One word - joy (aged 8 and in Paris!)

One word - joy. I took this picture of my son in Paris and remember being thrilled to capture the sheer happiness on his face. We were on a Bateau Mouche (the best part of our trip to the French capital) and each time we approached a bridge, Robert would run up and down the boat with an expression of utter joy. It was magical, though you can probably see that.

This post is part of Tara Cain's photo Gallery, where bloggers share their pictures. When I saw that the theme was one word, this photo immediately came to mind. Pop over there to see more pictures.

More from Paris:

Robert writes about parks in Paris

Watch our (very shaky) video of our trip to Paris

One word - joy (aged 8 and in Paris!)

One word - joy. I took this picture of my son in Paris and remember being thrilled to capture the sheer happiness on his face. We were on a Bateau Mouche (the best part of our trip to the French capital) and each time we approached a bridge, Robert would run up and down the boat with an expression of utter joy. It was magical, though you can probably see that.

This post is part of Tara Cain's photo Gallery, where bloggers share their pictures. When I saw that the theme was one word, this photo immediately came to mind. Pop over there to see more pictures.

More from Paris:

Robert writes about parks in Paris

Watch our (very shaky) video of our trip to Paris

What We Like To Do On A Hot Sunny Day - Video Post

Our favourite way to spend a sunny day OUTDOORS is: well, there are just too many to choose from! But this is the kind of thing we would like to do if we were allowed to (oh, and if we lived near the sea!)

Rob: My favourite way would be meeting my friends. First, we would go and get ice-lollies and then, using our scooters and bikes, we would ride to the park and play basketball and tennis. After that, we would find a pier, although there aren't many near us! My friends and I would play on the beach for a bit then we would go to the pier and buy things from the shops. And then we would go to the ARCADE! All of us would go right at the front of the scariest rides like the ghost train, roller-coasters and ones that go upside down. Knowing us, we might even spend about £20 doing the games…

At the end of our day, we would have a sleepover back at my house. We would sleep in a tent outside, eat lots of sweets at midnight, watch a long scary movie and not go to sleep until the next day at school! That sounds perfect.

We love to take walks outside

Jess:  I would definitely spend the day with my friends too. After begging mum and dad for some cash, all six of us would go to the park and film a mad, random video in the sun. After this, we would take the bus to to the shops, walk down to the 99p store and buy LOADS of sweets, before going up the hill to the ice-cream shop. 

Because my friends are slightly crazy, we would probably end up having a water-fight in my garden before going back to our homes.

To be honest, there are soooo many different things we love to do on a sunny day that we cannot list all of them here. Please watch the video for more examples. We hope you enjoy them!

This blog post is our entry for the Mad kid blogger of the year award. We hope you like it!

More by us:

A Great Trip to Buckingham Palace

Dr Johnson's House (by Robert)

What We Like To Do On A Hot Sunny Day - Video Post

Our favourite way to spend a sunny day OUTDOORS is: well, there are just too many to choose from! But this is the kind of thing we would like to do if we were allowed to (oh, and if we lived near the sea!)

Rob: My favourite way would be meeting my friends. First, we would go and get ice-lollies and then, using our scooters and bikes, we would ride to the park and play basketball and tennis. After that, we would find a pier, although there aren't many near us! My friends and I would play on the beach for a bit then we would go to the pier and buy things from the shops. And then we would go to the ARCADE! All of us would go right at the front of the scariest rides like the ghost train, roller-coasters and ones that go upside down. Knowing us, we might even spend about £20 doing the games…

Read more »

How I learnt to drive (by Jess, aged 12)

As I am only 12 years old, I didn't expect to find myself driving a car until I was at least 17. However, this didn't turn out to be the case...

A few weeks ago, I spent a fantastic afternoon learning to drive in a real car on top of Brent Cross Shopping Centre in North London. I learnt this with a company called Young Driver and here's what I did.

I had my first taste of sitting behind the wheel on the top-floor car park of Brent Cross, and was instantly struck by how much space there was. There was a bridge, lamp-posts and obviously, loads of flat spaces to drive around, meaning that there was something for all levels of drivers.

In my 60 minute lesson, I learnt to start and stop my car, move away, change gears and steer. In the car, there were two pairs of controls for my feet - one for me and one for my instructor, Mike. I had control of the steering wheel, but he could easily reach over me and change the direction in which the car was going (just in case he needed to!)

