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Center Parcs: Enjoyment for the whole family, guaranteed

Last month, we took the girls and the in-laws for a short break at Center Parcs in Longleat. It’s not the kind of holiday the hubby and I would have looked at before; we’ve always thought of it as an expensive option and we’re the type of family that likes to get away and do our own thing, rather than stay somewhere with everything at your fingertips. Anyway… after an unmissable deal popped up, the hubby booked it on a whim, quickly locking in the grandparents too.

Well, through fear of this sounding like a sponsored post (I promise, it most definitely isn’t) this was hands down our easiest and most wholly enjoyable family holiday to date! Unbelievably there was zero stress too. And I mean, zero stress. I told you it was unbelievable. I just can’t praise Center Parcs enough. Having young children certainly changes your perspective on holidays. Up until now, we were the types to research holiday spots reminiscent of our youthful, carefree days, where the accommodation was quirky rather than practical and off the beaten track instead of all-inclusive. As we’ve discovered, this type of place is almost impossible to find when it needs to accommodate two small people. It also tends to involve more hassle when you’re there too, sometimes having an effect on the overall enjoyment levels of the holiday.

Now, even those that haven’t visited Center Parcs will know that it is NOT that holiday. It’s a complex. With cabins that are designed to be functional and all look the same. With an abundance of entertainment options and restaurants serving every cuisine under the sun available on tap. And with a tropical swimming paradise just a short walk away. It’s basically a cruise on land. But, and here’s the but. With very young kids in tow, this is exactly what you need. It’s convenient, easy and has everything young children need to enjoy themselves. And everyone knows that happy children make for happy parents.

Our cabin was perfectly located, far enough from the central drag that we felt like we could escape a bit, but close enough that we could walk to the main village with a pram. We were close to the top of the Cascades walkway, so it was just a short meander downhill to the beach and beyond. We also had a land train stop just a minute’s walk away. The land train, of course, was a massive hit with the Little Big One who insisted on riding it every day. Our bulky pram didn’t fit on – next time we’d definitely take an umbrella folding stroller – so the Not So Tiny One was able to take her naps in the pram while some of us walked to and from the cabin to the village (about a 25-30 minute walk). The cabin was set within the forest so it felt secluded and a bit “wild” (which pleased us) and was positioned above a pond, which meant that we got to see an abundance of wildlife from our living area. Ducks came up to the doors at bedtime looking for food, squirrels played chase up and down the trees outside and on one particularly early morning, we were lucky enough to see two deer frolicking by the water. A huge privilege that made the super early start more than worth it. There have to be some benefits to having early risers in the family!!

As this was our first Center Parcs experience we decided not to book too many activities upfront and to just go with the flow when we were there (there are an unfeasible amount of great options available though). Having said that, I treated myself to a Pilates class which gave me a rare hour of freedom (and was lovely), and we booked the Little Big One onto a toddler rollerskating class, which was well worth it – she got loads out of it and was super proud when the grandparents rocked up halfway through to see her skating All By Herself. To be honest, this was all the extra entertainment we needed. The swimming complex is a real winner and we went once a day, sometimes twice (this would seem absurd under normal circumstances, but we just packed an extra set of swimmers! This is Center Parcs us. I like Center Parcs us). As well as the main pool and the numerous slides and flumes, there are two brilliant splash parks – a pirate themed one for the bigger kids and another filled with taps, pumps, tunnels and sprinklers, which was perfect for keeping the toddlers amused. As we had the grandparents in tow, the hubby and I took the opportunity to brave the big water rides alone (brilliant fun) and we also enjoyed the outdoor thermal pool which felt really spa-like and luxurious. Our favourite bit of all though was the Lazy River rapids which both girls giggled and laughed their way around about a million times!

Aside from all of this though, it was a really good place to just be. Being in the forest surrounded by trees feels fabulous. And there’s so much to do and see outside. We took the Little Big One’s bike and she loved having the freedom to just go. There are a multitude of parks for all ages. And the lakeside beach is beautiful (I think Longleat is one of the only resorts to have this). On our final morning, we were lucky enough to be at the beach to witness dozens of carp gathering at the shoreline, only to be joined by a curious heron. Not a sight you see everyday.

