Beat the boredom: 10 short breaks for children at that difficult age
The school holidays are about to descend upon us and, with them, our kids - except that what should be enjoyable time together can all too quickly become the summer of our discontent. Tweens (children around 10 to 12 years) are potentially the trickiest age to deal with here - now that they’re no longer satisfied with daily trips to the park and fountains, but not yet independent enough to take themselves off with their friends, those complaints of boredom are increasingly audible and real.
Fortunately, you needn’t have a bottomless bank account, nor back-to-back holidays and activities planned well in advance; in fact, the more spontaneous you are with your plans, the less time they’ll have to complain that they ‘hate doing that’ before they’ve even done it (sound familiar?!)
Get ready to book a train (you’ll save a bundle with a Family & Friends Railcard) or throw everything into the car and hit the road: most of these trips can be arranged as a last minute, ‘just a night or two’ getaway - a quick jaunt to break up the long summer holiday and shake off any attendant inertia.
1. Underground Adventure in North Wales
A former working mine in Snowdonia National Park has been reincarnated as a subterranean adventure playground, except to call it that barely does it justice: this is an underground world of thrills and adrenaline, with trampolines suspended over vast 85ft drops, high speed slides hurtling you from one level down to the next and zip wires along which to fling yourself. A non-stop LED light-show provides a continuous backdrop to your stunts - one for all the family but it definitely gets a huge thumbs up from hard-to-please tweens. Read more about Bounce Below and Zip World here and about Snowdonia here. A family ticket is priced at £75; go self-catering in one of Snowdonia’s many chalet accommodations to keep costs down.
2. Gothic architecture and coastal scrambles at Boggle Hole
With a name that’s straight out of a Famous Five style adventure, Boggle Hole is located within a short distance of Dracula’s Abbey and the fish’n’chip delights of Whitby. Staying at this YHA guarantees you family-friendly facilities and lots of wide open spaces in which to roam around, not to mention the certainty of company: we stay at YHAs several times a year and my children always form gangs of friends in no time at all. Robin Hood Bay is accessible by cliff path or, at low tide, along the coast. A family room to sleep 5 costs £119 per night midweek and £139 on Fridays and Saturdays. Read more about Whitby here.
3. Culture and canals in Amsterdam
Budget flights and the new Eurostar route makes fast access a cinch, but the overnight ferry is probably a cheaper option if you’re talking about last minute plans - plus the kids will probably quite enjoy the novelty of it. Banish any thoughts of Amsterdam’s much-touted seedy side - the city is great for pre-teens who are old enough to appreciate the cultural attractions (Anne Frank’s house and the Van Gogh museum are musts) but also the Stroopwafels, bridges, bicycles and, in certain places, canal swimming. Read more here. A family of 4 can travel overnight from Harwich to The Hook of Holland for around £300 return, plus about £100 extra for a berth. Book a family room in a hostel for around £120 per night.
4. Medieval fun in Edinburgh
Fortunately, the appeal of a castle is something that persists long after your children are resolutely refusing to dress up as knights and brandish swords (although my three made an exception at Warwick last year) and Edinburgh’s is a beauty. Add to that a compact and easily explored city centre, plus a climb to the top of the 251 meter high Arthur’s Seat, which will give youngsters a sense of achievement when they gaze down on the vistas below. More ideas for a family city break in Edinburgh can be found here and summer is a great time to take advantage of vacant student accommodation which offers a fairly basic but more affordable option than a hotel.
5. Sunshine and seaside in Bognor Regis
If nothing else, your tweens should experience some puerile mirth over the name - but actually, there’s more to this seaside town, not least its location in West Sussex, which offers castles in Arundel and Amberley, plus trails for walking and biking in the South Downs - and several excellent pubs at which to refuel. Bognor itself is well known as being England’s sunniest town, so there’s little fear of being cooped up inside, and the shingly beach stretches endlessly. Since, in my experience, tweens tend to shuck off their too-cool-for-school moodiness once they’ve had some time in the fresh air, you’ll probably find that they suddenly decide the pier and miniature railway are good fun, too. Skip staying at the slightly lurid, albeit family-friendly, Butlins if you want to keep an eye on spend; chalets to sleep up to 6 can be had for around £50 per night elsewhere.
6. Wave riding in Devon
The West Country is generally an easy sell for youngsters - it has pasties and clotted cream ice cream, for a start. For slightly older kids with decent swimming ability and a taste for acquiring new skills, however, Devon also boasts some of the best and most family friendly waves in Europe; there are also numerous places, like Ocean Pitch Campsite, to throw a tent up and keep costs down - here, it’s £15 per person, per night and half of that for kids aged 3-15.
7. Water sports in Rutland
Despite being England’s smallest county, Rutland has much to offer the parent trying to entertain pre-teens. There’s rolling countryside and characterful market towns but you’ll probably want to make a beeline for Rutland Water, where a giant inflatable obstacle course pops up in the summer months; sessions cost £20-£22. There’s also cycling, kayaking, rock climbing and abseiling to stave off summer holiday doldrums. Glamp in a dome, which accommodates up to six and costs £705 for 4 nights.
8. Sand and seals in Norfolk
The coast is by no means as dramatic as in other parts of the UK but that’s part of the appeal - the huge swathes of sand are ideal for active children to play ball games or fly kites without fear of disturbing other beachgoers, although be aware that currents, in some areas, may make swimming inadvisable. Cromer Pier makes for a fun ice-cream buying mission but the real highlight? The seals, which in the summer months are best seen at Blakeney Point. Read more about what to do in Norfolk here and camp from £13 per tent, per night here.
9. Chasing waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons, Wales
Hands down one of the most successful unplanned short breaks I’ve ever had with my pre-teens - so much so that it’s been thrice-repeated. Staying at a bunkhouse, where a family room was priced from £40 per night, meant we had both space and company in the evenings, while by day we spent next to nothing, climbing Pen Y Fan, hiking the Four Falls Trail, swimming at the base of Sgwd y Eira, searching for the Lady of the Lake at Llyn y Fan Fach and exploring the starkly beautiful Tretower Court and Castle. A half day of indoor climbing and instruction at an activity centre when the weather was sketchy was £30 per person, or £54 for a full day. Read more about the Brecon Beacons here.
10. Day tripping in France
If you’re feeling hardy and in the mood for a madcap adventure, then gather the passports, gird your loins and head over by ferry to France on a day trip, which costs from less than £30 per person (plus £30 extra if you want to take your car). St Malo, in Brittany, has such a sense of having travelled back to a medieval time that even the most recalcitrant tween will be entertained for a day - and the Grand Plage, which is protected from Brittany’s often rough waters by breakers, provides a calm and sandy spot to swim and paddle. It’s overlooked by the old walled town of Intra-Muros; youngsters will get a kick out of walking its ramparts and there are also tidal islands to be explored. Travel overnight on the ferry from Portsmouth, grab a strong coffee when you arrive and be ready to hit the ground running for a whirlwind day.
