Haven Holidays – MNers feedback thread – non testers – add your top tips for family holidays with toddlers for a chance to win a £100 voucher. NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the three lucky MN families who are going on a Haven Holiday across the Easter period.

Haven say "At Haven you'll find plenty to keep all the family happy and some things we think you might not expect including climbing walls, fencing and archery. We also have some exciting new activities with professional players from the BBL Basketball team teaching ball skills during the school holidays. But when the big kids are at school our parks are just great to take your tots.

This year we have some lovely new interactive sessions with the Seaside Squad, our very own fun loving characters. All parks have heated pools many with flumes, water slides, lazy rivers and space bowls and plenty of additional fun like Aquajet Racers and Water Walkerz.

At Haven it's not just about activities... there's plenty of green space to run around and many parks have beautiful nature walks and trails to explore and access to some stunning coastal walks."

For more information: check out the new Haven pages on Mumsnet

Testers are visiting Seton Sands, East Lothian during w/c 31 March, Hopton, nr Great Yarmouth during w/c 4 April and finally to Kiln Park, Tenby during w/c 21 April – check back to this thread to find out how they are getting on.

We have asked testers to add feedback at least three times - before they go, when they are there and when they get back home.

Non testers: Haven would love to know your top tips for holidaying with a toddler in tow – add your tip to the thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £100 Love2Shop voucher.

Please note tips and comments may well be used by Haven on their pages on Mumsnet as well as possibly elsewhere (including on social media, in the press etc). Your MN name will not be used.

Testers – please share on this thread your overall opinion and experience plus your responses to the following questions.

Before you go

Where are you going? How far it is from your home? Who is in your group? Have you ever been on a Haven holiday before?
What are you looking forward to most? What are the DC looking forward to?
How was the booking process?

On holiday

How is it? What's the weather like?!
Describe your accommodation
What else are you doing outside of the park?
Have you been to the pool?
Have you done any of the activities?
What's the food like?
What activities have the kids enjoyed?

When you are back

Overall opinions from you and others in the family

How would you rate/ describe...

Food
Accommodation
Activities
Things to do for adults
Things to do for children
Would you return/ try out another Haven park?
What did you think about the value for money – especially compared to other family holidays?
Any other comments?

Please also do add a review on Mumsnet to the Self Catering pages

Thanks
MNHQ

PS prize draw for the £100 Love2Shop vouchers: Monday 29th April 2014
PPS have 'highlighted' the testers posts on this thread so we can see them!

My top tip is to make sure you take along plenty of familiar items for the children. Holidays are good for giving everyone a change from the norm, but can be unsettling for little ones. So a favourite cuddly toy, pillowcase, or plate and cup, can go a long way towards putting them at ease - allowing you all to get on with the holiday fun. Here's my son, with his 'Chum', happily sharing a snack on our holiday last year:

Non-tester (but just home from a week at Haven!)

Top tips would be to relax and let your toddler choose what they want to do - don't expect too much and then it can be more relaxing.
If you need a buggy, I've found Hamster bags are so useful! Hold loads, attach to buggy but doesn't make it tip when child is out and can be carried when not using buggy!
DH's top tip is 'bring sweets!' :)
DVD player in car is great for long journeys

Take old (massive) towels that you don't mind getting a bit ruined. Keep your lovely white fluffy ones at home and have some in mind for holidays (you know, the ones you take to the local pool).

At the end of the holiday, bin 'em... (or find somewhere to compost them). Then you can swim up to the 11th hour and not have to worry about wet towels festering in your suitcase on the journey home...

Non Tester: be prepared for every eventuality!! Make sure you have a good first aid kit, plenty of things to keep the kids occupied, spare changes of clothes, favourite teddies, snacks, etc. Also involve them in the decisions of what activities you will do on holiday, this will make them feel more apart of things. :)

im keen to watch this, we went away for a week when baby was 7 weeks old. this year he will be nearly 14 months so there is going to be a few differences!

so far I'm going to try to vacuum pack our clothes to save spack. thats all I've got! !

Non tester here.

We often enjoy Haven holidays and my top tips for going away with toddlers are:

• find out where the local chemist and supermarket are for if you need medicines/a forgotten favourite food, etc.
• take home from home items like blanket, teddy, and so on.
• let your little dcs take part in deciding what to do and go with the flow, one year my DS decided on a nap!

It depends on the parks but I have had an internet grocery shop delivered onto site before. This saves dragging the kids round the shops or spending more in the on site shop. Well worth checking.

Plenty of snacks
Have clothes that all 'go' with each other
Handwash liquid is an essential!

You don't have to achieve something each day

Some more pics of our week away.... having withdrawal symptoms now.

Non Tester

Take a portable beach shelter. We have a great pop up one. It can be used to store all the belongings on the beach and gives you some shade and protection from the wind.

It is also great for settling a toddler and mum down for an afternoon nap if you have older children who want to carry on playing on the beach.

