in suits a late return after an evening on the trail, and booking direct on Short-Term Rentals in Bournemouth - Weekend & Business Stays is cheaper than the big platforms.
Frequently asked questions
The organisers list five pick-up points, the Alpine Lodge in the Square, Santa's Workshop, the Christmas Tree Maze, Glow Golf and the ice rink in the Lower Gardens. They do not say on the trail page whether there is a charge, so ask at the pick-up point.
Hand the completed booklet in at Santa's Workshop or the Alpine Lodge, or submit the answers online. The organisers say one family wins a prize at the end of the season; they do not describe the prize or the closing date on the page we read.
The clues are spread across the market, the Festive Trail and the rink area. The market and the trail are free to enter; the organisers do not say whether any clue sits inside a ticketed attraction, so check the trail page.
