Mumsnet users share their favourite family holiday activities with Neilson

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

With the summer holidays fast approaching, it’s almost time to spend some much needed quality time with the whole family and for some this means jetting off on holiday. However keeping your DC entertained whilst on holiday can be a bit of struggle especially if your DC has an unlimited amount of energy! Neilson would love you to take a look on their website and choose your favourite holiday activity from their collection, as well as sharing your staple holiday activities.

Here’s what Neilson have to say: “Neilson was born from a passion for all things active, our award-winning beachclub holidays in Croatia, Greece, Italy and Sardinia are packed to the rafters with inclusive activities, from windsurfing to wakeboarding, tennis to mountain biking – all with qualified instructors and free tuition thrown in. We have inclusive kids clubs for all ages from two, right up to 17 years old with activities including kayaking, sailing, tennis and stand up paddle boarding! There’s even a crèche for our youngest guests.”

Which activities would your family love to try and why? Have a look on their website here and let us know on the thread below.

We’d also love to know what your go-to family holiday activities are? Perhaps your family love anything water based such as sailing, kayaking or swimming? Maybe you’re more of a biker family and often hire out bikes for the day to explore or maybe you’re more adventurous and go off-road mountain biking? Or does your family enjoy relaxing on the beach, building sandcastles and soaking up the sun on a lounger?

Tell us which Neilson holiday activities you love the look of, as well as what your go-to family holiday activity is and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

My kids love crabbing, keeps them entertained for hours

We'd love to scuba dive and kayak to a deserted island with a picnic.

Windsurfing looks brilliant. I used to do this as a child and would love my children to experience the the thrill.
Currently I have some master builders it’s all about creating sand fortresses on the beach and dens everywhere else.

My kids and myself love trying new things on our hols, looking at what's available I'd say they would love sailing, windsurfing, (my youngest, is not ready for that yet) and tennis, but they love the water and anything that improves their confidence and skills here would be fab,
Doing it together, wonderful.
Doing this in the sun with some beach time would be ideal

We love swimming and playing on the beach. My son is keen to give wakeboarding a try this summer something my husband's getting in to.
I've just completed a dinghy sailing course and want to try more. My 2 year old loves a sandpit so think a neilsen holiday sounds perfect for us 😁

Swimming and all sorts of water sports - kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, water inflatables!

We all love water-based activities. Scuba diving would definitely have the whole family active together - including the teens!

Swimming, exploring and trying the local cuisine.

Windsurfing!!! I have such happy memories of windsurfing holidays when I was a teenager. I think those holidays are part of the reason we stayed close as a family. I loved the adrenaline buzz of hopping over the waves, racing my siblings. I can’t wait till mine are a bit older; I’ve promised them a windsurfing holiday!

We've had some great holidays with Neilson - sailing, windsurfing, kayaking if wrong sort of wind for sailing, mucking around on SUPs. Their staff are brilliant. Last year 2 weeks in Croatia straight after DDs A levels.... happy days!

A bit wistful because that was probably our last one .... DD working all this summer and DH has developed a health problem which probably means we have to be a bit more sedate now. Oh well, more room for the rest of you!

By the way, for anyone who may be interested in trying sailing/windsurfing or whose kids might want to, it's worth checking if there's a nearby sailing club which does taster sessions. A lot of them have a 'Push the Boat out' event in May specific for people who want to dip their toe in the water (metaphorically and probably literally) and some have more sessions through the summer. For instance if you're in Lancashire
www.rvsc.co.uk/push-the-boat-out-2/

I know this is a sponsored thread but if you get hooked on sailing on a cold U.K. reservoir you will be all the more likely to want to go on a warm water sports holiday!

We would rather go on a long walk or play on the beach than take part in expensive activities.

Swimming has to be done every day . He loves any water based activity . Also love cycling , beach cricket , frisbee , archery and flossing !

Kayaking and rock climbing are the top two for our family. However if I could swim - I’d love to do the triathlon week.

All the different water sports especially sailing and waterskiing. All inclusive element is fantastic as means more likely to get our bums off the lounger and do stuff

Swimming, spa and wellness and tennis for us.

Along with exploring and nature experiences.

