Our Week in Selsey with Seal Bay Resort

I was looking for somewhere to take the children away to over the Easter holidays that wasn't too far to drive from us and I came across the recently renamed Seal Bay Resort in Selsey near Chichester. We are fans of a mobile home style holiday because as a larger family they are usually well set up for us to have our own space and all be together and there seemed to be plenty to do, so with only a couple of weeks until the children broke up, I booked our stay.  Ed unfortunately had to work, but my sister had volunteered to come with us and the children were so excited to spend some quality time with her.

I had seen that Seal Bay was big, but I hadn't realised it was quite so huge, with over 3,500 mobile homes across three sites that were all linked by a complimentary bus service.  Our three bed caravan was on the White Horse Site, only metres from the new White Horse Complex which had an outdoor pool and splash zone, a huge arcade, bowling alley, soft play, restaurant, pottery painting shop and a massive theatre which had bingo and shows on every night.  The children would have happily spend all day in the arcades and we attended the silent disco by the outdoor pool mid week which was a big hit.

The busiest park was West Sands, which is right on the seafront and you find yourself on the beautiful pebble beach as you step out the door.  The complex here also had a huge arcade and theatre as well as the indoor pools (which included a pool for lanes, a shallow kids pool, a beach pool and two water slides), a gym, restaurant and café, crazy golf, a wave rider and more.  

During our stay we tried out the Cove club for kids where the children got to take part in crafts as well as go on an immersive adventure (Sophie was the team member running these on our trip and her energy was incredible).  We also watched the 'Fun Factory Live' each evening which is an interactive show and all four of my big kids were at the front each evening hoping to get called up for the games.  Every evening there was a fun filled line up including 'Bonkers Bingo' and musical shows.  The Rock Show was a highlight of the week for all of us and we were so impressed with all the entertainment.  Every caravan park we have stayed at has had entertainment for children (and adults) but I was blown away with the quality at Seal Bay with so much to see and do.

During our stay there was an Easter circus which I had booked and the children found it hilarious.  I didn't think it was as impressive as other circus shows we have been to, but the two clowns were brilliant and the focus on humour definitely engaged the children more.  There was an adult only circus available too but we didn't visit that.

I had made a list of things to do in the area but other than the day we had booked to go to Southampton (around a 45 minute drive) to do the Ninja Warrior course, we didn't want to leave the park!  There is plenty to see locally though including Chichester town, Arundel Castle and the South Downs National Park.

I didn't take nearly as many photos as usual to share, but you can see more of our adventures over on this Instagram Highlight.  It was Rex's first holiday and I think he loved it!

A few bits of practical information

• There is a shop on site but there is also an Asda (and Costa) three minutes drive from the park if you want to fill up the fridge.
• The swimming pool requires one adult per child for under 1s and one adult per two children for under 10s (we may have added a few months on to Archie's age as I was confident he is a capable swimmer).
• They don't sell food in the theatres but you can bring in your own food. We ordered from the fish and chip shop and the Papa John's situated just outside the main complex doors and could take our dinner in to the table with us.
• There was a big screen outside the restaurant/bar when the football was on if you don't want to miss your game (West Sands)
• We found three playgrounds in total, one on our site near the circus, one on the West Sand's site that was at a bus stop and the largest one was down by the playing fields. They weren't all obvious on the map.
• There are so many activities you can pay to do as extras.  Some sounded brilliant but on a budget trip (or if you have lots of children and don't want to pay out) you can find so much to do without spending too much extra. Everything is bookable through an easy to use app.
• This advice does not include the arcades.  We spent all our money there as you have to walk through them to get to everything else!

Read more ⇨

Our Adventure at Combe Haven

I knew exactly what I was looking for when I booked our recent trip to Combe Haven and we had a brilliant break at this caravan park. Travelling with four aged five and under can be challenging but the park seemed set up for families like ours and we loved how easy everything was, how much there was to do and how we had the weather on our side for once!

We chose a 3 bedroom prestige caravan which had plenty of space for the six of us.  The double bedroom had space for Cora's carrycot bed in and the two twin bedrooms were completely adequate for the boys.  We had one of the beds taken out to make space for Finn's travel cot and the staff were happy for us to bring our own. (If you want to hire one then you do need to book in advance as they are unable to accomodate you on the day).

The biggest issue we had was that although the caravan can sleep 8, there were only 4 chairs and four glasses for drinks, so we couldn't all sit around the table at once.  We made do though as well as eating picnic style on our blanket outside as the weather was nice.

The caravan had a great sized living area, perfect for scattering Lego duplo everywhere and for providing Cora with somewhere to lie and kick around whilst her brothers scooted outside.  Our caravan backed on to a small common area with logs and rocks where all the children from the local caravans played and it was brilliant to watch the boys scooting about with their new friends.  It was the community and friendships they made that reminded me so much of my own holidays growing up.

