Guest Post: 3 of the best cheap holidays in Britain

I'm really keen to hear other peoples ideas for cheap family holidays in the UK. We love going to Norfolk, Dorset and the kids love Butlins but I'm keen to get other ideas because as the kids get bigger I think they will start to want to explore different areas. Writer Jane Blackmore has some great ideas:

When you become a parent your ideals of what makes a good holiday often change from your thoughts pre-children.  Certainly before my three small ones came along I delighted in journeying to exotic lands where I could lose myself in culture, see sights that would tantalise my eyes and ingest new and unusual foods on a day to day basis.  One day I hope to share similar adventures with my three, and I expect I will delight in learning new lands with them; however, right now, whilst they are still small, a holiday is all about a break for me and a fantastic time for them.

When we look at  booking any cheap family holidays, the following factors come into consideration, is there a pool where the kids can idle away the hours? Are there vast green spaces where they can exhaust themselves so they will require twelve hours sleep? Is there a bar that serves at least one variety of gin for the parents, and do they offer babysitting services so the grownups can spend at least one night eating alone together?

Most recently we took a ten day holiday to Cornwall - a fantastic, purse friendly trip that suited all ages.  My twin seven year olds spent a full day wading in and out of the sea hunting for crabs with cane fishing rods while my toddler spent hours building sand castles with her daddy - and then smashing them back into their original grain format.  

Cornwall offers everything a family needs for a holiday - beautiful beaches with excursions out to watch Dolphins and seals play in the ocean, fantastic play areas with a mix of old rides and tumbling spaces.  Aquariums full of fascinating history and fish and a ridiculous amount of child friendly pubs, restaurants and hotels that didn’t seem to mind the noise of my little brood.

Other successful holidays in the UK have included a stay just outside of Brighton in a stunning hotel (which came equipped with an indoor pool); we got to spend time on the beach, but we also drove further out to see the harbours that surround this eclectic city.  My children delighted in spending all my pennies in the brightly coloured arcades, while my husband and I winced at the sound of the hen party killing a song in the Piers karaoke bar.  We packed a picnic and headed up to Devil’s Dyke to explore the green hills, a family game of rounders was played and fresh, happy memories were created as we experienced time together that we are sadly often too busy to manage at home.

Our holidays are not just restricted to the coast; before my youngest was born I braved taking the children to our nation’s capital, all on my own.  We managed to secure a cheap hotel room, filled up on breakfast and had a tour that cost no more than our tube ticket.  I managed to educate and enthral my children with the history of Big Ben, gave more weight to the story of Guy Fawkes with the Houses of Parliament and I even managed to read a few pages of my book when the twins spent the afternoon playing merrily in Diana’s playground.

It is easy to holiday in Britain with kids.

Author: Jane Blackmore is a freelance writer, editor and blogger who enjoys relaxing whilst the kids are having fun, ideally with a G&T in hand and a copy of the latest novel to hit the best seller list.

Legoland Windsor Duplo Valley

We are big fans of Legoland Windsor in our household, it never fails to make a fun memorable day out which exhausts the kids so they sleep well and long. Thats a good thing. Since our last visit we have been eagerly awaiting the new Duplo Valley attraction.  Duplo Valley is one of our favourite zones because it really sits brilliantly well within the age group for all the kids, so they can all get involved, even little one year old Ned and we couldn't wait to tryout the new and improved area.

Entering Duplo Valley (@daddacool leads the way)

The kids pretending to be lego men

Duplo Valley didn't disappoint, its been greatly improved with the most amazing play area which Ned loved and which was save enough for Fifi and Boy to wander off an play in on their own with minimal supervision. There are loads of different climbing frames and things to turn, press and explore. Even the ground is covered in springy astro-turf which even kept me amused whilst standing with the buggy.

Ned explores the play area...

However, the main highlight has to be the new splash park, this is the best splash park i've ever seen and the kids were very excited about giving it a go. Come thirty degree summer temperatures and I suspect it might be very difficult to even get near this attraction. We particularly liked the animals in the Duplo Splash Safari which is aimed at slightly younger children than the impressive Duplo Drench Towers with its amazing slides (the hubby was desperate to go on these!). The Duplo Splash Safari features large scale versions of the Duplo zoo animals and it all amounts to an incredibly cute and fun experience.

A Fearsome Duplo Lion

Drench Towers

Duplo Valley Splash and Play really changes the focus of a trip to Legoland in 2013, swimsuits and trunks are now essentials and I suspect you'll find yourself spending at least half of the day in this area.
This video gives you a really good flavour:



We had a lovely time exploring the new Duplo Valley, just dont forget your swimwear! You'll find loads more images and other peoples thoughts via #loveduplovalley

Disclaimer: We were invited along to the launch event and given some goody bags and free access to the park. This has not influenced my thoughts, we genuinely love Legoland for a family day out and this attraction in the park just makes it even better!

