5 things to do with teens in Chicago

By Jess, aged 17:

Over summer, our family spent the most amazing week in Chicago. Though very full on, we all had a fantastic time, and there is not one activity which I didn't enjoy. Chicago is a genuinely beautiful city; busy but not too loud or congested. There were things to do for all the family, and here are my highlights from the trip, which I think teenagers would particularly enjoy.

Baseball

I had really wanted to go to a baseball match as I felt it was a typical American thing to do. Instead of watching the more famous Chicago Cubs, we opted for the White Sox, and I had a really fantastic time. Unlike football games in the UK, the atmosphere was much more relaxed, with people walking around the whole time. I definitely enjoyed this, as I can get very stressed when watching live sports!

[caption id="attachment_4559" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We really enjoyed watching the Chicago White Sox![/caption]

Despite never playing baseball before, the people sitting around us were more than willing to explain what was going on, and I found myself getting very engaged with the game. The experience felt very American, with an audience cam, lots of adverts for pizza, a fill in the song lyric game, and everyone standing up and singing "Take me out to the ball game" between the seventh and eight innings.

There were other activities in the stadium as well, such a speed pitching test and a free interactive centre for kids. Mum and I collected free badges and certificates to commemorate our first visit to the stadium, and the people sitting behind us were generous enough to give us White Sox temporary tattoos and t-shirts.

I would definitely recommend baseball games to people visiting the US - not only was the game exciting, but I loved getting a taste of what it's like to be a real American. Mum says that it was expensive though - and we were all shocked by the cost of the food and drink inside the stadium (a bottle of Pepsi was over $6!)

Our tickets to the baseball cost around $50 (they were more expensive because we chose to be under cover - a good decision, as it was very hot!).

Second City

Second City is a famous sketch and improvisational comedy troupe, known for producing stars such as Tina Fey and Steve Carell. I am a huge fan of SNL, and it was especially exciting spotting lots of famous names in the programme we were given. Our family saw a production named "Grinning from Fear to Fear", which included two sets of sketches and an improvisational section.

I thought the production was hilarious, and unlike anything I'd seen before. Ranging from meeting your girlfriend's parents to sleepless late night anxieties, the production was very well done, and I laughed more times than I can count. They also used a lot of suggestions from the audience and even brought people up onto stage.

This was definitely one of the highlights of my holiday.

Second City is not for younger children - the show we went to started at 8pm and didn't finish until nearly 11 and there was quite a lot of swearing in it. Tickets cost $52 each.

Cycling food tour

Cycling isn't something we do very often, so I was somewhat terrified at the prospect of cycling around busy Chicago streets. However, I shouldn't have worried: our Bikes, Bites and Brews tour with Bobby's Bike Hike was great. Our guide Ro was extremely friendly and enthusiastic, and she toured us for 13 miles across Chicago.

[caption id="attachment_4560" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We loved all the food on our cycling tour with Bobby's Bike Hike, and the views were great too![/caption]

We sampled pizza, cupcakes, hot dogs, and drinks from all across Chicago, learning a lot about the city in the process. A particular highlight was eating delicious deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's, and spending half an hour cycling down a cycle path right next to Lake Michigan. The views were brilliant, and it was very relaxing. The tour was both interesting and exciting, and we definitely wouldn't have had the confidence to ride around Chicago without a guide. The city was easy to ride around and the views were gorgeous.

I would definitely recommend cycling around Chicago, and there are lots of places to rent bikes from. Though we wouldn't have been able to navigate the streets by ourselves, the cycle path by the lake boasted brilliant views and was easy to make our way around.

This Bobby's Bikes, Bites and Brews cycling tour costs $66.75 for adults and $61.75 for students (Mondays to Thursdays) and lasts four hours. 

Disclosure: We were gifted the opportunity of taking part in Bobby's Bike Hire, the Bikes, Bites and Brews tour, in order to write about it. However, the company had no input whatsoever into this blog post.

Escape room

Our whole family loved going to an escape room at The Escape Game Chicago. Though only an hour long, our experience probably provided us with the most fun of anything we did over the holiday. Our challenge was called "The Heist", and our challenge was to retrieve a painting from the office of a man accused of stealing it.

[caption id="attachment_4557" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We were pleased to find the painting with only two minutes to go![/caption]

I've been to three other escape rooms before, but this one was definitely the best. It was so well maintained, and some of the parts were genius. It was very difficult, but definitely not unmanageable or frustrating, and we were pleased to escape with two minutes remaining!

Escape rooms can be found all over the world and there are a copious amount in the UK alone, but I would recommend doing this one if you're in Chicago. We all had a fantastic time.

Read Rob's post on the Escape Game (he really loved it too!)
The Heist at the Escape Game costs $35.99 per person.

Beach

Chicago is particularly special as it is on Lake Michigan, so there are a copious number of beaches to relax on. We were all struck by the sheer size of the water - it seemed unfathomable that it was only a lake and not the sea! We went to the North Avenue beach, which was great as it was quiet, and there was a lot of space to sit down and unwind.

