Questions about Center Parcs!

[crymeout]

Immediate regret.

Just saw a really good deal for (Scottish) half term in CP, only had one left at this price so we very impulsively booked it. Didn't have time to read the small print or check what was available etc. The last time we went (separately, before my DC), there were babysitting services on-site and lots of clubs you could drop DC off. It transpires that during our stay, there are two activities that our DC could go to without us, £32 each for one and I think £27 each for the other. That's it in terms of child-only activities, they're too old for the crèche (4&6). What are some tips people have that children for them to make the most of it? I won't be able to go swimming and I don't know if DP will want to take both on his own. Any tips will be so welcomed! Stressing out now as we can't cancel it anyway

We're just moving this over to chat for the OP.

Thank you @LilyMumsnet !

People usually go for the pool and do cycling , playgrounds and a couple of activities depending on your budget / age of children . It’s more of a place to do things with your children as opposed to dropping them off at things on their own IMO

Yes, pool is a big attraction. CP is geared up for family time more than babysitting. There are family activities like geocaching, interactive squash, adventure golf, etc.

There is lots of seating areas in the pool. Perhaps you go, help DC get changed, then take your shoes off and find a seat in the pool so you can watch. It's kind of a chilled hang out as a family type holiday. I'd book a pottery table, you could paint a large plate or vase together, add all your hand prints.

At those ages, the pool will be amazing!
I’d set myself up with some games, and keep swapping child with your husband in the pool, and just enjoy the general excitement of the kids! You can wait at the bottom of slides or on bridges with one child to wave to the other. Lots of café snacks. He can probably manage both in the shallow water, you can watch or read / Netflix. There’ll be a paddling pool type area too where he should be able to supervise both - and that might be an option for you to play in the water too, depending on why you’re not swimming.

Loads of activities, ours are 8 and 9 now but when they were a bit younger we did:

Adventure golf
Bowling
Accompanied activities like cake decorating/art
Balance bikes (they provide them)
Pony riding
Kids archery
Hiring an electric boat
Small kids tree ropes course
Eating in restaurants with soft play
Soft play in the sports cafe during lunch
Pottery painting
Kids archery
Football pool
Buckets and spades on the beach area
Feeding ducks
Playing a few games in the arcade
A kid's entertainment show (but you need to book)
Football golf
Short tennis

The swimming pools usually have a big play area that one adult would absolutely be able to supervise too kids in. They have water channels, little slides, tipping buckets etc. They also have seats around the pool that you can sit in dressed (and a cafe selling coffee in the pool area!) with just shoes and socks off.

Look on the website, all of the activities are listed.

It is a holiday to DO activities WITH your kids though, not centred around escaping from them!

You’ll have to spend sometime with your kids OP! Who goes to CP not to do that?!

Why wouldn't your partner want to take them swimming? You can watch too. There are loads of activities, things like archery, bowling, pottery painting, cycling, playgrounds etc. You'll of course have to supervise but that's part of being on holiday with children isn't it?

If you wanted a holiday to have time apart from your kids then Centre Parcs is not it 🤣

Surely the point is to spend time together? You could sit by pool and DH could take the children. Or you do an activity with one child while DH takes the other child swimming?

Definitely was booked as a family holiday in mind, 100%, but DP expected to be able for he and I to go out for dinner and there to be a crèche just for one day for one day out of the week, that was all I meant! I'm looking at the lovely activities for DC and will book them tomorrow and we will have an amazing time, I'm very excited. Any general CP tips would be great!

Ah I see what you mean!

Maybe plan a babysitter night out for before you go/when you get back if you can't sort it for while you are there. Definitely find to want a bit of child free time too

Not sure if this has been mentioned in other messages OP. When we last went, you can hire a cabana in the swimming pool. It has seats, complimentary drinks, towels and a TV. You can order food to it and you hire it for 2 hours. Perfect for someone who doesn't want to swim and perhaps your DP can leave one of your children in the cabana with you and take the other one on some of the slides and then swap over. We did paint a pot, there used to be soft play in most of the restaurants, lots of outdoor play equipment, adventure golf, foot golf, pancake House, man made beach (Woburn).

The place is crawling with kids so you wouldn't get a romantic meal out anyway 🤣

Take games, download geocache app, winter bbq with marshmallows?

Take the kids' bikes if they have them. My ds learnt to ride his bike at CP. It was great. Very happy memories and we just did the pool and bike riding and den building- none of the other stuff.

You generally need to book activities in advance (if you want to do that). When I’ve been we’ve booked a couple of things but been to the pool every day! We all loved it in the pool, then it’s either cycling or playground or games etc. for the other half of the day.

My tip if you can call it that is to be ‘present’. For all its faults CP was v good for me to get off the phone/work and just be present to play games and really enjoy it. Not always be thinking what’s coming next and over planning etc. If you’re engaging with them the DC will have a great time.

Pack the lube....

You mean you don't find the pancake house a romantic location for a couple