We booked a Monday-Friday stay and the four nights cost around £500 for a three bedroom cabin (which had ample room for all of us – four adults and two children). We kept additional costs down by preparing batch meals in advance so all evening meals were sorted but we did treat ourselves to a couple of lunches out (it would have been rude not to!) Perhaps the biggest bonus of all about this holiday was that Longleat is a mere 30 minutes away from home. So on the last day we spent the morning at the pool, visited the beach, had a lovely family lunch, played in a couple of parks… and were still home for the girl’s dinner time!

As far as holidays go, it really was the easiest, most convenient and relaxed holiday we’ve been on. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we’ve only gone and booked to go at the same time next year, this time with my parents. See you then, Center Parcs! x

Oh and our cabin had a blackboard for recording all of our adventures – a really lovely touch.

Playing grown-ups: Mini Town at Cale Park Kitchen

The Little Big One is loving imaginative play at the moment so it was a real joy to let her loose at Mini Town Play over in Wincanton recently. The indoor play area is fab for feeding little imaginations and is designed to look like a mini high street. It has everything – a greengrocers, a hair salon, a toy shop, a boutique shop with plenty of fun dress up options to suit every taste, a police station, a vets and a fire station. The greengrocers was a big hit for us – both girls spent an inordinate amount of time playing with the child-size shopping basket and trolley! The toys are all great quality and, rather impressively, super clean too, which is a real bonus as, as we all know, this isn’t always the case. This is probably helped by the fact that between each play session there’s a half an hour gap, allowing the staff time for a quick tidy up. They run three play sessions every day, each lasting 90 minutes – which to my surprise went really quickly – at 9am, 11am and 1pm. And it’s super reasonable! It’s just £2.95 for children age 1 – 6+ (this includes free entry for 1 adult). Babies and pre-walkers are free and any additional adults cost just £1.50.

Mini Town Play is based at Cale Park Kitchen – a brilliant little cafe serving great value, tasty food. We ordered a couple of paninis (£6 each), a kid’s Bento box (£3.95) and a child’s egg and soldiers (£2.50). You can eat in the cafe downstairs or order your food to be brought up to the Mini Town area upstairs (we wanted to maximise our playing time so did the full 90 minutes of play at 11am and ate lunch in the cafe afterwards). If you’re just after a snack, they do cakes and small bites too and, if you have very little ones, there’s a great little extra playroom downstairs that has a lovely selection of baby and toddler toys and some comfy seats; just perfect for having a coffee and a sit down while your baby enjoys some tummy time or a little play.

Another great thing about this place is the fabulous park just around the corner. As well as all the usual attractions, it has a train, a couple of mechanical sand diggers and a giant slide with room for the whole family (yes, we tried it) or multiple children at a time! The park is surfaced with sand so it’s soft underfoot and perfect in summer (in wet weather though, you might want to have wellies to hand). There are a number of picnic benches dotted around so I’d definitely suggest doing that on a sunny day.

Booking is advised for Mini Town play as space is limited (they only let a few people in at a time) and it can be done very easily online: https://www.caleparkkitchen.co.uk/ We’ll be going back soon, for sure!

Every day’s a play day: A round-up of the best weekly playgroups in and around Wells

Since having my girls I’ve discovered a wealth of stay and play groups in the area. These are great for parents or carers with children of any age, right from tiny babies to energetic toddlers. They offer adults the chance to have a cup of tea and a friendly chat with other adults (which, let’s face it, we ALL need sometimes) and kids the chance to play with a bunch of exciting new toys and socialise with other children of all ages. What’s more, you will almost always see someone you recognise! They tend to be run by volunteers, often mums themselves; hosted in village halls or community centres; and best of all, they are cheap to attend, costing anything from a couple of pounds to absolutely nothing!