[caption id="attachment_4561" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Looking out to Lake Michigan on North Avenue Beach[/caption]

The water was ridiculously cold, but we appreciated that it wasn't salty like the sea. It also didn't get deep quickly, providing ample space for wading in the water and swimming. Chicago's beaches are especially notable as its gorgeous skyline is behind the lake, leading to gorgeous views wherever you look.

Overall, Chicago is a perfect place for teenagers, and I honestly enjoyed every aspect of the trip. Aside from these five highlights, there were so many other fantastic attractions, making the city perfect for all the family. I enjoyed incredible views of the city at the top of the Sears Tower, saw chicks being born at the Museum of Science and Industry, and looked at the largest T-Rex ever found at the Field Museum. Even activities which sounded boring, such as an architecture boat tour, were fascinating!

It may not a common holiday destination for those of us in the UK, but our trip to Chicago was great - both for the adults and the teens.

Read Rob's post on his two favourite activities: 

We also found useful information on the Choose Chicago website and the Enjoy Illinois website.

What to do on a family holiday in Dorset

[caption id="attachment_4502" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Us at the beautiful Durdle Door[/caption]

Robert, who's 14, is back to tell you about our summer family holiday in Dorset - a place we would highly recommend.

Over to him:

"At the beginning of the summer holidays my parents and I drove to Dorset for a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable week-long visit. We stayed in a cottage around a ten-minute drive from Weymouth. It had two rooms, a bathroom with a shower, a kitchen area, living room and basically everything you would want in a living accommodation. It was a lovely place to relax in the evening; reading books, watching TV and playing games. 

Weymouth  

[caption id="attachment_4504" align="alignnone" width="1200"] On Weymouth Beach[/caption]

To say Weymouth is busy on a summer weekend is a huge understatement. Parking was hard to come by (although we did find a space every time) and the beaches and streets were bustling with locals and tourists alike. However, it never felt too crowded and there weren’t long queues for refreshments or long waits to get a meal. The beach was lovely – we rented deckchairs for £2 each – and spent a good few hours there on our first day. The sea was amazing to paddle, wade and swim in as there were basically no waves at all - due to the natural defences at Chesil beach.  

There are so many places to get an ice-cream or slushie in Weymouth and even more places to get yourself a quick lunch in the afternoon. Be warned though: a majority of the cafes and shops close relatively early and on our first night we found ourselves wandering the streets for a while before deciding on getting food to heat up at home. Weymouth and the surrounding area is not short of massive supermarkets and we had dinner in our cottage every night bar one, so the shops closing early is not a major problem. 

Chesil Beach 

[caption id="attachment_4505" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The stunning Chesil Beach[/caption]

After relaxing in the sand on Weymouth’s coastline we drove about twenty minutes to a completely different type of beach. Chesil beach is the largest tombolo in the UK and is 28 kilometres of pure pebbles which increase in size as you move across. The stretch is classified as a Heritage site so you are not allowed to take any rocks home with you although you can obviously pick them up. The sheer size of the beach was impressive and it was a beautiful to go and have a look at. There is a great exhibition about the beach inside the visitor centre with lots of things to touch and look at including fossils, animal bones and millions of years old rocks. For a free attraction I would definitely recommend going, if only to have a quick look. 

[caption id="attachment_4506" align="alignnone" width="900"] One of the exhibits at the Chesil Beach Visitor Centre[/caption]

Cycling 

The next day we set out on a cycling trip organised by Jurassic Trails. We got our bikes and helmets then proceeded to begin our journey down the many cycle lanes and general streets in the area. We got lost almost straight away, we’ll blame it on the lack of clear signs, and ended up following a route we made up using the map we were given. We then lost Dad and pulled over but ended up stumbling across a strange sculpture, so really Mum and I came out of the loss pretty well. It was fun and exhilarating cycling around Dorset, although my bottom and legs were aching by the end of it. Even after a lot of wrong turns and small pavements that we walked down with our bikes it was still a thoroughly enjoyable day and cycling up and down the seafront near Bowleaze was one of the highlights of the trip. Although this bears no relevance to this post you may be amused to read that we went cycling on the day of what I can only assume to be some sort of Dorset Marathon which brought the difficulty level up significantly when cycling down the lanes shared for both walking and biking. 

Hiring the bikes from Jurassic Trails cost £54 for the three of us and could be used for the whole day. We thought this was pretty good!

Windsurfing 

[caption id="attachment_4509" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert tries out windsurfing[/caption]

On our third day I went windsurfing at the Official Test Centre in Portland.  My only vaguely similar experience in my life was going Water-skiing in Greece three and a half years ago so I entered a complete beginner but came out, quoting the words of my instructor, “a natural”. I got the hang of it practically straight away; there was a secure position, a sailing position and the act of turning around. Once you learn those – which we did on the shore – the only difficulty is keeping your balance and not falling in. The two hour session went by quickly and I would definitely try it again – possibly in windier conditions than the test centre. The water is so shallow and the one time I fell, my feet touched the floor so there is no reason to be scared. The centre also teaches paddle boarding which is an easier water sport that you could attempt if you wanted. 

Robert's two-hour taster lesson was complimentary (lucky us!) but would have cost £49. The Official Test Centre is on Portland, just past Chesil Beach. Although they gifted us the session, they had no input into this blog post.