We picked a park with a decent sized indoor and outdoor pool although we only used the inside as it was a little chilly outside! Around half the pool is flat and suitable for children to stand up in and although it was busy the boys loved it.  The staff were happy for us to wheel the pushchair in so that when one of the babies was asleep they could stay on the pool side for us to keep an eye on them.  The pool sold all sorts of floats and rubber rings and we had a great time splashing and swimming.  (Cameras are not allowed by the water)

The boys need space to run and climb and Combe Haven provided it.  There were two main play parks, one set in the heart of the park with a ship climbing frame, zip wire and toddler area, and the other close to the entertainment hub and based around a large climbing pyramid.  Whilst the latter was less suitable for Finn in some ways, the sand floor meant he was happy digging and playing whilst his brothers climbed. 

Combe Haven also has lots of nature areas including a pond and bat boxes.  There are regular activities throughout the day including bug hunts for all ages and clubs for the older children like den building (Ours were a bit too young).  We ran out of time to explore properly, but we loved that there was something a bit different to do.

One of the biggest draws for me was the fact that Combe Haven run both fencing and archery classes for 3-5 year olds.  Many parks seem to seperate children as under 4 or over, but my 3 and 5 year olds are most confident together.  They absolutely loved the new experiences, it was easy to book onto, free to do and very quiet as well.  We tried out the messy art session too but the staff seemed to be getting a little bored of the activities so I don't know if they had been doing the same thing all summer.  The boys both enjoying creating though and proudly took home their fish and mobile.

We attempted to go along to the evening entertainment, but we arrived a little late and couldn't get seats.  It was so busy and with a newborn and an 18 month old as well as the bigger two boys, it just wasn't working out for us.  The boys were not too bothered to be missing out.

The entertainment complex included a Burger King and Papa John's as well as a pub style restaraunt and we enjoyed eating out at all three.  The arcades were a huge hit with both boys and they loved spending their pennies (and pounds) in the evenings.

There was a Spar shop on the premises too which was great value and we could pick up everything we needed for lunches, snacks and ice creams (they even sold multi packs of ice creams which saved us a lot of money!)

Whilst we wanted to make the most of the park and everything that was included in our stay, we also wanted to explore a little locally so we headed to Hastings for the day.  It is quite a large seaside town with a pebble beach and new pier (built after the previous one burnt down).  We had a quick wander around the town centre before disovering an underground skate park where we could watch older kids skate and scoot.  We went to the pier for a go on the carousel and to look out over the sea.  It was a windy day and the place was pretty much deserted and we loved having the space to run around.  

We really enjoyed our stay with Combe Haven.  There was so much to do and see in the park without spending any money and there were plenty of activities for older kids available at a surcharge.  The water walkers and pedal boats looked great fun and I know that in a few years it will be the climbing wall and den building that takes their fancy.  The age ranges varied with some clubs being for over 4,6,7 or 8.  Our holiday was relaxing, exciting and entertaining and we made memories that we will keep hold of.  I will definitely be booking to stay with Haven again and we would definitely consider revisiting the same park as it was a great set up for a young family like ours.

I decided to try something new and made a little video with clips from our trip

Read more ⇨

Holidaying with Four Children

We have recently returned from our first holiday with four children and we had a wonderful time.  I never expected to write this post feeling rested and refreshed but actually our short break was exactly what we all needed and I have come home with happy memories and significantly less stressed!  

We decided for our first trip with four aged five and under that we would stay in the UK and we picked a caravan park down in Sussex for a Monday to Friday break.  Being a family of six, caravans become one of the easiest places to stay as we can all fit in one unit, we have the space to eat our own meals and spend some down time and we can put the children to bed and still stay up together as a couple.

I chose Combe Haven site for many reasons, the location, the facilities and the fact it had a couple of clubs that worked for both the big boys ages.  I will be writing more about that soon though.  The boys love caravans and so they were really excited when we revealed where we were off to and they loved the lifestyle of a caravan park - having the doors open so they could come in and out, scooting around with new friends, eating bbq's outside and having all the ammenities within walking distance.

One of the best ways we found to enjoy holidaying with four small children was just to relax.  Usually I like to plan all sorts into our days so that we make the most of our time away, but we took it slower this time and followed their lead more and it made everyone a bit more relaxed.  We made the most of everything we had paid for already - the holiday clubs, the swimming pools and parks and the big open spaces that come with being on  a caravan site.

It was Cora's first holiday and being only 2 months old it is rather hard to say whether she enjoyed it or not.  Her brothers loved having her around though and asked for cuddles even more than usual.  In the absense of play mats and toys we put her down on a duvet on the floor or in her carrycot and they enjoyed having her as part of their play.  She had her first experience swimming and she was relaxed and content in the water and she slept really well in the caravan so we are considering it a good holiday for her too!