Swimming and exploring are our family favourites , Nelsons seem to be doing a pretty good job of offering lot of adventures.

Tell us which Neilson holiday activities you love the look of, as well as what your go-to family holiday activity is

Swimming and rock climbing would be fun. At the moment with a little one we've mostly done swimming and lots of walks.

I'd love to try the dinghy sailing, to have the breeze across my face, the freedom of being on the sea, learning a new skill, and hopefully take part in a regatta.

I just love spending time together as a family! Nothing major - we do all sorts and it's always fun (well usually it is... heat, strange food etc can equal a few tantrums!)

I love the look of Neilsons for holidays (but we have to get to the UK first, and then onwards to their resorts so it all adds up on top of their own costs ).

We're already a "watery" family - DD sails well, I can do beginners sailing, I also have powerboat licence and DH has driven one a few times, DD surfs and windsurfs, I can paddleboard, we all enjoy rowing boats and kayaking/canoeing, DH is qualified for scuba diving (I can't due to sodding asthma) and we all like snorkeling when the water is clear. And plain ole swimming as well.

DH and DD are good cyclists - they will go for a 30km+ cycle "for fun" - I can cycle but am unfit so I don't join them on those. But we generally rent bikes on holidays at least part of the time and go for family cycles. Maybe 10km, stop for lunch, and 10km back.

We tend to spend our holidays out and about a lot. Usually lots of water is involved - canoeing, some bits of sailing, swimming. Cycling. Lots of walking (long walks into the local area in general to see the sights and nature, and hillwalking as well).

We also enjoy going to local shops/markets to explore local foods, and a combination of some eating out (often the local cuisine) and some cooking for ourselves in our own accommodation (BBQing and ordinary cooking, or just plating up salads and "platter" meals - cured meats, cheese, hummus with vegetable sticks, bread, olives, tomatoes, prawns/squid rings etc placed in the centre of the table to choose your own).

I love to get some time to unwind and read a book in a comfy seat in the heat but shaded from the burning sun, but that tends to be limited. We are not great for just sitting in the sun - we don't even go to the pool except to actually swim most of the time.

Last year, our holidays were all about sailing - DD and I both learned a bit more in our own skills - we both learned to handle a catamaran, and a laser, but I mostly stuck to something small (similar to a Pico) while DD was off on anything she could get her hands on (she sails toppers and is competing, and loves to take control of her sailing school's 1720's on occasion - she's 12 but well used to them and is happy to instruct novices while the actual instructor is in a rib alongside, and the instructor is also happy she can handle it!).

This year is a different holiday (World Champs for DD) so I may get a chance to drive a rib a few days out there, or maybe charter a dinghy for myself to do a bit more practice. But I am actually hopeful that, either next year or 2020, we can get to do a proper Meditteranean yacht sailing holiday, as part of preparing to buy our own boat in the next few years (I have a few courses to do as well and some of those I'll do here, but doing some on a lovely warm holiday would be great!).

(And while it's not Neilsons, we have spent 3 holidays in a large provider with a number of sites, and done lots of activities there that we can't get at home (or not easily) - rock climbing wall, tree trekking, archery, stomping on molehills after heavy rainshowers (ok, not an advertised activity - but still very fondly remembered as we don't have moles in Ireland!), swimming with big slides to ride down, etc. DD has tried some more indoor type activities but generally - whatever the weather - has much preferred outdoors ones. That can include maybe 1/2 nature activities with a leader over the week/fortnight, but mostly action ones. So having things that will happen whatever the weather, and bringing decent gear to get out in inclement weather, have made a big difference to us. Cycling in the rain to the shops, doing the daily morning croissant run alone when old enough, and bringing back the spoils in her backpack, were one of the highlights on another holiday - and great for developing her independence, and a platform to build on when we got home!).

We've been Neilson regulars for the last 10 years, and love the full range of activities (everyone in the family does something different). Waterskiing was our favourite, shame you've cut it and cut it over the years. :(

We do a lot of cycling (on and off road), open water swimming (mostly me), and kayaking (ds, whose own kayak has just arrived).

DS wants to learn to windsurf and sail, so will be learning during the summer

Would love to have a go at dinghy sailing. I think we'd all find that fun!