Castletown D-Day centre 

Earlier that day we visited the Castletown D-Day centre, an activity which my parents weren’t too scared to take part in. The museum was one of the best I’ve been to in a while, due to the fact that there were so many interactive things to do which seemed to be one of the things the owner had been really pushing for when building the centre.
There were tanks and army vehicles you could climb in and move, videos to watch, boards to read as well as proper army uniform and an array of guns that you could wear and pick up. Upstairs was a surprisingly creepy enemy bunker focusing on the Germans and their experience of D-Day, and a tea-room where we coincidentally saw the museum's owner who we had just been watching in the videos downstairs! The centre is only open between 10.30 – 3.30 but it was really fun and interesting, the staff really knew their stuff and it was a really nice place to go. We ended up spending a lot more time there than we had expected to.

The Castletown D Day Centre is situated in Portland, where thousands of American soldiers stayed before they left for France in 1944. It costs £7 for adults, £5 for 12-17 year olds and £4 for children. 

Natural Landscape 

[caption id="attachment_4511" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Lulworth Cove[/caption]

Throughout the holiday went to some beautiful places including Lulworth Cove – a stunning bay with about 100 places to get an ice-cream, Opa Church Cove, a small rocky area on Portland which was once used by smugglers, and the area around the Portland Bill Lighthouse – not to mention many other beautiful views and beaches that we visited. The most amazing place to see however was Durdle Door – a natural limestone arch in the sea.

[caption id="attachment_4512" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The stunning Durdle Door[/caption]

Although quite a long walk from the car park it was a beautiful sight and the rocky beach preceding it was a great place to swim, relax and stare in awe. There were so many places of natural beauty in Dorset and they made the holiday feel much more relaxed than constantly visiting museums and man-made attractions. 

Jurassic Coast 

[caption id="attachment_4513" align="alignnone" width="1200"] An ammonite (fossil) found on Charmouth Beach[/caption]

The most unique activity we participated in throughout the trip was definitely our fossil tour on the Jurassic Coast. Our tour guide Martin, from Jurassic Coast Guides, explained how different fossils are formed and helped us remember what they look like and how to spot them. After the talk, which lasted about an hour, and a toilet break which gladly lasted less than an hour, we set off down the coastline to find some fossils. Martin had explained the places with the best chance of finding a fossil but even before we got to them he had found a few which he let us “find” and keep after giving us the general area it was in. This stayed the case for the majority of the two hours we spent on the beach. Although grouped together, Mum, Dad and I found three, maybe four traces of fossilised creatures to Martin’s 20 or so more impressive ones. The whole experience was really interesting and fun and we came home with a bag full of 14 190 million year old rocks. If you are considering going fossil hunting, on the Jurassic Coast or elsewhere I would definitely recommend doing it as part of a tour or with someone experienced and we would have had no clue whatsoever if we had gone on our own. 

Private fossil hunting walk with Jurassic Coast Guides costs £100. We were fortunate enough to be given one for gree in order to write about. However, no one from the company has had any input into this piece, which is also our (particularly Robert's) opinions.

Dorset Adventure Park 

[caption id="attachment_4514" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Corfe Castle[/caption]

Our hour at Dorset Adventure Park felt much longer – it was one of the most fun activities of the holiday and Mum and Dad really enjoyed it as well even though they were in the water for most of it!  Everything is inflatable and if you only fall off you have to swim to nearest entry point or attempt to climb back on where someone pulls you up by the lifejacket.

Read more about our trip to this brilliant park and also nearby Corfe Castle in this post from Robert.

Sea life and adventure golf 

[caption id="attachment_4515" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Playing crazy golf![/caption]

We only spent an hour or so in Weymouth’s Sea Life as we saw all the different attractions and didn’t stick around at each for too long. However, for younger kids it looked like a great place to visit – there were at least five different schools visiting when we went. Our favourite bit was the “shipwreck” with lots of cool sea life to see inside: jellyfish, crabs and fish and we also liked seeing some otters being fed – one of the events that occur throughout the day. There were seals, sharks, turtles and penguins as well as lots more cool things to see for children to enjoy. We also visited the Pirate Adventure Golf just outside which was really fun. Beware though, we went in the morning around when it had just opened and it was extremely busy, meaning long waits to play the next hole. 

A Pirate Adventure Golf & Weymouth SEALIFE combi ticket (booked online) is Adult £24.95, Child (3-14) £20.95. We were lucky enough to be given these in order to write about them, but the organisation had no input into this blog post.

Overall I loved going to Dorset and is my favourite holiday in the UK in many years – if not my whole life. Coincidence that Jess didn’t come on this one! It was so nice not to go to a bustling city and just visit museums and theme parks – although I could’ve done with a few rides; instead there were beautiful coves and beaches and activities involving nature. On top of that there were so many delicious foods to sample, I’m pretty sure I had more ice-creams than days of the holiday! If you are thinking of going to a place in England I would wholeheartedly recommend Dorset as we spent a week there and there were still loads of things we didn’t do or visit. There are definitely enough things for adults, teenagers and children and I hope to go back again in the future." 

Disclosure: Visit Dorset helped us to plan our holiday, but had no input into this blog post. They have information for everything to do across the county.