Review: My Little Baby Born I Can Swim

Since I began childminding I have realised that its really interesting to see how different children interact with different toys and so for this particular doll I thought it would be nice to get a friend of mine to review it with her daughters:

My two girls, P. aged five and three year old M., have been badgering me about this toy ever since they saw the TV advert – so we were delighted to be given the chance to try one out!

The doll itself is made from a soft plastic with moveable arms and legs. She is wearing a very pretty swimsuit, and the girls really enjoyed getting her ready for the bath, with her flippers and goggles. The doll also has a comb and hair clips for styling her lifelike head of hair. 

The girls were incredibly excited to get their hands on this, and of course the first thing they wanted to do was put her in the bath – so my first challenge was to locate three AAA batteries. TV remote dismantled, it was time to try it out. 

We placed her in the bath and after a few seconds, incredibly, she started to swim. The doll has a rather clever water sensor, so once placed in the water, the arms and legs start to move in a rather realistic front crawl motion. The girls were delighted, and she has now become a permanent feature of our bathtime routine. Thanks to the recent spell of good weather Rose (as she was promptly named by P.) has also enjoyed several outings to the paddling pool! 

I was expecting the doll to be a big hit with M., who is three and baby obsessed, but it is actually five year old P. who is the most taken with it, and seems to enjoy playing with her hair and adjusting the goggles and flippers even more than watching her swim. 

Overall, this is a lovely doll with lots of play value, and would make any little girl very happy.

Technical specifications

When placed in water the new doll will automatically swim on her own by moving her arms and kicking her legs. The swimming action is activated by a water sensor on the doll‘s back that triggers when wet.

Not only does my little BABY born® I Can Swim boast an educational play pattern for little girls, she also encourages nurturing play, enabling parents to extol the benefits of water safety to their child in a fun and playful environment.
The doll comes with a bathing suit, goggles and flippers, she also has rooted hair and comes with two hair clips and one comb so children can enjoy hair play too.
Suitable for children aged 3 plus, my little BABY born® I Can Swim is the ultimate bath time play accessory.
my little BABY born® I Can Swim will be available to buy in all good toy shops nationwide and will retail at £24.99.

Film Review: Epic

Ever since The Croods screening when the children saw a trailer for Epic they have been bubbling over with excitement at seeing the film. Finally the day came *thank god, the meltdown I would have had at being asked if it was the day yet*. Epic is from the same team that bought us Ice Age and Rio and according to my 6 year old boy 'much, much, much better than Ice Age and Rio with awesome fighting...'

The story revolves around a forest where there is a battle for its survival going on.  Basically its a good versus evil kinda thing. The plot is deepened by the inclusion of human girl called MK who becomes embroiled in the battle whilst visiting her slightly eccentric father. A bit of research tells me its based on William Joyces book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs which is a picture book published in 1996. You can grab a copy on Amazon, if you feel so inclined.

This is a visual feast, as you would expect from a film with its heritage and is genuinely exciting. Be warned though as much as the 6 year old loved the scary fighting, the 4 year old was a little bit scared. However, on the whole it is a really family friendly film and perfect for the forthcoming half-term break.

One of the things which Blue Sky Studios do incredibly well are birds and we loved the way that the characters flew about on them using little saddles. It's the small details like that which really make a film memorable. My children were most amused by the slug and the snail who had some of the most amusing and memorable lines in the film.

We thought Epic was a seriously cool film. I'd love to hear your thoughts when you go and see it from May 22 in the meantime you can have a look at the trailer here:



Also take a look at the American site which gives you a fantastic flavour of the film: http://www.epicthemovie.com/

Disclaimer: We were given free tickets to a press screening of the film

Guest Post: Five Family Festivals in Spain

Spain is a country which is known for celebrations and bursts into life with fabulous fiestas and funky family orientated festivals. March 22-31 marks Holy Week and you will find exciting Easter partying all over Spain, but the biggest and by far most impressive event is found in Seville. Semana Santa in Seville sees around 50,000 people dressing in traditional garb to join in one of the 58 processions. Children are a welcome addition to the show and are included in the parades. The whole city literally comes alive in mass entertainment and creates breath-taking sights which will stay in your memory long after the holiday has ended. Before you travel to Catalonia make sure you have checked out car hire - Spain is easy to travel around but to experience more than one festival you will need a reliable mode of transport, and the railway network does not go everywhere.