As I said before, we’re pretty spoilt around here, with plenty of groups to choose from – and if you really want to, you could go to one every day of the week. Here’s my pick of the bunch:

MONDAY

Little Woottoners | North Wootton village hall | 10-11:30am | £3 per family| Term time only | Visit their Facebook page
Smaller and more relaxed than a lot of other playgroups, Little Woottoners is well worth the 10 minute drive out of Wells (and the extra money). Run by a group of North Wootton mums, it’s super friendly and small enough that you can happily approach anyone for a chat. The format usually involves free play – they have a slide, a kitchen and a bunch of other toys – and an optional craft activity (we’ve had a go at making our own Stick Man – said Stick Man is still a favourite play thing in our house – and cardboard tube animals, amongst other things). Having this additional element means this group works perfectly for my two girls, as the Little Big One can focus on crafting while the Not So Tiny One can enjoy playing with the toys. Snacks are provided and the group always finishes with a story and a song. Around once a month they run a themed session. The last one was We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and involved creating a 3D map (pictured below), some sensory play stations based on elements of the story (think squelchy squerchy “mud” and swishy swashy “grass”) and a real live bear hunt on the village green followed by parachute games.

Other Monday groups: Vineyard Tots at The Vineyard Church, Wells, 10-11:30am (term time only)

TUESDAY

Connect Tots | Elim Connect Centre | 10-11:30am |£1.50 per family | Term time only
This is a more established group – it’s been running for a long time and there appears to be a core group of mums that attend regularly with a mix of babies and pre-schoolers. Plenty of toys and crafting materials laid out to entertain little ones and a good spread of tea and cake for the adults too! Again, snacks are provided for the kiddies and there’s always a group sing song at the end. This isn’t one of our regular groups but it’s a good fallback if you need to get out on a Tuesday morning.

WEDNESDAY

Rainbow Tots | ST Thomas’ Church Hall, Wells | 10-11:30am | £1 per family | Term time only
One of mine and the Not So Tiny One’s favourite weekly ventures (while the Little Big One is at nursery). It’s loud and busy but the hall is relatively small so you can pretty much let the little ones loose to explore the many many toys that are laid out while you enjoy a cuppa provided by some very sweet and chatty church volunteers. There’s always a handful of parents you’ll recognise from around and about so it feels nice and sociable. Snacks are provided here too and the children all sit down together at a long table to eat. After snack time, its circle time where everyone joins together to sing a few favourites including Hop Little Bunnies and Wind the Bobbin Up to name a few.

Other Wednesday groups: Strawberry Tots, Draycott Memorial Hall, 10-12pm (all year round)

THURSDAY

Stay, Play and Learn | Glastonbury Children’s Centre | 10:30-12pm | FREE | All year round
This playgroup is unique among the list as it is council funded, so as well as being FREE to attend, the emphasis is on education rather than simply free play. The activities and toys on offer are designed more for parents and children to interact, play and learn together which is really nice, particularly if you just have the one child with you (it reminds me of some of the paid classes I did with the Little Big One in the early days – the ones that the Not So Tiny One has rather missed out on due to the now dwindling budget!) It’s one of few playgroups with a great outdoor space, filled with slides, tunnels and a multitude of ride-on toys. It’s more structured too with a variety of play stations including water play, messy play and painting. And to top it all, they put on a gardening and/or cooking activity each week, so there’s plenty to keep you and your little one/s busy. It’s open to 0-5 year olds and runs throughout the holidays. Unfortunately, due to funding cuts, it’s likely that this group will only run until March 2020 so I’d suggest going along to it sooner rather than later so you don’t miss out. There’s no parking at the library but the Butt Close car park is just round the corner and costs £1.50 for 2 hours – given the group is free, it won’t leave you out of pocket!

FRIDAY

Little Angels| St. Joseph & St. Teresa’s Catholic Church | 9-11am | £1.50 per family | Term time only
A lovely friendly playgroup run by parents of children who attend St. Joseph & St. Teresa Catholic Primary School. It’s in a small hall and feels more intimate than many of the other groups, but the parents are a super friendly bunch and it has an almost family like feel to it. As well as the usual spread of toys, there’s a craft table and a table for “messy play”; each week they alternate between a sand pit and Playdoh. The Big Little One was delighted when a box of chocolate fingers were passed around to the children and adults are all offered a cuppa. The best thing about this group is the 20 or so minutes of singing at the end, which all of the children joined in with, at one point throwing some instruments into the mix too. To finish it all off, there was a quick parachute game while we sang The Grand Old Duke of York. A massive thumbs up from my two.

Three is the magic number

I can’t believe I’m writing this but our Little Big One reached the grand old age of THREE last week. How is that right? Three seems so grown-up. It’s pretty exciting watching her grow though and blossom into such a wonderful little human – bright with a fabulous imagination and plenty to say, full of energy and blooming hilarious.