Read more on family holidays in the UK: 

A family trip to Cornwall

What to do in beautiful Pembrokeshire

Why we loved Lincoln (and are sure you would too!)

Why Playa Blanca, Lanzarote is perfect for families

Jess, aged 14, writes: Some of my earliest memories come from our family's trips to Playa Blanca, a seaside resort on the south of Lanzarote. Our family generally visited every other year along with my Grandma and Grandpa, and having not been for four years, I was ridiculously excited to go back last month. Our family stayed for a week and had a relaxing, enjoyable, and exciting time. It really is a great place for a family holiday.

[caption id="attachment_3599" align="alignnone" width="1200"] In between the villas at Las Casitas[/caption]

Our family stayed in a bungalow at Las Casitas resort, where we had stayed every time we've been to Lanzarote. There's something so special about going back to a place with so many memories attached to it, and it was just as good as I remembered it. The villas are spacious and full of everything we needed, and I preferred the beds to my one at home! The complex includes a tennis court, a pool, and a bar, and everyone we met was lovely. The atmosphere at the quiz night was astonishingly friendly and we talked to lots of people we didn't know afterwards. The WiFi was also pleasingly reliable, although we didn't have to use it much. Las Casitas is in such a perfect and accessible location that we spent most of our time away from the villa.

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At Papagayo. The waves were massive![/caption]

We visited two different beaches in Playa Blanca, and both were lovely. The main Playa Blanca beach is situated directly in front of the promenade, but it's quite small, so we walked past this to Playa Papagayo, which is large and full of deck chairs. The view of nearby Fuerteventura was also beautiful to see. Mum and dad soaked up the sun and lounged on deck chairs, while Robert and I went to the sea. The wind meant that the beach was quiet and the waves were large, but I enjoyed swimming and jumping through them. Playa Flamingo is much busier than Papagayo, but the water was clear and perfect for swimming in. Dad and I also saw fish swimming around our feet!

Robert says: Dad and I went to AquaLava, an awesome waterpark near our resort. It had 5 great waterslides, a heated lazy river and a big area for little kids full of small slides and fountains. There was also a wave pool that started up every hour.

[caption id="attachment_3602" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We had lots of fun on our walks, discovering castles, lighthouses, old buildings, geocaches, carousels, and more.[/caption]

 

Jess writes: Playa Blanca is perfect for walks, as much of it is along a promenade so it is very accessible, and the weather is usually lovely too. One day, our whole family walked about 4km when visiting the Castillo de los Colorados - an old fortress. Another day, mum and I took a 9km walk to the Pechiguera Lighthouse. These walks were lovely as the sea and the views are gorgeous, there were lots of geocaches to find, and more than enough restaurants to try out if we got hungry...

[caption id="attachment_3604" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Enjoying home made ice cream from Gelateria Italiana Verderosa.[/caption]

We were spoiled for choice for food, as Playa Blanca is full of places to eat. We particularly enjoyed the home-made ice cream at Gelateria Italiana Verderosa, and the ridiculously sugary slushies and milkshakes at Good Times. The Canarian potatoes (salty potatoes with two sauces) at La Bahia were the best we had all holiday and I particularly liked eating at Caribe by the marina, where my tuna crêpe was delicious.

Playa Blanca is very convenient for shopping - among the numerous restaurants, there are three supermarkets, clothes shops, and a few very touristy shops, which we avoided.

[caption id="attachment_3605" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We delighted in finding a playground we remember visiting when we were younger.[/caption]

There are lots of other things to do in Playa Blanca. I was very excited when we found a playground that I remember visiting when I was much younger. There are also lots of other things to do on the island with children, such as going to the cactus garden, looking at volcanoes, the animal park Ranco Texas, and visiting César Manrique (an influential architect)'s house. Mum has written a proper guide to the island, so please read it here.

I had so much fun in Playa Blanca when I was small, and it's lovely to know that it's as great as I remembered. There's a lot to do for children and adults alike, and while it's more touristy than I thought it was, I had such a great time. It's such a wonderful place for families to visit and I would love to go again.

You can find out more about holiday rentals at Las Casitas via their website - prices vary throughout the year. We flew with Thomas Cook from Gatwick to Arrecife, which is about 40 minutes away from the resort by taxi.

What to do on a family trip to Lanzarote

If you’re craving some winter sun, we sympathise. January can be a hard month – coming down from the festivities of December, and at the same time suffering from short days, wind and rain. So perhaps you should start thinking about where you can spend next winter! We’d say that if you want a fun, family-friendly place with sun, you couldn’t do better than Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It has everything you might want – and it’s not that far away.

Let’s start with the distance. Lanzarote, off the coast of west Africa, ticks many boxes for us because it’s only four hours or so by plane (as opposed to double that for the Caribbean or Florida) and is also a cheaper destination to visit than those further afield. It’s beautiful, very family-friendly (no resort is more than an hour away from the airport and many are nearer, which is a boon if you have little ones who’ll be tired after all that travelling) and you’ll be guaranteed some sun (although it’s not always bikini weather). Plus, it's clean and the islanders love kids.

