Center Parcs with a toddler and a baby

[Mazzatron]

Hi everyone,

My DH and I are due to go on our first holiday as a family of 4 soon, to Center Parcs (Longleat). Our children are 3 years and 9 months, both boys.

Never had a holiday all together before and never been to Center Parcs. Super excited!
Just wondered if anyone has any useful tips or hacks about holidays with little ones, particularly to Center Parcs?
We've booked swimming a few times and will be self catering.

Much appreciated 🙂

I did see on telly last year that because of covid these places, I.e center parcs, butlins etc now operate a booking system for all activities. So apparently where pre pandemic you could just rock up for the swimming pool, you now have fo book in advance two weeks before arriving. Not sure if this is still the case or whether it's ever been the case at all for center parcs but worth checking because if you haven't booked you apparently can't do any activities. People on the program were complaining about all activities being fully booked and basically having to sit in their cabins with nothing to do all week.

We've been quite a few times now with our 2, at various stages of being babies, toddlers, kids etc. They are 6 and 2 now.

There are some good threads on here about centre Parcs if you search for them. My top ones would be:

• book your swimming slots as soon as they go live, they get booked up very quickly.
• make the most of your first day. You can't get in your lodge until 4pm. So we usually drive from home to somewhere nearby and have a nice pub lunch. Book a swim slot for 2pm. Check in and Park the car up and just take your swim bag in for now. Have a nice swim, then go back to retrieve car and find your lodge and get unpacked.
• take something easy for dinner the first night. I sometimes take a lasagne or pizzas. Kids are usually knackered by the drive and swimming!
• book a click and collect slot at a supermarket nearby. We used to collect it on the way, but now we have a pushchair and bags for 4 people, we book a slot for between 5-6pm. We unload the car and DH pops back out to collect it.
• the supermarket isn't that expensive for essentials. If you are doing your whole shop there it is quite pricey, but bread, milk, lunch stuff is reasonable.
• if you have a log burner in your lodge get your logs at b&q bargains before you go! They are about £1 each but 3 for £10 at CP!
• take bird seed, nuts for squirrels etc. Lots of wildlife there that will come right up to the back door if you leave food out.

I bloody love cp, I could talk all day about it. Ask anything I haven't covered in my essay above 😂

How old are your little ones?

On the subject of activities, I'd say don't go overboard booking too much in one day. We tend to do swimming in the morning, mine are up early so we book for around 9:30. Then we booked an activity in the afternoon. In hind sight, we really didn't need that second activity every day, every other day would have been fine.

They like feeding the ducks, playing in the park, scooting round the trails etc. The indoor play areas are also open now, mine love those.

We were having to drag them away from the park to do an activity.

Oh and take a cool bag/lunch boxes. We tend to make a packed lunch and go out for the day rather than walking back to the lodge for lunch.

We’ve just been with our almost 3 year old and 5 month old. When we go again we’ll have lunch out and our evening meal in the cabin. The kids were overtired and would up from the swimming and playgrounds to sit nicely and eat at 6pm.

I agree with @Areallthegoodnamesgone we always eat in at night. Yes it is a bit of a bus mans holiday for who ever usually cooks, but when the kids are tired, there is no way a meal out is going to be an enjoyable experience! 🤣

We take/plan easy dinners. Pasta, pizza, burgers and chips. Not the healthiest of meals but it doesn't hurt for one week.

You get a high chair and cot as standard.

Take cot linen.

Message and ask for a bed guard if you need one.

Some restaurants provide free Ella kitchen pouches if baby eats those.

Don't need to book to swim after six, did that once with just toddler as a treat, swimming in dark.

Take a plastic stick on bird feeder and put on patio window, will be full of squirrels and birds.

Ask for a bath non slip mat.

No washing machines at all. So pack accordingly. Think about all in one outside etc. Very casual anyway so no need for loads of good clothes.

We love it, it's not for everyone but works well for us.

Longleat is lovely but spread out - there is a little land train that you can take around the site which makes it much easier. The safari park next door is also worth a visit!

I see someone’s mentioned the main thing - no laundry facilities at all.

So take enough stuff plus some changes.

Otherwise it’s all very easy - have a lovely time.

Wow - thanks so much everyone, this is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for.

I'm even more excited now!!! 😃

If you eat out find out which places have soft play and ask for a table close to it. Then your 3 year old can play and you can supervise from the table.

@Florencenotflo thank you for all that info!

Do we need to bring towels, loo roll, bin bags, washing up liquid etc ?

Bath towels and bedding are provided. You'll need pool towels, you can hire them if you would prefer but they obviously charge.

I take cloths, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, tea towels etc yes. You'll need bin bags, as well. They do give you some to start off with and then we were on a Mon- Fri break and they dropped a bag off with extras in. But I take some anyway.

Go to the pancake house!

Take dish washer tablets, washing up liquid, bin bags, tea towel. You get plenty of towels provided for the bathrooms.
I’d you do want to eat out at all book the restaurants as soon as the slots open.
Take black out blinds if you think your little ones will struggle to sleep in a bright bedroom for naps.
Take DVD’s if you think the 3 yrs old will sit to watch something while you make tea etc.