Well, how to celebrate this exciting milestone? When I asked her what kind of party she’d like she was quick to answer: “I’d like a Three Little Pigs themed party Mummy!” Well, in our house, Three Little Pigs is not only a top 5 go-to storybook but it’s also one of our favourite games. It also happens to be a great theme for a party! Result. (By the way, our fave version of the book is this one written by Mara Alperin – a modern retelling of the story, with some great descriptive text and a happy ending!)

Cue a quick scroll through Pinterest followed by muchos fun planning some piggy themed decorations and party food. My inner Kirstie Allsop had a field day making piggy faces and sketching Big Bad Wolf silhouettes to hang around the garden, and the Little Big One and her friends even joined in to help create some snout masks for the party games (I can’t say all of them were used but they enjoyed themselves and it whiled away an afternoon… ;-)).

The food was even more fun. As anybody who has been to one of our garden parties before knows, we love to put on a centrepiece of pulled pork. This seemed particularly fitting (if a little macabre) for this gathering! With our theme in mind, I labelled the dish “Pulled Pork Straw” (those familiar with the story will know that straw was one of three house building materials used by the pigs… stick with me here). Along with the straw, we added some “Stick Snacks” into the mix – carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and those incredibly moreish potato stick crisps; and some “Brick Cakes” (a tray bake Cherry Bakewell cut into brick shape portions).

The piece de resistance was the birthday cake – you may guess that I was particularly proud of this one – featuring Three Little Pigs, a Big Bad Wolf and straw, sticks and bricks! After three years of attempting, in most cases, rather ambitious cake icing projects, I feel like I really nailed it this year. I must let you into a little secret here. I’m not the best baker (I blame the oven) so I like to cheat a little with birthday cakes. To reduce the stress levels and give me time to focus on the decoration, I use the cheats way and buy a Betty Crocker pre-mix (*other pre-mixes are available). That way I can spend all the time I’d spend baking, making it look pretty!

We also had a bit of fun with the drinks too, creating a watermelon pig, complete with a tap so that the little ones could help themselves to a glass of delicious fresh watermelon juice.

The Little Big One had a fabulous day and so did we! The grown-ups got to enjoy a few glasses of prosecco in the sunshine while the children played together, enjoyed a couple of party games and ate cake. With school on the horizon next year, I fear that our simple garden party days may be numbered. Once all those invitations to parties at soft play centres come flooding in and words like “magicians” and “face-paints” and “Disney princesses” get bandied about, the Three Little Pigs just may not cut it anymore. Well, we’ve been able to enjoy three years of adult-friendly entertaining so I think we’ve done pretty well. Better brace ourselves for plenty of mayhem next year!!

Litton: a top pub walk with kids

Recently we spent the most glorious Sunday discovering a gem of a place just a mere 10 minutes up the road from Wells. Isn’t it funny how these places can go undiscovered while you spend weekend after weekend venturing out to the same handful of places. Anyway, situated just a stone’s throw from the village of Chewton Mendip is the beautiful Litton, where the pub in question – The Litton – gets its name. The Litton is one of those pubs that has it all: a delicious menu, a wide selection of drinks, great ambience and an area to suit everyone. From the sunny and spacious landscape gardens (with an abundance of seating and plenty of room for children to run around and play – they’ve even supplied a giant Connect4), to the sheltered and more peaceful Riverside courtyard with its cosy seating areas scattered with kilim cushions and festoon lighting (I imagine this to be a rather special spot in the evening, preferably sans children!) Inside the pub is airy and bright with lots of tables and some beautifully stylish, yet homey furnishings. This pub is a winner in all seasons. Although we didn’t eat on this occasion, the menu looks very tasty (if a little pricey) and they offer a good children’s menu too (more interesting than the standard fish fingers and chips that are usually on offer).

While the pub itself is well worth a visit, the best thing about this place is the fabulous little walk, starting at the pub car park and taking in all of the sights around this picturesque little village. It’s the perfect length for little ones and just long enough to justify popping in to the pub on your return for a nice cold beverage! Just two miles long (it took us around an hour, carrying both girls in slings) it’s a nice flat route. That being said, this is not a pram walk – you’ll need to tackle a number of stiles so slings are a must if you’ve got babies and toddlers in tow. You’ll amble through open fields where sheep and shetland ponies graze; circle around the pretty Litton fishing lakes where you’ll cross a dam before strolling along a stream that is perfect for paddling; and you’ll wander past some pretty incredible houses (personally, I love checking out other people’s homes).