The island has lots of accommodation options, from a number of upmarket luxury hotels to self-catering. When we holiday here I usually want to relax, so go for self-catering, where we can hang around in pyjamas if we want to, and have space to play board games or read on the veranda without anyone bothering us. In Playa Blanca where we usually stay, there are a number of nearby supermarkets which make stocking up very easy, and prices are around the same (or usually a little less) than at home.

Where to stay:

We’d highly recommend Playa Blanca, the southernmost town on the island which has gorgeous sandy beaches (even if the sand is brought in!)

[caption id="attachment_3627" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Jess in Playa Blanca, during a walk along the promenade[/caption]

There you have access to a number of gorgeous beaches, particularly Playa Flamingo, Papagayo and Playa Dorada, plus there is a promenade to walk along which is perfect for little legs and buggies (as well as teen legs and older ones!). It is very well served by shops and restaurants and has a marina at one end (with a market on Wednesdays and Sundays) and the old town at the other – all within around 20 mintues walk. Jess is going to write more on the joys of Playa Blanca very soon, so look out for that, but if you choose to stay here, you won’t regret it – not least the views across the Atlantic to Isla de Lobos and Fuerteventura (where you can take a ferry).

[caption id="attachment_3628" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The beaches in Lanzarote are gorgeous - and the sea is clear and blue.[/caption]

Other family-friendly locations include Puerto Calero (which is only around 10 minutes from Puerto Del Carmen), Costa Teguise (which includes an aquarium and waterpark and has a number of good restaurants and beaches) while Finca de Arrieta, an eco retreat is supposed to be brilliant for kids (we haven’t managed to get here yet though). Puerto Del Carmen is probably the most famous resort on the island, but it wouldn’t be my top choice for a family visit and is better for those looking for busy nightlife, pubs and bars. However, if you are travelling with teens who are looking for more excitement, it may be the right place for you.

Where to go:

[caption id="attachment_3625" align="alignnone" width="675"] A geyser seen at Timanfaya National Park[/caption]

Lanzarote offers a huge variety of places to go and is easy to get around by car (plus petrol is much cheaper than at home). It doesn’t have the most beautiful landscape (Tenerife is prettier to look at) but I always find the barren, volcanic effect of the southern part of the island pretty impressive, while the mountains are a world away from the hustle and bustle of London. I also love the lack of high-rise buildings – this is because of the architect Cesar Manrique who forbade it. In fact, there is only one building on the island which taller than three storeys, and that was built in Arrecife when Manrique was in the US for a few years. There are loads of lovely beaches to visit, including La Santa (for any surfers in the family) and Famara (on the north shore).

[caption id="attachment_3621" align="alignnone" width="675"] Fire erupting from the earth at Timanfaya National Park[/caption]

Timanfaya
Talking of volcanoes, you really should take a trip to Timanfaya, the fire mountain – at least if you have kids from around the age of 4+. Yes, you will face queues, but you will also love the views and the tricks you will see (particularly the way the water steams and shoots up when it’s poured onto the hot ground), and your kids will love the fact that they have seen a real volcano in this moon-like landscape. Very little ones may find the coach tour a little boring, but when we took ours, they were only 4 and 7 and they loved it.
Our tip: Go early or late as it gets very busy and you can end up queuing just to get into the park.

[caption id="attachment_3622" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the Cactus Gardens (when the children were younger!)[/caption]

Cactus Garden

We first went here when Jessica (who is now nearly 15) wasn’t even three and would highly recommend it. It is basically what it says, a garden full of different time of cacti (more than 1,000 different species), but they are great to walk around and fascinating to look at for all ages. There is also a shop and cafe on site for afterwards. I know it doesn't sound that exciting, but honestly, it's great!

[caption id="attachment_3623" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the Jameos del Agua,[/caption]

Jameos del Agua
These caves – a natural wonder - are absolutely stunning, and you and your kids will love watching the white crabs (which have no shells) who take on a kind of dreamlike quality due to the light shining on them in the seawater lake. Created by that man Cesar Manrique (again!) it’s all quite enchanting.

El Golfo
This isn’t great for very little children as you need to be really careful along the path, but if your kids are a little older, we’d definitely recommend a visit. Here you’ll see black sandy beaches, stunning views and the impressive sight of the dramatic green lagoon – an effect caused by the algae trapped there by the sea.
If you’re coming from Playa Blanca, it’s a lovely drive past the lava fields.
Tip: The lagoon is not far from Los Hervideros which is also worth a visit for its fantastic crashing waves.

Rancho Texas

This wild west theme park includes a zoo and also has regular bird of prey and sea animal shows which are great fun. It also boasts a small waterpark, so make sure you take a change of clothes!

Waterparks:

Aqualava is based in the area of Playa Blanca and has a number of enjoyable rides, plus a lazy river and wave pool. It is also good value.

Aqua Water Park, Costa Teguise – we have not been here for many years and have heard mixed reviews about the park, but it is the biggest one on the island, and if that’s what would make your kids happy, you should think about checking it out....

Other suggestions would be the seaside village/town of Arrieta where you can enjoy a fish lunch at one of the many restaurants overlooking the sea. On your way back from this, you can actually visit Cesar Manrique’s House where you can not only enjoy his art collection and work, but also see how he designed and built his own house. Young kids may not find this too enthralling (the volcanoes and beaches are better!).