A completely different type of festival is  Primavera Sound, a great way to introduce children to music in a festival setting. Kids are welcome and there are an abundance of campsites - the downside is you have to pay full price for the small ones so make sure you are passionate about the acts performing. This year you can catch Jessie Ware, Nick Cave, and The Wild Things to name but a few. Primavera Sound 2013 is held at the end of May. Tomato Chaos If you find yourself vacationing in Spain in August make sure you drive over to Bunol which is a little west of Valencia. The kids will simply adore  La Tomatina, held on August 28th; it is a festival which revolves around the crazy art of tomato throwing and other similarly ridiculous but hugely entertaining activities. The frivolities normally kick off with participants trying to climb a greasy pole to reach a portion of ham on the top and it concludes with a good hour of tomato throwing where at least 155,000 tomatoes are launched through the town, literally painting it (and the townspeople) red. Make sure you take goggles and gloves when attending La Tomatina - not forgetting a change of clothes!

In autumn, make sure you drive over to Cadiz for  All Saints Day on November 1st. The stores all close and the locals really go to town on this day and dress in colourful rabbit costumes whilst trading on the market stalls. This festival is vibrant, energetic and gives a visitor a real insight into a traditional Spanish festival. More Christmas: Three Kings Day In Spain Christmas doesn’t stop after Santa has been, the festivities expand post New Year and on January 6th they commence for one final time in the festive season with Three Kings day. Tradition holds that children must leave their shoes out on the evening of January 5th to receive gifts from the passing three kings. On the day itself parades take place all over Spain marking the occasion. Impressive displays can be seen in Andalucía which should not be missed if you are close enough to take advantage.

Author: Jane Blackmore is a freelance writer, blogger and editor who also looks after her three children in her spare time. She is often found hovering over her laptop trying to make words sound pretty or planning the family’s next adventure. A cup of tea and a rich tea is usually to hand.

Stonehenge

As an archaeologist every time I drive past Stonehenge I see it as one of a number of exciting monuments in a landscape and to be frank I get just as excited barrow spotting and marvelling at Silbury Hill than at the bluestones. However, it was only recently that I realised the extent that peoples perceptions of it are really grounded in cultural things and what they have learnt. I mean everyone knows and recognises Stonehenge, right?

Well, on driving past this monument which they have visited before and we have discussed in a myriad of different ways (even re-building it using our wooden blocks using a variety of the preferred options for movement) I was amazed to be asked why there were some stones in a field and what they were. But there again, that's all they are, a pile of stones in a field. Right?

Guest Blog: Thats Entertainment!

The days of booking a magician or a clown to come along to entertain at a child’s party are long behind us, with kids wanting more and more imaginative ideas to make their day extra special. If you’ve a party to organise, you’ll soon realise just how much choice there is out there for kids’ entertainment. My mission, that I’ve chosen to accept, is to remove that headache by choosing my top five novel party ideas.

For the little’uns

The most obvious and the most fun party entertainment for the littlest members of your family is a soft play party. You have two options here. Either book a party at your local soft play centre or hire some equipment for your party venue. Kids love clambering across the ramps, diving into ball ponds and climbing through tunnels and best of all, they can explore in a safe environment.

Sporty fun

There’s nothing better if you’ve got kids who are into their sports than an active party. These parties are great as they encourage kids to get involved and stay active. Host a party with a five a side football centre where you’ll not only have use of their facilities but can also use their party planning expertise to take the stress out of the organisation and running of the day. If team sports don’t appeal, why not hire a martial arts expert to run a session for some entertainment.

Step into the bright lights

If your child is dazzled by the bright lights of the stage, then there are some great entertainment outfits around to set their party alight. There are a number of dance troops available for hire who will not only perform a show but will also run sessions to teach the children some of their moves. There are also some fantastic pop tribute acts who specialise in entertaining at children’s parties. You might not be able to afford Justin Bieber or one Direction, but a professional act giving a performance of their songs will go down just as well. You may just want to invest in some earplugs to block out the screaming!

A night in the museum…

Museums are not only great places to head off to for a day trip as many now offer up children’s party packages too. Museum parties are fantastic fun, with parties hosted in great locations and filled with many interesting elements to give your child’s party something extra special. Take part in fun experiments and watch an IMAX film at London’s Science Museum or take part in a Dinosnore Sleepover in the Natural History Museum for an extra special evening.

All aboard!

For an all-out party extravaganza, hire a party bus. Catering for up to 24 children, the party bus will park up outside your home and host an unforgettable party. Aimed at children from between 3 to 11 years of age, the party bus covers all your bases by entertaining and feeding the children. Aboard these double deckers, you’ll find playgrounds, complete with ball-pits, rope bridges and climbing frames, a range of softplay as well as televisions and consoles. The kids will even be able to enjoy a disco complete with lights as the perfect end to a magical day.  

Disclaimer: This post was brought to you in conjunction with Powerleague