1. Take your kids to build a Legosaurus

It's the Spirit of Portland Festival, and Portland Museum are running an event on Friday where childen get to create a Jurassic backdrop to go with a  LEGO® model of a dinosaur which they will be able to take home and construct. It's £5 per child, but you do get to keep the Legosaurus. Booking essential at portlandmuseum.co.uk

2. Check out the talent (and the fireworks) at Swanage Carnival

It's the last few days of the Swanage Carnival, featuring a Vintage and Classic Car Show, Pavement Artist competition, wheelbarrow race, boules tournament and Carnival's Got Talent final on Friday. Then tomorrow (Saturday) take your seat for the sailing regatta and the firework finale.  Lighting up the sky over the bay and reflecting in the water, they are one of the highlights of Carnival Week. Fired from the jetty on the main beach, there are many vantage points to watch the displays, the beach, the seafront, Recreation Ground, Sandpit Field, the Pier, the Downs or near the Old Stone Quay. swanagecarnival.com

3. Dig up your competitive side at Bournemouth Carnival

Friday is competition day at Bournemouth Carnival. Best beach hut, duck racing and sand castle building all feature, along with rounders and cricket on the beach. Then on Saturdayit's the Teddy Bears Picnic and Glamorous Granny/Knobbly Knees competitions. If you want to take part in the beach hut contest, you need to register before 1pm on Friday. bournemouthcarnival.info/events

4. Sample some open-air Shakespeare

Beautiful Brownsea Island is the location for Brownsea Open Air Theatre's Henry IV this week. As of writing there were four pairs of tickets left for Friday, but if you miss out there are tickets for Monday instead. brownsea-theatre.co.uk

5. Bag a list minute ticket for Dorset's biggest music festival

There are still some day tickets and posh camping tickets left for the amazing Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle. So if you don't mind braving the traffic and your kids are okay with camping, why not pack up so you can see the likes of Basement Jaxx and Jonny Marr (for you) and Mr Tumble and Ben and Holly (for the children) campbestival.net

6. Take your children to the Open Air Cinema at OnStage at Pier Approach

Friday is film day at Pier Approach, with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Toy Story on screen from 3pm. 

7. Have a family night out in Bournemouth's Lower Gardens

Friday is Family Fiesta night in Bournemouth. From 7pm there is family entertainment throughout the gardens including face painters, circus workshops, stilt walkers, fire performances and street performers.At 8pm Jump Jive Music takes to the stage at Pier Approach and at 10pm there is a fireworks display from Bournemouth Pier.

8. Stomp the Quomps at Christchurch's annual music extravaganza

Get your jazz hands ready for Stompin on the Quomps, the annual jazz festival on Christchurch Quay on Saturday. As well as the usual music and dance acts there will also be music workshops with Absolute Music including brass and drum workshops. Noon onwards.

9. Milk a goat and enjoy all the fun of the fair at Upton

The sixth annual Poole Town & Country Fair takes place on Saturday and Sunday, featuring falconry and birds of prey displays, Totally Ponies, Purbeck Gun Dogs display team, ferret and terrier racing, children's farm, fairground, Medieval Village and Fighting Knights, goat milking and fairground. The show runs 10am to 5pm both days and entry costs £6 adult, £5 concessions, £3 for five to 16-year-olds and family tickets at £15 for two adults and two children are available. oakleighfairs.co.uk/upton.

10. Spice up your life with the 11th Thai Festival...

Celebrate the best of Thai culture at the popular Thai Summer Festival on Saturday and Sunday. The event, which is now in its 11th year, takes place at Kings Park where you can watch classical Thai dancing and musical performances, Thai boxing - featuring a real match - and fruit carving. There will also be stalls selling Thai toys, crafts, clothes and silk. 10am – 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

11. ... or put some heat in your weekend at the Dorset Chilli Festival

One of Dorset’s spiciest events takes place this weekend as the Great Dorset Chilli Festival returns. The regional heat of a national chilli cook-off competition will be held on Sunday where teams will have four hours to cook a gallon of chilli con carne (or vegetarian chilli) from scratch, using their own combination of ingredients and spices. The festival at St Giles Park, home of the Earl of Shaftesbury, runs from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday

12. Raise some money for charity at a community day

Support the Wessex Cancer Trust at a fun day at Merryfield Park, Sopley on Saturday. There will be emergency services vehicles and members of the fire Wessex Fire and Rescue Service doing demos as well as fire hose games and rides. Or head to St Leonards and St Ives ex-servicemen's club, School Lane for a 24-hour snooker and darts event to raise money for Julia's House and Help for Heroes.There's also a family fun day going on with stalls, games, refreshments etc in the car park. 

13. Watch the Blades at Mudeford fun day

Sunday's fun day, which starts at 11am is to raise money for the Mudeford lifeboat. It will include a lifeboat and helicopter display, an air display from the Blades Aerobatic team, and the popular raft race. Last year’s special 50th anniversary event raised more than £28,000 for the station, with around £950 given back to local charities. Organisers say they want to make this year’s event even bigger. The raft race, which includes decorated rafts from community organisations and businesses, will start at 1pm in the Run. mudefordlifeboatfunday.org/

14. Take your dog to a show 

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the Margaret Green Animal Rescue’s dog show and family fun day, which takes place at the Church Knowle animal sanctuary and visitor centre on Sunday. here will be stalls and attractions including a dog scurry, bouncy castle and kid’s zone, band and Pimms tent. Entrance is £3 for adults and £1 for children aged 12 and under. 11am-4pm.

15. Take a walk for your favourite charity.

The Poole Bay Walk on Sunday is an open fundraising walk promoted by Rotary Club of Poole Bay, just register and choose your charity. The 8.5mile route takes in Poole Quay, Baiter Park Promenade, Sandbanks, Branksome and back to Poole Quay via Whitecliff and Baiter. You can register any time between 10 and 12am. poolebayrotary.org

16. Mark the centenary of the Great War

Poole starts its Great War commemorations on Sunday afternoon at St James Church with a civic service. At 5pm servicemen, ex servicemen and uniform groups will join the Mayor in a parade from St James Church, down Thames Street, Poole Quay and Old Orchard back to the Guildhall.