British weather on holiday with bored kids help

[Towelles]

On holiday in Norfolk with DH and SDC for a week. It’s overcast and windy. I am an outdoors person but SDC (primary aged) aren’t so we can’t do activities any water sports. They don’t really like walking far

The caravan park facilities are ok but the arcade and food is expensive. It’s too cold to swim in the pool longer than an hour. The on site park is shit. The beach is lovely but very windy and the kids are bored after an hour or so. There is evening entertainment so that’s all covered it’s the day times

We have been mostly driving around trying to find things to do. Went to a play park today with a zip wire that actually charged adults to go in and frankly it was a rip off.

We went to see the seals the DC thought that was boring.

I would be happy to do coastal walks or hire bikes I think it’s beautiful here

About to hire a boat to go on the broads (for ££££) (I would also like to walk around but I don’t think this will be popular) so basically it’s me sitting in the back of a boat watching the SDC argue about who is steering it

Can anyone suggest ideas?

we tried crabbing yesterday but the kids got bored as we didn’t catch anything

they then slept in till 10am so most of the day was gone by the time everyone got dressed

please help me save my sanity - is this going to just cost me £1,000 to make this week any good?

Yes I am paying half for this trip and it was my idea so I am to blame for it. I’ve done these trips before and no recollections of it ever being this bad.

Abroad holidays they spend morning till noon in a pool while I sit on the side. I do swim but this is usually the only activity anyone is doing.

I DO take myself for walks. I have been going off walking alone which I already said so it’s not like I never get to do what I want I just have to do that alone.

Why are you taking so much responsibility for his kids when he's not really bothering himself?

You have my sympathy. We were on holiday - me and DH, 2 dc, and the bad weather was relentless (North Yorkshire, and I'm from here!) so I took DD to the cinema in Scarborough. It was closed but advertised a film at 12, I think. So we went over the street to a cafe and hot chocolate and watched entranced as a woman with an umbrella came with a key and unlocked the door. Gave a few minutes then went over, and when we went in, she said, oh, you want the ticket office? Yes, please. She said, next window, so we stepped sideways, were at the next window, asked for our tickets, printed the tickets out of the machine that was kind of flat on the desk. Same woman. Source of many comedy moments,
The film was, I think The Princess Diaries. Or 17 Bridesmaids - a bit of a blur. The cinema was very cute - a bit like someone's front room with cinema seats.

I've realised that's not much help. You can only do what you do, and you'd be surprised what they remember as positive.

Could you go geocaching?

Free, they'd find things (its essentially a treasure hunt) and you'd have some good walks?

I've not checked in a while but I imagine now its an app?

Here's the link (should have put on original post) https://www.geocaching.com/

Blimey my kids are same age and they'd be happy just messing around on the beach in any weather!! Also playing in the on site play park and in the pool for an hour. Kick a ball around. Card games at a pub. Walk around the harbour etc etc.

Can you make them go for a nice coastal walk? Mine would prefer not to go for walks but I make them - I always take a nice special snack we don’t have often like Mr Kiplings for halfway or we dangle a cafe/cake/hot chocolate at the end. They soon get on board. Would they be interested in geocaching on the walk? You can get an app. Mine are the same age and Can be Whingy but they like wave jumping in cold water as we live on the North Sea so there is that.

I would have been told to put a smile on my face and act properly whether I was enjoying it or not, my dad would have gone ballistic at me for spoiling a holiday
and told that some things were not negotiable but if I was bored I could always read or do homework

This.

It was "only boring people are bored" and I wasn't given an option. This is what we are doing and you don't act like a brat and complain the entire time.

This. I think these kids need a serious talk in gratitude. There are children in the world with nothing, meanwhile these kids are taken on a lovely holiday with a loving family and they are moping around with miserable faces. My parents would have gone nuts.

OP you should tell them they can stay in the house for the rest of the holiday if they want but they won't be having screens while they do it, and take yourself off for a nice walk on the beach and leave them to it.