If you like shopping, then you’ll enjoy a trip to Costa Teguise, which boasts the biggest outdoor market in all of the Canary islands. It’s held every Sunday and is well worth a visit.

You can also take a ferry from Playa Blanca to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura and spend the day there. The boat takes less than an hour.

Plus, you can try out a pedalo from many of the beaches, or even a glass bottom boat or submarine (from Puero Calero Marina).

Be warned that while you will get some sun in Lanzarote, it’s not always baking hot. However, it will definitely be nicer than you will experience at home in December of January!

Final tip: We love hanging around Playa Blanca and enjoying the beaches, food and relaxing. We’d recommend you taking a trip or two, but think you will probably enjoy Lanzarote without having to exert yourself too much by being out and about! And you can always come back again, just as we have....

Read about Siam Water Park in Tenerife and some of that island's stunning beaches

A day in beautiful Broadstairs, Kent

[caption id="attachment_2160" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We thought the chalk stacks were amazing![/caption]

I had heard great things about Broadstairs in Kent, but wasn't sure what to expect when we had a day to spend there over Christmas. Our eventual destination was Margate (and you can read about that in this post), but we decided to spend our first night in Broadstairs, a place we had never been.

For those who don't know the area at all, Kent (often described as The Garden of England) is on the southeast corner of England and full of beautiful scenery, castles and of course, gardens. It's also easy to get to, by train or rail, and it took us less than two hours to get there from our part of London.

[caption id="attachment_2161" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We couldn't resist some ice-creams from Morelli's[/caption]

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and parked our car in the middle of the town (not something you can do quite so easily in our home town of London!). We decided an ice-cream was a must (how could we not, when were right next to Morelli's, a 1950s styled ice cream parlour?) and then we dropped into the Old Curiosity Shop Cafe where we all enjoyed a hot drink too.

We loved this small cafe with its own well - said to be used by smugglers in the past to store their wares, and which has a real skeleton at the bottom of it (fortunately it's no longer used to pull up water). Broadstairs was known to be a haven for smugglers in the 18th century and there are said to be a maze of tunnels and caves still in existence which were once used regularly. There are also a number of Titanic themed items on show at the cafe.

Once we had some energy, we decided to go for a walk. We were right next to the horse-shoe shaped Viking Bay which was really lovely and right next to the harbour, and had a wonderful, brisk walk along the shore, picking up seashells, and just enjoying the tranquility of it all (along with the fresh air of course).  The whole Thanet area (Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate) boasts a grand total of 15 spectacular sandy beaches, and also has more Blue Flag beaches than any other district in England.

[caption id="attachment_2163" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert at Viking Bay[/caption]

Viking Bay was huge - we couldn't believe the size of the beach - and it must be perfect for families in the summer, when I think there are lots of things going on such as rides and surfing. It was even lovely in winter - and Robert just had to dip his feet in to try the (very) cold sea!

After our seaside wander, we decided to have a look around the town which was really charming with its narrow streets and lovely array of shops, restaurants and pubs. There was also a fabulous looking tiny cinema (we were really sorry this was closed).

[caption id="attachment_2164" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The scenery along Viking Bay was incredible[/caption]

We then got back in our car and drove to the Botany Bay hotel, which was a real find and in the most glorious location, right on top of the bay (the views from our room were lovely). We stayed in a lovely family suite which was huge and which we thought was pretty good value (£135 including a great breakfast). The kids had single beds and there was a huge TV too, plus more than enough space to play some games.

As we only had a day in Broadstairs, we did not have time to visit the Bleak House museum (Charles Dickens used to live and work in the area, as you might have been able to tell from the Dickens references in the piece), or the Crampton Tower Museum (we'll just have to come back). But the next morning we did have the most glorious walk along Botany Bay which was so beautiful that we'd recommend you go there as soon as you can!

What was really fantastic was the chalk. I know that sounds odd, but this whole area (like Dover, which is not far away) is edged by remarkable chalk cliffs and you can see the most wonderful chalk stones on the shores (see the picture from Viking Bay above for an example). At Botany Bay, we were also amazed by see towering chalk stacks. They were absolutely beautiful, and looked like something quite otherworldly.

[caption id="attachment_2165" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Us at Botany Bay, Broadstairs, Kent[/caption]

We walked for a long time, enjoying the unseasonably good weather, the views, and at one point a flock of birds flying together over the water. It was a joy.

I can quite understand why Broadstairs was a popular Victorian seaside resort - and also why it would still appeal today. It's all very walkable, with gorgeous scenery, clean beaches and enough to do to keep all members of the family interested (including mini golf). If you walk along to Kingsgate Bay, you can seven see Kingsgate Castle, which we came on quite by chance. It's that kind of a place.

Find out more about this area from the Visit Kent website, and don't miss our post on our trip to Margate (and watch our video!)

 

 

What to do in Margate, Kent

Jess, aged 13, says: Over the holidays, our family visited two places on the Kent coast - Margate and Broadstairs. We had a lovely time visiting the beaches, exploring shops, and visiting local attractions, and we would have loved to stay for longer and visit Ramsgate and Whitstable nearby. Please watch the video below of our favourite things to do in Margate...