Mike was really helpful and he taught me a lot. Although I was absolutely terrible at braking, he managed to A) keep a straight face B) not have a heart attack and C) help me improve. We had a very interesting discussion and he make my experience even more special.


Near to the end of the hour, I was driving figure-8s around lamp posts and driving around roundabouts made of cones. This was incredibly exciting, and definitely my favourite part of the session.

Apparently, one in five people crash their cars in the first six months of passing their driving test. I wonder if it would help if you had more experience of driving beforehand. Dad says that this is definitely something he would buy me a few months before I started taking driving lessons for real.

Overall, I thought Young Driver was something you should definitely try out if you live in the UK, as there are 33 centres across the country, you learn loads, and have an incredibly enjoyable time. Now I have to wait another five years before driving myself again...

Here's some more information:
Young Driver was established in 2009 with the aim of helping to teach youngsters to drive over a longer period, therefore encouraging a safer generation of new drivers at 17.
Anyone over the age of 11 and above 1.42 metres tall can get behind the wheel of a brand new dual control SKODA Citigo car with a fully qualified ADI driving instructor. Lessons take place on private property which has been developed into a realistic road system complete with road signs, junctions and car parks.
A one hour lessons costs £59.95 and a half hour lesson costs £31.99.

For more information log on to www.youngdriver.eu or call 0844 371 9010

Disclosure: Jessica was given a one hour lesson to try out on a complimentary basis. All her thoughts and opinions however, are her own.

More by me:

An Awesome Time At Hever Castle!

Brighton In The Winter

How I learnt to drive (by Jess, aged 12)

As I am only 12 years old, I didn't expect to find myself driving a car until I was at least 17. However, this didn't turn out to be the case...

A few weeks ago, I spent a fantastic afternoon learning to drive in a real car on top of Brent Cross Shopping Centre in North London. I learnt this with a company called Young Driver and here's what I did.

I had my first taste of sitting behind the wheel on the top-floor car park of Brent Cross, and was instantly struck by how much space there was. There was a bridge, lamp-posts and obviously, loads of flat spaces to drive around, meaning that there was something for all levels of drivers.

In my 60 minute lesson, I learnt to start and stop my car, move away, change gears and steer. In the car, there were two pairs of controls for my feet - one for me and one for my instructor, Mike. I had control of the steering wheel, but he could easily reach over me and change the direction in which the car was going (just in case he needed to!)

Mike was really helpful and he taught me a lot. Although I was absolutely terrible at braking, he managed to A) keep a straight face B) not have a heart attack and C) help me improve. We had a very interesting discussion and he make my experience even more special.


Read more »

The London Dungeon by Robert

I just turned 9! To celebrate me, dad and three friends were lucky enough to go to the London Dungeon

Me and my friends were creeped out from the moment we stepped inside. The rooms were made of old rocks and there were big holes in the walls. Fake blood was spread on the floor. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and when I walked past an old door, it began to shake and the lock started to rattle. The Dungeon was busy, but it was fine because the staff split us into small groups. In each room a new person (all dressed up) would tell us about their point in history, usually involving explosions, drops, moving chairs or fake poo.

My favourite bits were:

Jack the Ripper. I walked into The Ten Bells Pub, happy to have a rest and sit down. I wasn't happy for long because soon enough Jack the Ripper was standing right in front of me with a bloody knife. That really surprised me and my friend. I admit that I was a bit scared.

Henry's Wrath boat ride. The boat ride was my favourite part of the London Dungeon because :

• It was really loud


• It was in pitch black


• The boat went backwards


• I got really wet

Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot. I liked this part of the Dungeon because we got to meet Guy Fawkes - in the form of talking head, which was stuck on a stick! Even though he had no body or hands to light the fuse, 36 barrels of gunpowder still exploded right in front of me. When the explosion happened, the floor shook and I covered my ears as I heard an ear splitting BANG.

Drop dead drop ride. The drop ride was the final activity in the  London Dungeon. My friends and I (dad was to scared to go on) took our seats on a big sort of sofa. We held onto the bar and then we went up right to the ceiling, before plummeting back down to the floor. I wasn't scared at all. Then they doubled the height of the drop. They opened up the floor, we went up and then we fell screaming into pitch black darkness.

