FROM secret beaches and smugglers’ coves to ancient hillforts and romantic castles, Dorset has it all, inspiring writers down the years such as Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl.

Growing up in Dorset, childhood revolved around rockpooling, rope swings, dens, falling asleep on a noisy beach and, later, feeling the sting as your sandy legs were towelled down by mum.

Nowadays being a child in this diverse county is no less magical, as Sarah-Jane Forder describes in her new book Kids’ Dorset.

Sarah-Jane was a child of Dorset in the 1960s and ’70s when the outside world seemed a long way away.

“In those days there were no home computers or mobile phones,” she said.

“Watching Blue Peter on a rented black-and-white TV was about as high-tech as it got.

Children in Dorset are very lucky in that they have so much on their doorstep. Due to its incredible geology, the Dorset Coast is now a World Heritage Site, joining the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon as one of the wonders of the natural world. It wasn’t known as the Jurassic Coast when we were children, but it was all there for the taking.

“Kids today are far more sophisticated than they ever were then, or so we generally believe,” added Sarah-Jane. “But is there anything to beat a day spent kayaking at Studland or fossiling at Charmouth? Is there a child anywhere who doesn’t feel the need to build a den in the woods or track red squirrels on Brownsea Island?”

The book includes 40 places and associated activities across the county, each suggested and tested by local children and their parents.

Many of the ideas are free, proving that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a good time. You can while away many an hour in the Fossil Forest at Lulworth, spotting dolphins at Durlston, toasting crumpets at Hardy’s Cottage or feeling the force in Winspit Caves where Doctor Who was filmed.

One suggestion in the book is to go crabbing – which can be done at Weymouth, Lyme Regis, Swanage and Mudeford. West Bay is also a great place to catch these quirky creatures. If you haven’t already tried this traditional seaside activity, it’s strangely addictive. All you need is a piece of string, bait such as bacon, chicken or fish and a weight to keep the bait at the bottom, which is where the crabs live. Wrap the line loosely around your finger and wait until you feel a crab tugging on the other end. The art is in bringing the line up with the crab still holding on – not as easy as you might think. Drop your crabs in a bucket of water with a few stones and seaweed so they have somewhere to hide, then watch them scurry back into the water when you release them.

Or if rivers are more your thing, how about wading through the River Frome at Moreton? At the picturesque village ford – said to be the widest such crossing in the south of England – it’s the tiddlers that local children come to catch, armed with fishing nets, buckets and jam jars. On sweaty days it’s a great place to cool down, with shallows no more than a few inches deep shaded by overhanging trees.

There’s a rope swing on one of the banks, and a long, narrow bridge for those who prefer to keep their feet firmly on dry land. Rare water voles and otters live on the Frome; kingfishers too. Visit early and late in the day and you may catch a fleeting glimpse of one.

And so on and so forth... the author makes suggestions and tips on how to best enjoy your day out. Autumn is the best time of year to see red squirrels; the Shafetsbury museum houses Dorset’s oldest fire engine as well as a mummified cat found in a cottage roof (left by a 17th-century builder for good luck).

If you’re inspired by a visit to Winspit caves, why not stop off at the Burngate Stone Carving Centre, just outside Langton Matravers, which runs courses and taster sessions for all ages. If you’re at Church Ope Cove, visit the ruined church of St Andrew and its ‘pirate’ graves with skulls and crossbones.

In the words of one child: “Dorset is the place to start an adventure,” so you can dip into the book at will. If nothing else it’s a 98-page reminder of how darned lucky we are to live here.

• Kids’ Dorset by Sarah-Jane Forder is published by Roving Press priced £6.99