Summer Down South
Summer in the South East of England
The South East of England is well known for its idyllic countryside and iconic tourist attractions, not to mention the sun is always shining over its array of beautiful blue flag beaches, which are renowned to have the best weather in the UK. So why pay a fortune to go abroad this summer? Inspiring mum and parenting blogger of Mum Muddling Through, Sarah, is sharing some of her most treasured places to visit in Kent with the family. Whether you live locally or fancy going there for a day/weekend trip, the South East has plenty to inspire and offer families.
As we know young children seem to have the ultimate superpower of never running out of energy and with school being out for the summer, this may unfortunately become channelled into causing utter chaos and plenty of mess within the family home. A great way to get the children to put their physical energy to good use is exercise and lots of it, not to mention the ease this may bring when it comes to getting the little ones to bed at night. Thank me later!
Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) highly recommends the Cyclopark at Gravesend as a fantastic day out for the whole family. She suggests its “great for all aged kids, as it has the most beautiful play park as well as a lovely café and the cycle track. There's always loads of cool stuff going on at this venue.” Some of the events included in their summer line up this year are CycloKids Holiday Camp, Under 8’s Skate and BMX Buzz. It’s also worth noting that kids go free this summer with every adult rider, so it’s a great opportunity to make the most of an affordable family day out, getting everyone involved. But don’t forget safety first, as Sarah states, “remember a helmet as its compulsory if cycling or scooting.”
Little ones simply love to explore, driven by their thriving curiosity with the world. As they become more mobile, and excited by their newfound freedom on their feet, running at full throttle (to our sluggish joy), sometimes seems to be the only way they wish to get around. Taking children somewhere new can often be a great way to let off some steam, encourage their learning and stimulate their senses. Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) suggests a great adventure is to be had visiting The Historic Dockyard at Chatham, “we went for the first time recently and I fell in love with the place! So much to see and do, it's huge! Loads of space to run around and explore the boats, the gardens, the play areas and the big store... go and you'll see!”
Travelling anywhere with small children can be challenging to say the least so Sarah suggests packing “a small clear ziplock bag with as many small trinket toys as you can. Kinder egg toys, party bag nick nacks, then ones that come free with magazines. We did this for our first family holiday with two kids and those bags were magic! Plane, dinner, in the apartment, with all the friends they made - those bags just kept on giving!”
For those day trips out, a small picnic packed with sandwiches, snacks and treats can also be an ideal, fun and frugal way to eat on the go and keep those little munchers happy.
When visiting the South East, you can’t miss out on a trip to the iconic Broadstairs Viking Bay Beach as Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) states its “such a timeless place that I adore. I spent my childhood there and we go as often as we can in the summer.” The unique curved bay features a range of children’s rides and a popular surf school, offering body boards for those water babies that just can’t resist making a splash. Sarah says “We've booked a cottage for a week there this year and we can't wait! The ice cream parlour Morellis is an absolute MUST.” Yum! Sounds like the perfect beach getaway!
For when you’re having some wind down time or perhaps a rainy day hits, Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) suggests encourage the children to create their own summer holiday journal. “Getting the kids to draw and write about what they have loved over the holidays is a great way to encourage reading, writing and creativity and it's a lovely way to look back on your summer too.”
Another activity that is always a winner with the kids is painting, why not get them to recreate those stunning South East scenes. As Sarah admits, “If I ask my kids what they want to do, the answer is always 'painting'. This can send parents running for cover, but be brave, roll out some lining paper to protect your surfaces and have fun! It all washes off, right?!”
Pack your bags and get yourselves down to the sunny South East this summer for some magical holiday memories. Don’t forget to pack the sun cream!
Connect with Sarah:
Blog: www.mummuddlingthrough.com
Instagram: @mummuddlingthrough
The South East of England is well known for its idyllic countryside and iconic tourist attractions, not to mention the sun is always shining over its array of beautiful blue flag beaches, which are renowned to have the best weather in the UK. So why pay a fortune to go abroad this summer? Inspiring mum and parenting blogger of Mum Muddling Through, Sarah, is sharing some of her most treasured places to visit in Kent with the family. Whether you live locally or fancy going there for a day/weekend trip, the South East has plenty to inspire and offer families.
As we know young children seem to have the ultimate superpower of never running out of energy and with school being out for the summer, this may unfortunately become channelled into causing utter chaos and plenty of mess within the family home. A great way to get the children to put their physical energy to good use is exercise and lots of it, not to mention the ease this may bring when it comes to getting the little ones to bed at night. Thank me later!
Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) highly recommends the Cyclopark at Gravesend as a fantastic day out for the whole family. She suggests its “great for all aged kids, as it has the most beautiful play park as well as a lovely café and the cycle track. There's always loads of cool stuff going on at this venue.” Some of the events included in their summer line up this year are CycloKids Holiday Camp, Under 8’s Skate and BMX Buzz. It’s also worth noting that kids go free this summer with every adult rider, so it’s a great opportunity to make the most of an affordable family day out, getting everyone involved. But don’t forget safety first, as Sarah states, “remember a helmet as its compulsory if cycling or scooting.”
Little ones simply love to explore, driven by their thriving curiosity with the world. As they become more mobile, and excited by their newfound freedom on their feet, running at full throttle (to our sluggish joy), sometimes seems to be the only way they wish to get around. Taking children somewhere new can often be a great way to let off some steam, encourage their learning and stimulate their senses. Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) suggests a great adventure is to be had visiting The Historic Dockyard at Chatham, “we went for the first time recently and I fell in love with the place! So much to see and do, it's huge! Loads of space to run around and explore the boats, the gardens, the play areas and the big store... go and you'll see!”
Travelling anywhere with small children can be challenging to say the least so Sarah suggests packing “a small clear ziplock bag with as many small trinket toys as you can. Kinder egg toys, party bag nick nacks, then ones that come free with magazines. We did this for our first family holiday with two kids and those bags were magic! Plane, dinner, in the apartment, with all the friends they made - those bags just kept on giving!”
For those day trips out, a small picnic packed with sandwiches, snacks and treats can also be an ideal, fun and frugal way to eat on the go and keep those little munchers happy.
When visiting the South East, you can’t miss out on a trip to the iconic Broadstairs Viking Bay Beach as Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) states its “such a timeless place that I adore. I spent my childhood there and we go as often as we can in the summer.” The unique curved bay features a range of children’s rides and a popular surf school, offering body boards for those water babies that just can’t resist making a splash. Sarah says “We've booked a cottage for a week there this year and we can't wait! The ice cream parlour Morellis is an absolute MUST.” Yum! Sounds like the perfect beach getaway!
For when you’re having some wind down time or perhaps a rainy day hits, Sarah (Mum Muddling Through) suggests encourage the children to create their own summer holiday journal. “Getting the kids to draw and write about what they have loved over the holidays is a great way to encourage reading, writing and creativity and it's a lovely way to look back on your summer too.”
Another activity that is always a winner with the kids is painting, why not get them to recreate those stunning South East scenes. As Sarah admits, “If I ask my kids what they want to do, the answer is always 'painting'. This can send parents running for cover, but be brave, roll out some lining paper to protect your surfaces and have fun! It all washes off, right?!”
Pack your bags and get yourselves down to the sunny South East this summer for some magical holiday memories. Don’t forget to pack the sun cream!
Connect with Sarah:
Blog: www.mummuddlingthrough.com
Instagram: @mummuddlingthrough