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHvTLeZ9R54" width=200 height=100 ]

 

Robert, aged 10, writes: The Walpole Bay Hotel was a quirky old fashioned establishment where we stayed our last two nights of our holiday to Kent. This brilliant hotel, built in 1914, was bought by the Bishop Family who have kept nearly everything the same from when they purchased it, even the exceptionally old 1927 lift (which we all loved to go in). On top of being a hotel, the second floor was a museum displaying an assortment of old objects from typewriters to vacuum cleaners plus the walls of the first and third floors were covered in paintings like a gallery.

[caption id="attachment_2127" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Our favourite parts of the hotel: the quirky museum, artwork by Tracey Emin, and the amazing 1927 lift[/caption]

The rooms were extremely comfortable and spacious and the food that we tried was really nice. The WIFI didn’t really work in our room but apart from that it was a fantastic place to stay.

Jess writes: The reason we visited Margate in the first place was to go to Dreamland, an old-fashioned amusement park full of rides and retro arcade games. We spent over half a day there, and loved all of the activities. As it was Christmas time, the park was called the "Frosted Fairground", and was full of lovely little additions. We loved it when some fake carollers came up to Robert and started singing songs, and the member of staff leading them told him to shut the door in their faces!

[caption id="attachment_2119" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It was funny when fake carol singers came up to Robert, and he was told to shut the door in their faces![/caption]

I enjoyed the fact that not all of the rides were for thrill seekers, which meant that the whole family could go on them together (although mum decided to sit out for the wooden roller coaster!). I loved the ferris wheel, the large slides, and the bumper cars, which mum says were the best she's been on. However, my favourite rides were (obviously) the really fast ones, such as the UK's oldest roller coaster and "Kiss Me Quick" (although I felt uncomfortable to be sitting next to my brother on that one)...

[caption id="attachment_2129" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Some of our favourite parts of Dreamland - we loved the retro rides, arcade games, and food[/caption]

There is also a roller skating rink and lots of arcade games, which ended in Robert winning quite a good prize with his 300 tickets - a minions pencil case! There was a lot of choice for food, which was all pretty good value, and I especially enjoyed my Nutella crepe for lunch. As there is too much to talk about here, Robert has written a separate post all about it.

[caption id="attachment_2131" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We watched a video about balloons and washing hands at the Turner Contemporary![/caption]

We all absolutely loved the Turner Contemporary, which is full of contemporary and historic art. Our family doesn't often visit art museums as we sometimes find it boring to look at pictures and paintings, but this was different. Lots of the art on display was either interactive or political, which really interested me and mum. The theme of the main exhibition was called "Risk", and we saw everything from videos of people jumping into tornadoes, to performance art starring Yoko Ono. We tried to find our way out of a maze, watched a video about a prison social experiment, saw a see-through trampoline, and watched a soporific video about balloons and washing hands while sitting in an inflatable dinghy! The exhibition is on until January 17.

[caption id="attachment_2132" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We loved going round and round on the spinny chairs![/caption]

It really was an insightful, fascinating and exciting afternoon, and I definitely recommend a visit. It is also great for children, as there is an interactive area where you are inspired to make crazy pieces of art (Robert and mum had a go), and really cool chairs which spun round (I probably stayed on these for far too long)...These were created by Thomas Heatherwick who was the man behind the Olympic cauldron.

It is also free!

Sarah says: The old town in Margate was full of quirky shops (many of them vintage or retro), tearooms and narrow streets which were full of history.

[caption id="attachment_2125" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We stumbled upon a house from Tudor times while having a walk![/caption]

We really enjoyed walking around, though we were sorry that the gorgeous looking Tudor House was closed (it was funny to see this historic building randomly situated on a street!). We may have to come back another time for more sweets, scones or just a mooch about.

Jess writes: We loved all the beautiful beaches near Margate. The Kent Coast is full of gorgeous bays and shores, and we adored Botany Bay in Broadstairs and the Margate Main Sands (we also had a lovely walk near our hotel, which was right on the beach in Cliftonville).

The sea was absolutely stunning, and Robert and I collected lots of fascinating shells. The chalk cliffs are exquisite and imposing, and we discovered that Turner remarked that“…the skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all Europe”. The unique quality of light in this part of Kent drew Turner back time and again.

[caption id="attachment_2123" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Margate Main Sands was beautiful, and the light was stunning[/caption]

In the summer, the beaches are full of swings and deck chairs, but it was lovely to run around the beaches without any disturbance as it was so picturesque and tranquil.

Robert says: The pantomime adaptation of Aladdin we saw at the Theatre Royal was great (oh yes it was!). It had everything from funny jokes, crazy versions of well known songs and a man dressed as a woman. I loved watching the show as it had a great story to it and all the actors were great. Some of the puns they used were hilarious and the cast interacted with the audience a lot which I liked. It was great fun - and the theatre puts on shows throughout the year, so do check what's coming up. 

Jess writes: Overall, we had a wonderful time visiting Margate - the beaches were lovely, the atmosphere was charming, and it felt as if we had been whisked back in time. We loved visiting the sweet shops and seeing crazy tea rooms, and thought that Dreamland and the Turner Contemporary were brilliant. It is perfect for families, and we had a really enjoyable and relaxing time.

