Travel Editor Amy Bould discovers an ideal location for family breaks – Center Parcs

An activity-packed break with the children was never at the top of my wishlist when it came to holidays.

Not that I don’t love my children, but a holiday for me means relaxing somewhere warm, on a beach, or by a private pool, with a drink in one hand and a book in the other.

Well, it did before the children came along. Now the difference is that one hand normally has a spade in it and the other, a bucket.

But still I have avoided any possibility of a family break somewhere where I would need warm clothes and flat shoes.

And positively laughed at the suggestion that I’d go away somewhere where I needed to ride a bike to get around and would need to join hundreds of people at an indoor pool complex if I wanted a peaceful swim.

But I am holding up my hands and proudly saying: “I am a Center Parcs convert.”

I loved it. I mean, really loved it. Yes, there were times when I was fighting for space in a packed changing room at the pool, and yes, trying to find your way back to your lodge in the pitch black with two tired boys and poor signposting was frustrating.

But I reckon for a family with young children wanting a short break away, but still having the comforts of home, you can’t beat it.

And my sons, aged five and three, loved it too.

The excitement of opening the patio doors and heading straight into the forest to spot squirrels and rabbits was matched by the squeals of delight as they sat in the trailer attached to the bike. They found a new confidence in the pool, got tons of fresh air and played to their hearts’ content.

And that really is one of the best attractions of Center Parcs. We were at the Sherwood Forest village, and everywhere we went was geared to children.

Every restaurant we ate in, every break we took from cycling, there was a play area nearby.

We long ago gave up planning long Sunday lunches with the papers, or a quiet meal where we could have a bite without jumping up every few minutes to fish out the baby wipes or pick up the dropped fork.

Choice

But we were spoilt for choice at Center Parcs, with the fantastic American-style bar and grill, Hucks, offering a children’s buffet and an amazing soft-play area complete with slides and ball pools and a bank of Apple Mac computers for the older children to play on. Even the Italian Strada on site had a small play area, and the Jardin de Sports had a dedicated indoor and outdoor play area too.

Because that’s all children want to do, play and eat. And we as parents get to watch and eat, which suits me down to the ground.

But apart from eating and playing, there is stacks of stuff on offer for adults and children to do, either separately or as a family.

The Center Parcs website allows you to book activities from badminton to face-painting and horse-riding to wall-climbing in advance, and then makes up a full itinerary for your stay. You could be doing something from dawn to dusk.

But there’s certainly no pressure to do that. I suspect many families, like us, were happy to spend a couple of hours in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, an amazing venue with children’s pools, water rides, chutes and spa pools, and a huge swimming pool with a wave machine and shallower areas for those who just want to paddle.

Throw into the mix a Starbucks and its easy to spend the entire morning or afternoon here.

But there are also miles and miles of cycle tracks to discover. There are no cars allowed apart from arrival and departure days, which means most people bring their own or hire a bike, or walk, to get around the site.

We’d hired two adult bikes, one with a trailer which comfortably fitted both our boys in the back. (It also mean there was room for bags and a backpack in the back of the trailer).

And considering the thousands of people on site at any one time, Sherwood Forest never felt cramped unless you were in the changing rooms at the pool complex.

And you could never describe the accommodation as cramped either. We loved our four-bedroom executive lodge, all en suite, with an open-plan living, kitchen and dining area.

All the mod cons were available, from the spa bath to the dishwasher. And there was even a games room where I beat my husband at pool.

But the biggest surprise was outside: a sauna attached to the lodge which can be switched on at the touch of a button and just 20 minutes later is ready to use.

I have to admit that we gave it a miss simply because as part of our break we’d booked into the Aqua Sana spa for an afternoon.

The Time Out clubs run age-appropriate sessions with fully qualified staff which means we could leave the boys safe in the knowledge they’d have a great, if messy, time making biscuits and cakes.

And we entered the calm of the World of Spa for three hours of bliss. There’s an array of steam rooms and a huge sauna, as well as a heated outdoor pool, relaxation areas and relaxing foot baths.

But the highlight was a 90-minute aroma­therapy massage which saw me nearly fall asleep on numerous occasions.

The highlight for the children was a bowling session the next day. The lane barriers go up when its the little ones’ turn, and all they have to do is push the ball down the ramp.

When we’d finished, staff appeared with a certificate and a medal for the boys, who were so chuffed you’d think they’d just won gold at the Olympics.

Family time is so precious and when you work full time so much of it is taken up simply with keeping on top of everything, keeping all the balls in the air.

Giggles

What a weekend at Center Parcs did for us was give us a chance to enjoy the little things — the giggles in the bike trailer, the whoops of delight coming down a water slide, the wonderment at a passing squirrel, the leaping up and down even if only one skittle was knocked over.

Center Parcs isn’t cheap . . . you get what you pay for — which is quality, brilliant service and choice. But it also encourages you to switch off the square-screen babysitter in the corner, to be in the open air, to share stress-free activities and meals with your family and enjoy quality ­time with your children.

And that’s priceless.

The Guide

• Center Parcs Sherwood Forest can be contacted on 08705 200 300, or see www.centerparcs.co.uk
• A four-night midweek stay or a three-night weekend break in May for a family of two adults and two children costs from £419.
• Prices include the villa and all its services (heating, etc), use of the Sub­tropical Swimming Paradise and all children’s play areas.
• A spa session at the World of Spa will cost between £26 and £36 per three-hour session.
• Adult bike hire costs from £22 for the duration of the stay, £12 for children’s bike hire.