A couple of things to note: in wet weather, some parts of the walk can get very muddy so wellies will be required. And there’s a short section along the lake where the path gets very narrow so you’ll need to hold on to little hands!

As an extra special touch, the pub has created a lovely illustrated map of the walk for customers to use – the big one loved playing navigator. The map can also be downloaded here.

I’ll be sharing more child friendly pub walks in due course. Research is underway 😉

Waterside fun at Chew Valley Lake

Back at the end of March, when we had that spate of glorious weather, I took the girls to Chew valley lake. What a fabulous spot! I have to admit, we’d been before – I think it was last summer – and I’d found it a tad disappointing. Being the height of summer, the hedgerows around the lake were covered in leaves, meaning most of the prime picnic spots had very restricted views of the lake. Coming back in the spring though, was a different story. With the plants just beginning to come back into bloom, the lake was clearly visible from most spots and was stunning with the sun glistening on the water. Not only did we enjoy a picnic with a view but we discovered a host of other great things too!

We’d been to Chew Magna for a performance by the Dragonbird theatre (I’ll be reviewing this separately) and had packed a picnic. I was expecting us to lunch and go, crossing my fingers for a successful nap in the car on the way home (the baby not me), but we were having such a lovely time that we decided to make an afternoon of it. We stayed for a good three hours in the end. We parked up in the main visitors car park, where you’ll find the Salt Malt fish and chip restaurant. The lake and its facilities are part of a Bristol water site so there’s a charge for parking, but it’s a very reasonable £2, whether you’e there for an hour or the whole day (up until 6pm; I believe it’s free after that point). The car park is adjacent to the lake, and the grassy banks surrounding it provide the perfect spot for a picnic (as I said, the views are lovely in the spring, but in summer it can get a bit overgrown). The restaurant was pretty busy when we were there but there were less people picnicking so it gave the girls plenty of space to run around. There are toilet facilities right next to the restaurant and there’s also a pretty cool play area.

There are some lovely, short walks beside the lake too, which allow you to view the lake in all its glory. You can walk straight from the main car park along a gravel walkway that lines the lake offering great views (the only downside is that it’s riddled with flies – that could just be the time of year though). This walkway links the main car park with a secondary car park (it’s about a 10 minute walk between the two). From this secondary car park you can take one of two extended walks. The first is the Grebe trail, which is 1.2km long (10-15 minutes) and starts and finishes at a wooded picnic area. The trail follows a surfaced path which is ideal with a pram. The second trail is the Bittern trail; this one is slightly longer at 1.5km but is unsurfaced so you’d probably need a sling rather than a pram to tackle this one.

All in all, this is a great day out and the best bit is, it only cost us the price of parking! If you’re not up for picnicking, the fish and chips at Salt and Malt are darn good (it’s been shortlisted in the Fish and Chips awards as ‘Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year’) and if you spend more than £7 in the restaurant then you can get £1 back on your parking (nice little tip there!)

A day on the (Bath City) farm

For a thoroughly wholesome couple of hours, I’d recommend heading across to Bath city farm. Unlike most other farm attractions, this one is free to visit (although a donation of £2 is encouraged – a snip given it costs £8000 a day to keep the farm running). The farm is tucked away in Twerton on the outskirts of Bath (Wells side), with panoramic views across the city but feeling a million miles away from the hustle and bustle.

Head over on a Tuesday morning and join the Roots and Shoots toddler group (10-11:30am). Aimed at under 5’s, it encourages children (and their grown-ups) to explore the farm and feed the animals. We got to meet the chickens, ducks, pygmy goats, pigs and sheep and hear a little about what their life is like at the farm, before heading back to the cafe area for a hot drink (adults), a multitude of snacks (kids) and storytime (everyone who could sit still and listen). I’m told that there are often additional activities laid on too like bug hunts and crafts, but we were there on a particularly busy day so there wasn’t much time for anything extra. The group is a bargain considering refreshments are included – £3.50 for 1 child, £4.50 for 2 or £6 for 3.