Disclaimer: Visit Kent helped to organise our trip and made suggestions for where to go. We stayed two nights at the Walpole Bay hotel in interconnecting rooms (a family suite) on a discounted media rate. The room rate for the suite is £115 a night including breakfast, and you can find out about the prices here.

READ ROBERT'S POST ON DREAMLAND - RIDES AND MORE!

More by us:

Travelling Times: Our Top Places to visit in 2015

A Day Out at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire

Our Experience Of The Sandals Foundation (By Jessica)

As part of our holiday to Beaches Negril in Jamaica, we were presented with an incredible opportunity - to take part in the Sandals Foundation's annual holiday toy drive!  Our destination was the Mount Airy School in Clarendon Parish, a school that was unbelievably different to mine back at home...

For the "Share The Luck" toy drive, the Sandals Foundation joins up with Hasbro the toy maker, which donates up to 8000 toys and games each year. As well as this, the Foundation matches every donation, and this means there are masses of wonderful presents to give out. Not wanting to be left out, we also brought some of our own from London.


The day started with a short, 20 minute drive to Mount Airy School, which was, quite literally, on top of a mountain! The views were beautiful, and I couldn't keep my eyes off them as we slipped out of the air-conditioned van and into the blisteringly-hot Jamaican heat. The mountain was thick with dust and covered with bugs, but I could only think about what a brilliant experience it was, and how I couldn't wait to get started. 

The school

 
The celebration began with loads of dancing and drum playing by the children, and I was astounded by how good they were! To stand up and dance for fun is one thing, but a choreographed routine consisting of only three people is definitely something else. The children were so enthusiastic - I think if it was at my school, we would have been more self-conscious.

One of the brilliant dancers, with the drummers in the background

Amidst all the noise, mum and I volunteered to cut the cake, not realising that it had to serve FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE! This took forever, but it was great fun to dash back and forth, trying to pick up napkins in our frosting-covered hands. It seems kind of crazy when I think about it, that one of my greatest achievements is cutting a cake...

Mum just after we'd finished cutting the cake

Next it was time for Santa and the Sesame Street characters to appear. Every time a new person came out, they were greeted with cheers. Santa handed out presents class by class and these were fantastic, ranging from board games such as Guess Who? to brilliant Nerf Guns, FurReal Friends to Cluedo. Something that particularly caught my eye was a girl looking about my age, holding a 300 piece jigsaw puzzle. I promptly walked up to her and we started talking about school, friends and weather. So far I had only seen differences, but I was amazed to find out how much I had in common with a 12 year old girl, thousands of miles away.

The kids and Elmo

 
While everyone else lined up for ice-cream, mum and I took the time to explore the school. It was small, and consisted of a ring of classrooms around a patch of wildlife and plants. There was a mural on the front, and everything seemed to be reddish-brown, from the bricks to the individual desks, the walls to the ceilings.

A classroom

The classrooms were dark, relying only on natural light coming in through the top of the building. The walls were wooden and covered with posters, and there was a blackboard right at the front of every classroom. They didn't seem to have the same kinds of resources we have at home (I didn't see any of the electronic equipment we use to learn) and the desks were individual, whereas ours are in tables, and there was a sheet marked "Top Achievers" that showed who was doing best in every subject. That would never happen at home!

Although there weren't the facilities that our school has, the topics seemed to be almost exactly the same. While walking around, I recognised subjects that I had previously covered in school. This was unbelievably cool. To think that people so far away from me were learning exactly what I had, was a pretty big thought, and one that I had never considered before.

However, there was no more time for revelations. Too soon we had to leave, and return to our resort. Of course it was wonderful to enjoy all that luxury again, but I knew I wouldn't forget the day which took me into a completely different world.

Guests staying at the resort can take part in delivering the gifts at the toy drive like we did, but have to book in advance through the PR department as it isn't a scheduled trip.
You can find out more about Beaches via their website as well as the Sandals Foundation site. It is the philanthropic arm of the Sandals Resorts and invests money in the Jamaican community, and in particular education and the environment. 

Disclosure note: this post was brought to you with assistance from Beaches, who offered us the holiday to Jamaica as part of a bloggers' trip. The opinions, photos, videos and everything else are all ours!

Read about our trip to Negril and watch our video in this post.

Our Experience Of The Sandals Foundation (By Jessica)

As part of our holiday to Beaches Negril in Jamaica, we were presented with an incredible opportunity - to take part in the Sandals Foundation's annual holiday toy drive!  Our destination was the Mount Airy School in Clarendon Parish, a school that was unbelievably different to mine back at home...

For the "Share The Luck" toy drive, the Sandals Foundation joins up with Hasbro the toy maker, which donates up to 8000 toys and games each year. As well as this, the Foundation matches every donation, and this means there are masses of wonderful presents to give out. Not wanting to be left out, we also brought some of our own from London.


The day started with a short, 20 minute drive to Mount Airy School, which was, quite literally, on top of a mountain! The views were beautiful, and I couldn't keep my eyes off them as we slipped out of the air-conditioned van and into the blisteringly-hot Jamaican heat. The mountain was thick with dust and covered with bugs, but I could only think about what a brilliant experience it was, and how I couldn't wait to get started. 

Read more »