So after 5 days experience, I thought I would share my top tips for travelling with lots of little people.

1) Don't plan too much into your days.  Some days the boys just wanted to explore where we were, or they needed a lie in, or they just wanted to spend some time together without really doing much.  We went out and did something every day, but keeping it simple kept everyone happier.

2) Choose your accommodation wisely.  We went for the three bedroom above the two even though both would fit us all in and we upgraded to the prestige caravan too as I wanted us to be comfortable and to have space to spread out.  Obviously if you are planning to be out all day every day then it isn't so important but if you are just after a change of scenery and are planning on making the most of where you are then it is worth going for the best you can stretch to.

3)You don't have to go far to get away.  We ended up chosing somewhere that was less than a two hour drive from our home.  It meant that we didn't have to worry about a long car journey with a newborn but it felt far enough from home to be novel and we enjoyed exploring somewhere none of us had been before.  The boys would have happily had a holiday in the same town we live in, as they were just excited to have our undivided attention and a new home for the week.

4) Let the children pack their own bag.  Ours took a trunki and although I found the contents rather random (apparently they needed one pretend egg with them), they loved the build up excitement of packing and the toys all got played with (even the egg).  I added in some extra Lego Duplo which was a great idea as all three boys could play with it when they wanted some time inside.

5) Matching clothes are actually really useful for keeping an eye on them all and to help locate any children that have a tendency to wander off (Archie).  I can't resist a bit of matching anyway but I feel like I have a real excuse when we are on holiday! I pack one outfit for each of them into a fabric bag before we go so that each morning I just grab a different bag and know that I have everything I need to get all four ready for the day.

6) Whilst you have come away to enjoy family time, divide and conquer is still a great motto.  With four it isn't easy to give any of them one on one time, but there were evenings when one of us would stay at home with the babies whilst the other took the bigger boys to the arcade so that they could have different experiences. 

7) Staggered bedtimes can work really well.  Ours normally go to bed at the same time at home, but the small caravan bedrooms meant it was easier to put them to bed one at a time as they were not going to go to bed nicely if they went together.  It worked out quite well as they all had a little one on one time whilst one of us read them a story and tucked them in.  Each night the order changed depending on who seemed the most tired.

8) Try and pick one thing each to fit into your holiday.  You can't please everyone all the time, but everyone getting an input makes it a holiday for all.  Dylan was desperate to go to the arcades, Finn wanted  to swim and Archie loved the park.  Ed wanted to have a bbq together outside and I wanted to have a little time to sit outside and just read my book (Cora was too young to express her wishes but she loved having her naps in the pram outside during the day)

9) Time things right and make use of nap times to do things with the older children.   We went swimming a couple of times and never had to take all four in the water as there was always one asleep.  We were allowed to take the buggy on the side of the pool which made it so much easier and meant that the child to adult ratio was more favourable!

10) Relax and enjoy it.  It will never be as easy or relaxing as holidaying with one or two, but watching them explore and bond and enjoy themselves is amazing and having four children is no reason not to go away.  

Read more ⇨

Our Weekend with Park Resorts

Park Resorts, Caravan holiday, UK family break

I grew up with caravan holidays, every year my mum and dad drove us all down to Bournmouth and we would spend the week there, visiting the familiar places, spending the mornings at Sammy the Seahorse club and staying up late in the evenings for the entertainment and kids disco.  

I have so many memories from our caravan holidays; playing tennis with my Dad who always hit the ball at my racket as I was useless at moving towards it, fancy dress competitions which we always entered and my mum coming up with costumes during the day, the zipwire in the park that was quite simply the Best Thing Ever.

Earlier this month, we took the boys on their first UK caravan break thanks to Park Resorts, and whilst we only managed a weekend due to the restrictions of school, it was everything I remembered.  We have never taken them anywhere with evening entertainment, and whilst they played at being shy for around 60 seconds, they soon joined in decorating paper butterflies with the charismatic 'green coat'.  They watched in awe as Sparky and Sparkle appeared first in a video and then on stage and they loved having a quick play in the newly refurbished arcade before bed.  It was a quiet week being October with only around 15 children for the younger kids evening entertainment but the boys loved it.

Read more ⇨

A September Summer Holiday - Canvas Holidays

You may have seen our day on the beautiful Italian beach, and my tips for taking toddlers to Rome, but I am finally getting round to accomodation.  We stayed outside the centre of Rome in a comfy three bed caravan provided by Canvas holidays.

We have never been on a caravan holiday as a family before (despite going on one every year growing up), but it offered us the perfect balance of family holiday and city break.  I love to explore on holiday, but long days sightseeing are tiring for a one and three year old, and having a space to play, a pool to splash in and a gas BBQ for when we needed a quiet night meant everyone was happy.

Read more ⇨