I recommend the London Dungeons to anyone that is fearless. No scaredy cats allowed. I loved it, but I'm not sure my dad did.

The London Dungeon costs £17.50 per adult and £15.95 per child (if booked online, which is cheaper than paying at the door).

More by me on days out in London:

Dr Johnson's House

A brilliant time at clueQuest

 

The London Dungeon by Robert

I just turned 9! To celebrate me, dad and three friends were lucky enough to go to the London Dungeon

Me and my friends were creeped out from the moment we stepped inside. The rooms were made of old rocks and there were big holes in the walls. Fake blood was spread on the floor. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and when I walked past an old door, it began to shake and the lock started to rattle. The Dungeon was busy, but it was fine because the staff split us into small groups. In each room a new person (all dressed up) would tell us about their point in history, usually involving explosions, drops, moving chairs or fake poo.

My favourite bits were:

Jack the Ripper. I walked into The Ten Bells Pub, happy to have a rest and sit down. I wasn't happy for long because soon enough Jack the Ripper was standing right in front of me with a bloody knife. That really surprised me and my friend. I admit that I was a bit scared.

Henry's Wrath boat ride. The boat ride was my favourite part of the London Dungeon because :

• It was really loud
• It was in pitch black
• The boat went backwards
• I got really wet

Read more »

The Gallery - Faces

This is the first time I've linked up with Tara's Gallery, but when I saw the theme was Faces, I knew the picture I wanted to include.

This is my son, who shared his birthday party in April, with his grandpa (my dad). Their birthdays are just eight days apart, so it seemed a good idea. And of course, I'm in the picture too.

I just love it, the faces of three generations looking so, genuinely, happy. A special photograph indeed, and of two of my favourite people.

The Gallery - Faces

This is the first time I've linked up with Tara's Gallery, but when I saw the theme was Faces, I knew the picture I wanted to include.

This is my son, who shared his birthday party in April, with his grandpa (my dad). Their birthdays are just eight days apart, so it seemed a good idea. And of course, I'm in the picture too.

I just love it, the faces of three generations looking so, genuinely, happy. A special photograph indeed, and of two of my favourite people.

Guest post: visiting the Great Barrier Reef with kids

The touchtank on a reef pontoon

We're so excited to be part of an International Blog Swap Day organised by Tots100, and we are also feeling very lucky to introduce someone from the other side of the world to Family Travel Times.

Danielle runs Bubs on the Move which is a gorgeous family travel blog. She lives in Melbourne and has three of the cutest children you will ever see! Here is her post on visiting the Great Barrier Reef. We've never been, but we'd love to as she makes it sound truly magical.

Over to Danielle:

Thanks so much to Sarah for hosting me for an international blog swap.  One of the best things about being a travel blogger is getting inspiration from other blogger’s travels and insights of home.  After sticky-beaking on Sarah’s family travels I can’t wait for my newborn to be old enough to contemplate a European adventure of our own.

We spent five years living in paradise. Cairns, in tropical north Queensland is gorgeous.  For play-dates we would meet other families on palm-fringed beaches. Day trips with the kids often involved swimming in rainforest waterholes or visiting nearby islands. We recently left Cairns for colder Melbourne and as winter approaches I’m starting to miss it dreadfully.

While living in Cairns we visited the Great Barrier Reef often with our two young sons.  The kids loved it and so did we. What surprised me though was that most of the visitors we met who also had young kids gave the Great Barrier Reef a miss.  Many thought it was too hard, and off limits to all but the footless and fancy free.  I admit that when we first moved to Cairns I had similar misgivings about exploring the reef with my kids.

Stretching almost 3000 kilometres and running nearly parallel to the Queensland Coast, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world.  Travellers can access the reef at its southernmost end from Bundaberg, all the way north up to the Cape York Peninsula.  The reef presents visitors to Queensland with the opportunity to engage with a unique and beautiful ecosystem and abundant wildlife.  Sea turtles, giant clams, brilliantly colored coral and innumerable tropical fish are on view for those that look beneath the ocean’s surface.

