Best thing you ever did as a family when children were young

[Lumene]

Looking for ideas for half-term and weekends, what have you all really enjoyed? Primary school age.

Disneyland Paris
Membership to our local Zoo
Membership to our local forestry commission site (Massive site with fantastic play grounds)

Sausage sizzle/camping/meeting friends in park.

Bought a bouncy castle with slide bit. That thing really paid for itself. Up in about 2 minutes and brilliant for playdates etc.

Wild Woods camping..

Disneyland Paris

Camping
Trampoline - I’d never parent without one although I know they are flippin’ dangerous
National trust membership
Local wildlife park membership

Long days out with a couple of other families with children a similar age. Ideally at a beach + forest location or similar, where kids can entertain themselves in a pack for hours. And adults can walk, picnic (take chairs!), hopefully find a cafe, and keep half an eye out for kids.

Would work as soon as kids a bit independent - 6+ probably. Mine still love a day like this at 11 & 13.

If you can add camping, even better in children's eyes (but additional effort/reward for parents not great imo!)

We used to pull the sofa and chairs together in a shape that formed a large ‘bed’ and fill it up with duvets, fleecy throws and pillows. Put on a light that put patterns on the wall and settled down with films and snacks, allowing the kids to sleepover and be served breakfast pancakes in the ‘big den’ as it turned into the next morning.

We climb hills and Munros, the sense of achievement for us all is immense, and it gives the girls something interesting to talk about in school. We do a lot of driving and exploring and try to seek out more hidden parts of the country.

Camping with friends
Harry Potter studios
Playing in streams
Fossil hunting
Feeding ducks (honestly! Mine are tweens now and still enjoy this!)
Theme park hotel stays

Camping in Devon, Wales and Cornwall. We'd go rock pooling and paddling on the beaches and always had a bbq in the evenings. My daughter has the fondest memories of those holidays, Disney Florida...not so much!

Kids are now teenagers and their best things were all involving having more freedom than normal. Camping with friends, swimming in cold rivers and lakes, traveling in countries like Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia where there's lots of space, hills to climb, rivers to jump in.

Camping - the new forest was really fun when the kids were young with the swinging ropes over streams , cycling and seeing horses everywhere we went.

I also think Wowo is a great place for camping with very young children.

Center Parcs - the kids loved it there but I wouldn't want to go now they are restricting access to the pool.

Norfolk Broads - stayed in a cottage and hired day boats for a few days and also went to Bewilderwood for Halloween.

Harry Potter Studios is a fun afternoon out.

If it wasn't for Covid I'd be suggesting Duinrell in Holland - we had great holidays there. Ditto Berlin - a great family friendly city.

Bought a caravan
Cot £1600 , was a static
Ground rent was £700
Went every weekend from March 1st to October 31
Saved our sanity

Had a toddler and 6 week old when we got it and had a 12 year old, 10 and 8 year old when we were done with it
They had loads of friends on site, rode their bikes
Never saw them

We got merlin passes and explored all the places we could go with these - well worth the money.
My youngest loves hotels so I look to see deals on cheap travel lodges and go to random places and then stay in the hotel overnight.
We are in the midlands so going to the beach is amazing for my kids as it only happens once or twice a year!
Haven holidays - cheesy, but so child orientated they genuinely love them!

Butlins. Honestly, both DC are still constantly begging us to take them back.

Body boarding in Cornwall
Eden Project
Disneyland Paris
Horse riding in Wales
Going fishing
Barbecue in the rain ( kids enjoyed it more than me and DH)
Going for walks in the countryside

Camping
Holidays in Cornwall
NT membership
French holidays with friends to go bouldering in Fontainebleau forest.

Anywhere with water slides
National trust places for the freedom to go off with family friends

Burn canyoning/ gorge walking - exploring a burn ( stream) in old trainers or surf shoes. Works best in the mountains and if the burn isnt too fast or deep.

Walks all through everywhere local. Wading through the rivers and shore. Bbqs. Caravan holidays.

Potters Resort in Norfolk. Ds is 15 now and we first went when he was 11. It's am amazing place with hundreds of activities and so safe. Our son meets friends there from all around the country each year and spends lots of time with them but we also do activities the 3 of us.

Moved to the Scottish Highlands!
So much outdoor adventures to be had- forest walks, bike rides, rivers, lochs, sea, wild camping all can be reached in less than an hour.

Camping with friends - started 10 years ago when youngest was 3. Always had a great time and so much freedom for them.

Membership to local zoo (I lived in Eastbourne then so Drusillas) - we spent lots of time there.

Membership to leisure centre with lagoon pool/slides etc

Went to local farm lots that has a huge playground (could have got membership)