Buy a cheap kite and fly it on the beach. Have a sandcastle competition. Buy isposable BBQ and cook sausages on the beach then toast marshmallows.

Buy a couple of games Exploding Kittens and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza are good.

Go Kayaking

Go for a long hike. https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/42875/Short-and-circular-walks

They just like diving into the pool and playing with a ball in a pool, or water slides. I don’t think they would like river/sea water activities though

We have tried coastal and river walks but they just want to go back to the pool. The pool is only open in time blocks so you can’t just pop in and out when you choose plus it’s freezing after a while, very busy and not very deep. If it was really hot out it would be more enjoyable

We don’t let them on devices hardly ever but yes they want to be on them and are at the other house

Blimey OP this sounds intolerable and I'd be pissed off with your DH as much as the kids tbh. They're his children, he should know better than you what they'd enjoy, so he should be taking the lead planning activities.

Tell him look I'm obviously not very good at choosing the days out here, the kids are clearly not enjoying this and maybe they'd cheer up with some time just with you. Then the next couple of days you get up early and go out and have a whole day for YOU. Beach, cliff walk, pub lunch, book, massive glass of wine, don't come back till dinnertime. You are using up your annual leave and money on this holiday so he has no right whatsoever to be in a shitty mood with you when you seem to be the only one trying. How long till you go home?

If they don't buck up and ALL start being a bit nicer I would suggest just going home early and then tell DH you will not be joining them on future holidays. Have a lovely week to yourself instead. All 3 of them sound utterly unbearable.

@Momstermash94 we had this chat yesterday he sets no outline of the expectations. We just go with a vaguely planned flow so it’s always disappointing. We didn’t book a boat so couldn’t go on one. He did suggest a kite but got a Luke warm response so we never got one. I too want to tell them they need to make the most of the trip

Is it worth cutting your losses and going home if no one is enjoying it? It sounds like the pool was going to be a big focus and it’s too cold to be used in the way it was intended to be. Sympathies- I’ve been there where we booked an apartment with a heated pool for toddler DS and the pool wasn’t heated at all and no one could go in it, and it was gale force winds so being outside was very unpleasant!

I think your partner needs to adult properly though.

Crikey, and it's only Monday too OP.

I know it's not sunny, but it's not raining so the outdoors isn't going to do them any harm. I'd make them do what you want to do on the basis that they can't be more miserable or whingey than they already are.

https://www.forestryengland.uk/high-lodge

This place is great free to get in, you can book Go Ape on site, can hire bikes or do walks though the forest, MASSIVE park, crazy golf, really nice restaurant. Mine are younger but we did 2 days here last year!

They will probably still be bored as they only like the pool and the arcade apparently.

Give the 2 of them a set amount of money everyday that they can spend anyway,youll seen found it doesnt all go in the arcade and they might enjoy going in and out of shop/cafe etc to see what they can get.

Also could all write an activity put in hat pull out. Could be charades,pool,yes/no game,designated screen time

Is there nobody to play with at the caravan pk?

Id aim back at caravan after dinner,glass of wine them chill for an hour thrn onto entertainment.

If they sleep to 10,happy days hsve a nice relaxing coffee. Sometimes the less activites the better people get at entertaining themselves

Great Yarmouth has lovely beaches. Would they do castles, dig moats for tide to fill whilst you relaxed with a book or something?
Yarmouth has a great model village with old fashioned old penny slot machine place in it as well. Nice ice cream place used to be next door. Had lovely marmalade ice cream for myself!
There are old fashioned, good value cafés if you look. We used to got to one called The Sunshine café. If it rains there is indoor crazy golf. So much to do...

My 2 used to love the donkey rides. They are strict with weight etc so less than 8 stone and they seem to look after their donkeys.

Treasure Trails are my go to for new locations. Fab for kids (and adults) and you discover lots about the area that you wouldn't normally see. I always use the downloadable version which is instant.

I second the Geocaching idea.

They’re her step kids!