Admittedly there are some constraints- unless you have a babysitter, a scuba diving holiday with young kids is impossible.  There are so many other ways to explore the Great Barrier Reef though with kids – ways that are loads of fun for parents, and that give kids a valuable insight into nature and the wild. Here some of them:

(1) Visit the Outer Reef.
Boats that carry visitors to a pontoon are best.  Sunlover and Reef Magic from Cairns and Cruise Whitsundays from Airlie Beach are examples of these. Pontoons have underwater viewing windows, touch tanks, and children’s pools where kids can learn to snorkel and feed the fish.  Kids that are competent swimmers may also be able to snorkel off the pontoon under supervision.  Most operators also run glass bottom boat and semi-submersible tours at not extra charge during the day.  You can read more about our own trip to the Outer Reef here

Green Island

(2) Take a day trip or stay on one of the Great Barrier Reef’s islands.
Green Island and Fitzroy Island are both day trips from Cairns, as well as having resorts on site. Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays is a favorite holiday destination for Australian families and has a childcare on site opening up the opportunity for parents to explore the reef on their own too. When you aren’t relaxing on the beach kids can learn to snorkel. Even very young kids will enjoy seeing sea turtles and colored tropical fish from the surface such as when walking on piers. Many island resorts also offer glass bottom boat tours.  You may like to read more about Fitzroy Island – a great resort to visit for a couple of days.

(3) Explore the reef on foot.
Some sites offer reef walks at very low tide.  Green Island off Cairns and King Reef off Kurrimine beach are two locations where this is possible.  Be sure to check the dates you are visiting to ensure this is possible and wear appropriate footwear.  Check our our experience of Green Island here.

(4) Check out a Great Barrier Reef display at one of Australia’s amazing aquariums.  Reef HQ in Townsville has a turtle hospital. Sydney Aquarium, Melbourne Aquarium and Sea World on the Gold Coast all have impressive Great Barrier Reef exhibits.

Danielle Esler lives in Melbourne Australia.  She is mum to three kids aged 5, 3 and 9 weeks.  With her older kids she has traveled to China, Japan, Europe and the USA as well as around much of Australia.  She is also a medical doctor and is an advocate for family travel health.

Read our post for Danielle's blog, Bubs on the Move. It's all about what you MUST do when you visit London.

Read another guest post, this time by Ella, on visiting Barcelona.

Guest post: visiting the Great Barrier Reef with kids

The touchtank on a reef pontoon

We're so excited to be part of an International Blog Swap Day organised by Tots100, and we are also feeling very lucky to introduce someone from the other side of the world to Family Travel Times.

Danielle runs Bubs on the Move which is a gorgeous family travel blog. She lives in Melbourne and has three of the cutest children you will ever see! Here is her post on visiting the Great Barrier Reef. We've never been, but we'd love to as she makes it sound truly magical.

Over to Danielle:

Thanks so much to Sarah for hosting me for an international blog swap.  One of the best things about being a travel blogger is getting inspiration from other blogger’s travels and insights of home.  After sticky-beaking on Sarah’s family travels I can’t wait for my newborn to be old enough to contemplate a European adventure of our own.

We spent five years living in paradise. Cairns, in tropical north Queensland is gorgeous.  For play-dates we would meet other families on palm-fringed beaches. Day trips with the kids often involved swimming in rainforest waterholes or visiting nearby islands. We recently left Cairns for colder Melbourne and as winter approaches I’m starting to miss it dreadfully.

While living in Cairns we visited the Great Barrier Reef often with our two young sons.  The kids loved it and so did we. What surprised me though was that most of the visitors we met who also had young kids gave the Great Barrier Reef a miss.  Many thought it was too hard, and off limits to all but the footless and fancy free.  I admit that when we first moved to Cairns I had similar misgivings about exploring the reef with my kids.

Stretching almost 3000 kilometres and running nearly parallel to the Queensland Coast, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world.  Travellers can access the reef at its southernmost end from Bundaberg, all the way north up to the Cape York Peninsula.  The reef presents visitors to Queensland with the opportunity to engage with a unique and beautiful ecosystem and abundant wildlife.  Sea turtles, giant clams, brilliantly colored coral and innumerable tropical fish are on view for those that look beneath the ocean’s surface.

Admittedly there are some constraints- unless you have a babysitter, a scuba diving holiday with young kids is impossible.  There are so many other ways to explore the Great Barrier Reef though with kids – ways that are loads of fun for parents, and that give kids a valuable insight into nature and the wild. Here some of them:

Read more »

What should the kids take on holiday? Here's an idea..by Jess and Robert

Our Fun Packs

It's always tricky to know what to pack to take on holiday, not least when you have children. It's particularly difficult when you have all the paraphernalia of a small child, but while you can dispense with buggies and nappy bags as the kids grow up, these get replaced with masses of toys and books. Often (as I know to my chagrin after schlepping heavy bags on train, plane and car), much of the stuff taken on trips doesn't get used. What's a parent to do?

