Who doesn’t love a family holiday tucked away in a lodge surrounded by nature and wildlife? We certainly do!

CenterParcs has become a yearly visit and a firm favourite of ours. They are perfectly set up for families and I love that they are pedestrianised. It’s safe for everyone to be walking, running and cycling without having to panic about vehicles. As a parent with a young toddler this helps me relax.

These breaks can be as expensive or cheap as you want them to be. Although some elements are a little on the expensive side, there are some activities that are completely free and some that are reasonable. Dad took the opportunity to take Oliver to a baby sensory class and a toddler class which were around £8-£10 each. He doesn’t normally get the opportunity to do this at home as most classes locally are during work hours. It was lovely to see them both experience this together.

Boating and crazy golf is quite reasonable. Peddle boats for 4 people were around £10. Crazy golf was around £8 each. We had great fun!

Hiring bikes is one of the more expensive activities so I suggest taking your own. It was going to cost us over £50 to hire one bike with a seat for Oliver, even more expensive if you wanted a trailer on the back.

The subtropical swimming paradise is heated to a lovely 38°. The changing rooms have underfloor heating with huge cubicles, lockers and showers. You can purchase food and drink in the pool – including a Starbucks! There’s plenty of seating and poolside cots for you to keep your babies and little ones safe. They even provide buoyancy life jackets for kids.

The baby and toddler splash areas do vary from site to site. The smaller one was at Woburn and the bigger one at Elveden. Both were great fun. They hold baby swim sessions in the morning before they let everyone else in. This was perfect for introducing Oliver to the pool.

We also took the opportunity to have a photo shoot. It was only £20 and included one free photograph. Absolute bargain!

There are typical high street restaurants such as Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia etc. These vary from site to site. They are a little more expensive than the high street. FREE baby food is dotted around the park for you to help yourself to. You don’t have to worry about packing tons and tons of pouches or jars – just help yourself! You can cook in your lodge which makes it cheaper for families that don’t want to spend money on eating out.

Each lodge is equipped with a barbecue so during the warmer months this is a fun meal for the whole family to enjoy. Or if you’re brave enough a bbq in the winter is just as fun! Wrap up warm and don’t forget your marshmallows! (These are available in the Parc shop)

There are tonnes of walk and cycle routes to enjoy and explore. All whilst taking in the surrounding forest, wildlife, birds and lakes. If you enjoy nature and outdoor activities or simply just walking around the forest you’ll love it!

We love to go at Christmas time too – Keep a look out for my upcoming blog.