While the group was lovely, and a wonderful way to spend a Tuesday morning, I would recommend going on your own too for a visit. You can wander around the farm at a pace that suits you, and, while you can’t feed all of the animals, you can buy chicken feed from the cafe kiosk, head into the chicken and duck enclosure and enjoy having them flock around you quacking and clucking. Personally, this is our favourite bit of the farm. As well as the animals, there’s a little cafe kiosk where you can buy hot drinks and small bites – there are picnic benches too if you bring your own food; there’s a well-equipped park; and there are two mile long walking trails – a history trail, which features a replica WWII air raid shelter and a nature trail, which takes you through the woodlands. Neither route is prammable so you’ll need a sling for very little ones. Given the site sits on the side of a hill, there are some steep bits too.

IN A NUTSHELL

A brilliant place to while away a couple of hours. Tag a visit on to a day out in Bath, or head there in the morning and stop off at Newton farm shop for lunch on your way back; it’s just down the hill from Twerton (on the way to the globe roundabout).

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Wells’ top 5 coffee spots with little ones

For all those times when caffeine is the only answer. You might be a sleep deprived new mum or a grandparent in need of a quick cuppa and a sit down or you may just be looking for a great lunch spot to catch up with friends. Either way, here’s my top picks for baby and toddler friendly coffee spots in Wells.

LOAF

By far my favourite place to hunker down for an hour, not only for its toddler-tastic play area, complete with playhouse, kitchen and slide, but also for its delicious coffee (the decaff latte is the best I’ve tasted) and fabulous range of artisan bakes. One of the few places where you can genuinely sit and enjoy a cuppa while the kids entertain themselves (which, let’s face it, as a mum is nigh-on impossible in most places!) Oh, and babychinnos are free!

COFFEE #1

This small chain coffee shop is great for kids; it’s noisy (perfect for covering up the din of fussy babies or excitable toddlers) and has colouring pencils and paper to keep little ones entertained.

THE BISHOP’S PALACE

Sit outside and soak up the views while toddlers burn off energy in the grassy areas surrounding the cafe (although be aware that the croquet lawn is out of bounds!). Lawn games, such as giant Jenga and Connect4 come out in the summer months. After your coffee, you can head into the grounds (free to members) and hunt for the dragons in the Dragon’s Lair. During school holidays you can grab a coffee at the Hungry Dragon kiosk situated within the gardens, but opening hours are sporadic so I’d recommend getting yourself a takeaway or bringing a flask from home if you’re feeling desperately in need!

CAFE TWENTYONE

Best for small groups given the limited space, this cafe located right on the market square serves delicious lunches and cakes. The staff are super friendly and massively accommodating where children are concerned. Two things to note are that there are no baby changing facilities (there are at the cathedral though, which is just around the corner) and you can’t take prams upstairs, so unless there is space downstairs, it’s babes in arms only!

PICKWICKS

I only include Pickwicks in this list as it was a lifeline for me and my NCT group in the early days of motherhood. It’s large and has spacious booths at the back that are perfect for providing privacy for breastfeeding mums and keeping fussy babies out of earshot from other customers. Good changing facilities too, and, simple lunches that are edible with one hand (which as all new mums will know, is important!) The staff aren’t necessarily the friendliest but for practical reasons alone, this is a good bet.

Welcome to The parent play list

If, like me and my two girls, you find yourself climbing the walls after a morning inside, then you’ve come to the right place. With two young daughters, I spend my days looking for ways that we can escape the clutches of our tiny house and get out and about. Thankfully, we live in Wells, Somerset; a beautiful city (of town-like proportions) where regular toddler groups, nice cafes and open green spaces are right on our doorstep.

Over the past three years though, we’ve pretty much exhausted every option Wells has to offer for pre-schoolers, so I’m making it my mission to explore further afield and seek out all the great things available for children across Somerset, Wiltshire and beyond.

If you’re on a budget like me, then you’ll find lots of cheap entertainment options here, as well as the occasional Big Day Out idea. I hope that this guide will be useful for other mums, dads, grandparents and anyone else in need of inspiration and ideas.

If you’ve had a great experience recently and would like to share it with others, please do get in touch x