These real-life experiences meant that luxury hotel company Original Travel's new tie-up with Sharky and George immediately caught my eye. Their aim is for children to have a great holiday experience (something we all know means that the adults are likely to have a great time too), providing what they describe as "stimulating fun and educational adventures" for your kids

They're doing this in a variety of ways (see the website for more information) and the one which attracted us was the introduction of some holiday fun packs, tailored to each individual child. Jess and Robert decided to check them out on your behalf. The bags are intended for the whole trip, not just the journey, which does indeed sound a clever idea...

Over to Jess:

Robert and I were sent some packs of our own, which were AMAZING! The packs are for ages 3-12 and even though I thought I would be too old, I wasn't.
First of all, we both took questionnaires to help the people at Original Travel and Sharky and George decide what to put in our bags. We answered questions such as our favourite colours, what we like to do outside and what our favourite TV shows/ films are. We also said where we were going on holiday this summer, so they could give us bags which were relevant to us.

Our packs arrived quickly and we really loved them. Here is what we thought...

Robert  with his pack

Jess - My pack came in a really useful bag and was full to the brim with loads to do. As I had said that I was going cycling in Austria, I was given a water bottle and a headphone splitter, which can also be used to make your phone stand up. There was loads in my bag, even a booklet that had questions about Austria on it! I absolutely can't wait to take my pack on holiday, as I adore every single thing inside it. It actually contained things which I would use.

Robert - My pack is really good! At first I thought it looked a bit babyish as there was a cuddly toy on the outside, but mum told me that you can take it off so that was okay.
Everything came in a very useful bag and it was full of lots of cool things. My bag had space scratch art decorations (I said that I was going to Nasa Space Camp!), make-your-own space gliders, t-shirt graffiti, two different slime activities, pens, water bombs, tattoos, a massive book filled with games, a notepad and EDIBLE BUGS! I can't wait to make my own slime and use the water bombs. There was also a mini booklet that had lots of activities and games to do when I am on holiday.

The contents of my pack

These packs are really helpful for going on holiday, as they include things that you wouldn't necessarily take with you on a normal trip and there are loads of wacky, out of the box ideas to fight boredom on long journeys, in your hotel room, or anywhere really! I know that it is normally really hard to decide what to bring on holiday, but with a pack like this you don't face this problem. I genuinely think that this is great for every child aged 12 or under, as they seem to put some real thought into the packs that they give you.

Families receive the fun packs up to four weeks before going on holiday because Original Travel found that most parents buy their children games and things to do before they go away. The idea is that the pack will take all that stress away, which sounds good to us.

If you would like more articles written by both me and Robert, check these out...

An Amazing Time At clueQuest By All Of Us

Travelling Times - Our "Bests" Of 2013

Disclosure: Jessica and Robert were sent the packs to try out on a complimentary basis. However, their thoughts and descriptions are, of course, entirely their own.

What should the kids take on holiday? Here's an idea..by Jess and Robert

Our Fun Packs

It's always tricky to know what to pack to take on holiday, not least when you have children. It's particularly difficult when you have all the paraphernalia of a small child, but while you can dispense with buggies and nappy bags as the kids grow up, these get replaced with masses of toys and books. Often (as I know to my chagrin after schlepping heavy bags on train, plane and car), much of the stuff taken on trips doesn't get used. What's a parent to do?

These real-life experiences meant that luxury hotel company Original Travel's new tie-up with Sharky and George immediately caught my eye. Their aim is for children to have a great holiday experience (something we all know means that the adults are likely to have a great time too), providing what they describe as "stimulating fun and educational adventures" for your kids

They're doing this in a variety of ways (see the website for more information) and the one which attracted us was the introduction of some holiday fun packs, tailored to each individual child. Jess and Robert decided to check them out on your behalf. The bags are intended for the whole trip, not just the journey, which does indeed sound a clever idea...

Over to Jess:

Robert and I were sent some packs of our own, which were AMAZING! The packs are for ages 3-12 and even though I thought I would be too old, I wasn't.

Read more »