Sharond101 - I have withdrawal symptoms now as well!!
Here are some more photos of our holiday.

Some really useful tips here, thank you!

My top tip is to go round a couple of charity shops and the pound shop to get some new little toys. Novel toys on the journey make it all easier! You can even wrap some of them up so it's like getting a present.

Tester:
I think I am the last of the testers to go, not until 21st of April which seems like ages away. I am counting the days and am so excited.

Where are you going?

We are going to Kiln Park near Tenby inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

How far it is from your home?

It is a two mile car journey, 94 miles.

Who is in your group?

Me and my three year old Son, My mum, My sister and her husband and their little girl who is 2. Unfortunately this break falls on one of my husband's busiest weeks in work so he won't be able to come.

Have you ever been on a Haven holiday before?

No

What are you looking forward to most?

I have looked at the caravans and am amazed by how comfy they look so I am really looking forward to enjoying that space.
We also have quite a few trips out planned including Caldey island (They make their own chocolate you know!) and Folly Farm - my mum has swapped Tesco vouchers so we can all get in.
I am also keen to use the swimming pool which a work colleague, who coincidentally has a caravan in the park, says has been recently re-tiled and doing the crafty clubs and character breakfasts with my son.

What are the DC looking forward to?

I have been telling my son about it every day and he is mostly looking forward to digging sand and building castles and going into the sea. And 'camping'.

How was the booking process?

Easy. Had a couple of missed calls from Haven who needed to make some changes to our accommodation but managed to sort it out through email (I was in work) and a guide pack has arrived in the post with clear instructions.
Looking forward to getting there, seems so far away.

Non tester - My tips are always take a bit of shopping with you. so that you have some supplies. a first aid box is a most with plasters. medicine and creams.
also take a tablet/portable dvd player to keep them busy on the journey and mornings whilst your getting ready.
I also make sure i take some paper/colouring books and pencils plus some story books.

Non-tester. Self catering house with enclosed child -safe garden. Ideally you can then let small kids trot round the new house and run in the garden while you sit around the table with wine and games.

I now understand the importance of a washing machine in my holiday accommodation - did daily loads last year!

Non-tester

• Research location of NHS walk-in centres and 24hr supermarkets etc before you go and make a note of postcode etc for sat nav (or address for a map)
• Knowing about a mix of good and bad weather activities is handy then plan on the day (or day before based) on weather forecast. Don't ever promise an activity especially if it's weather dependent speaks from bitter experience
• Don't forget a sticker chart or other reward system for good behaviour. It's easy for kids to get over excited and we found having a reward system with us really helped with this. You can improvise with an empty jar and dry pasta or collect shells from the beach.
• Ear plugs
• Try to relax and enjoy the holiday... or

Non Tester - Always Pack plenty of essentials for your Journey to keep the little ones enterained. Pack suncream, sudocream, essential medication and pain relief for children and adults.

My top tip would be to ignore most of the tips on this page.

There will be shops where you are going. If you pack everything on this page, then you won't fit in the car.

Food
Food was fine,little bit expensive and could probably offer some slightly more adventurous and also healthy dishes.

Accommodation
Accommodation was excellent. However I thought it odd that there was no baking sheet included in the kitchen utensils

Activities
Excellent for my 10 year old .Not so much for 16 year old DD

Things to do for adults
Could offer more

Things to do for children
Plenty to do

Would you return/ try out another Haven park?
Possibly

What did you think about the value for money – especially compared to other family holidays?
Quite expense however it includes a lot of evening entertainment which doesn't really appeal.

Any other comments?
I was pleasantly surprised!! Staff very friendly and proffessional .

Non tester.

I ALWAYS take a picture of my youngest just before we go out, from the front & back.
That way, if the worst happens and we get separated, I have up to date images - including exactly what she's wearing. It's invaluable with toddlers as they can disappearing the blink of an eye! ;)

Non tester - I went to Haven somewhere near Blackpool a few years ago. We came home after the first night. It was the worst place I have ever stayed. The van was filthy in the extreme - crap and mould on the mattresses, broken fixtures, muddy carpets, etc. We complained but it wasn't rectified. Yuck.

I must say the photos of mobile homes on here bear no resemblance to the hovel that I stayed in. Perhaps Haven has changed - I'm going back about 8 years.

Non tester - be prepared, toddlers can't wait! Have plenty of food, drinks, wipes etc wherever you go. Research where the doctors/chemist/local hospital is. Go to a location with plenty of outdoor space and enjoy every moment you can - get involved int he sandcastle building/shell collecting/paddling and rediscover your childhood.

Non tester.
I really like those reuseable little water paint books and an aqua doodle style pen for trips with toddlers. Not messy, ideal for a rainy morning or on a train journey if you get a table.
Also, little toys they haven't seen for a while. Pack them away for a few weeks before you go.

Also, maybe dig out your sling if you'll be doing a bit more walking than usual. It's easier than the buggy sometimes if your toddler fits still.