UK family holidays: Get walking and go wild on active breaks for all ages
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There's nothing like an Olympic Games to flame a burning desire to get fitter, faster and more competitive. Getting active with the family on holiday can be fun - and encouraging for any budding sporting heroes.Whether your passion is sailing, cycling, horse-riding or swimming, there are adrenaline-fuelled breaks in the UK that will not only set your heart racing but may inspire children to aim for future British gold medals. 
Unleash your adventurous side
How do you please all the family? Book a holiday at Center Parcs, where there is a choice of more than 100 indoor and outdoor activities for all ages. Our familys favourite is Whinfell Forest, near Penrith on the edge of the Lake District, but there are also Parcs in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest, Suffolk; and Longleat Forest, Wiltshire.The traffic-free environment is peaceful and you can stroll or cycle around the woodland village with its restaurants, sports centres, adventure playgrounds, bars, shops and spa. Accommodation is in self-catering lodges, villas or one of the new Sherwood Forest treehouses which come complete with an outdoor hot tub.The setting encourages wildlife and birds, while ranger rambles, falconry displays and encounters with owls are as magical for children as Hogwarts. When it rains, the balmy Subtropical Swimming Paradise is the place to be with its river rapids. Childrens clubs, a creche, tennis tournaments and football academies allow youngsters to make new friends and give parents some time out.Holiday options include a midweek getaway (Monday to Friday), a long weekend (Friday to Monday) or a weeks break (08448 267 723, www.centerparcs.co.uk). Monster fun at Loch Ness
Children can get green-fingered and look for monsters too at Polmaily House Hotel, Drumnadrochit, on the shores of Loch Ness. A haven for all the family, including pets, this country house in 18 acres of woodland has a pool, childrens Monster Club, tennis court, trampolines, table tennis and fishing pond - as well as the chance for a spot of Nessie-hunting.Surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Glen Affric nature reserve in the heart of the Highlands, the hotel provides bikes, picnics, fishing rods and walking or cycling routes for guests, while horse-riding and golf can also be arranged.Holidays here will appeal particularly to children who like to get their hands dirty as theyre encouraged to learn about planting and harvesting vegetables or herbs, which they can use either to try to lure Nessie or eat for dinner at their own special meal time.Childrens places for the under-threes are free, while you pay only a token amount for youngsters up to 13 when they share a family room or garden suite. Polmaily House (01456 450343, www.polmaily.co.uk).Other Scottish hotels that offer activities and family-friendly hospitality include Turnberry (www.turnberryresort.co.uk) in Ayrshire; Auchrannie House Hotel (www.auchrannie.co.uk) on the Isle of Arran; Crieff Hydro (www.crieffhydro.com) in Perthshire; Loch Melfort Hotel (www.lochmelfort.co.uk) near Oban; and Macdonald Hotels (www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk) at various locations nationwide.
Five quests take you on journeys to enchanted castles and deserted islands as you unravel riddles using the maps and clues provided en route. If you solve the tasks, your Muggle family will be awarded a Pembrokeshire Wizards Certificate of Merit.This is one of the family multi-activity breaks offered by the YHA (www.yha.org.uk/activities) from overnight to week-long trips that include pursuits such as abseiling, coracle-building, ghyll-scrambling and human bowling.Young at heart
Butlins may be celebrating its 75th birthday but the holiday camps in the seaside resorts of Skegness, Bognor Regis and Minehead are still for the young at heart.Billy Butlin opened his first holiday camp in 1936 for families to have a place to spend time together, try something new and relax - a recipe that still applies.The choice of accommodation ranges from simple rooms or self-catering apartments to contemporary hotels.
Activities include wall-climbing, Tots Soccer, go-karting and fencing. Theres also a Circus School and Splash Waterworld. In the evening, acts from TVs Britains Got Talent and The X-Factor perform. Prices start from 61 per person for a four-night break including a host of activities (0800 048 1002, www.butlins.co! m).
There's nothing like an Olympic Games to flame a burning desire to get fitter, faster and more competitive. Getting active with the family on holiday can be fun - and encouraging for any budding sporting heroes.Whether your passion is sailing, cycling, horse-riding or swimming, there are adrenaline-fuelled breaks in the UK that will not only set your heart racing but may inspire children to aim for future British gold medals.
Plain sailing: The lake at Whinfell Forest Center Parc near the Lake District
Unleash your adventurous side
How do you please all the family? Book a holiday at Center Parcs, where there is a choice of more than 100 indoor and outdoor activities for all ages. Our familys favourite is Whinfell Forest, near Penrith on the edge of the Lake District, but there are also Parcs in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest, Suffolk; and Longleat Forest, Wiltshire.The traffic-free environment is peaceful and you can stroll or cycle around the woodland village with its restaurants, sports centres, adventure playgrounds, bars, shops and spa. Accommodation is in self-catering lodges, villas or one of the new Sherwood Forest treehouses which come complete with an outdoor hot tub.The setting encourages wildlife and birds, while ranger rambles, falconry displays and encounters with owls are as magical for children as Hogwarts. When it rains, the balmy Subtropical Swimming Paradise is the place to be with its river rapids. Childrens clubs, a creche, tennis tournaments and football academies allow youngsters to make new friends and give parents some time out.Holiday options include a midweek getaway (Monday to Friday), a long weekend (Friday to Monday) or a weeks break (08448 267 723, www.centerparcs.co.uk).On your bik! es: Make the most of the car-free environment at Center Parcs
Monster fun at Loch Ness
Children can get green-fingered and look for monsters too at Polmaily House Hotel, Drumnadrochit, on the shores of Loch Ness. A haven for all the family, including pets, this country house in 18 acres of woodland has a pool, childrens Monster Club, tennis court, trampolines, table tennis and fishing pond - as well as the chance for a spot of Nessie-hunting.Surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Glen Affric nature reserve in the heart of the Highlands, the hotel provides bikes, picnics, fishing rods and walking or cycling routes for guests, while horse-riding and golf can also be arranged.Holidays here will appeal particularly to children who like to get their hands dirty as theyre encouraged to learn about planting and harvesting vegetables or herbs, which they can use either to try to lure Nessie or eat for dinner at their own special meal time.Childrens places for the under-threes are free, while you pay only a token amount for youngsters up to 13 when they share a family room or garden suite. Polmaily House (01456 450343, www.polmaily.co.uk).Other Scottish hotels that offer activities and family-friendly hospitality include Turnberry (www.turnberryresort.co.uk) in Ayrshire; Auchrannie House Hotel (www.auchrannie.co.uk) on the Isle of Arran; Crieff Hydro (www.crieffhydro.com) in Perthshire; Loch Melfort Hotel (www.lochmelfort.co.uk) near Oban; and Macdonald Hotels (www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk) at various locations nationwide.Go wild in the country
There will be little chance of hearing Im bored on the action-packed itineraries offered by ecotourism company Wilderness Scotland. Instead, children could be so tired out by all the fresh air and fun that they may even ask togo to bed early.The Family Adventure Holidays encourage exploring remote areas of the Highlands and Islands. Canadian canoeing, wildlife-spotting, sailing, sea-kayaking, mountain-biking, gorgewalking and rock-climbing are ways that parents! and chi ldren can experience the great outdoors together.Accommodation is part of the adventure and includes camping, guest houses and cabins on board a chartered yacht (0131 625 6635, www.wildernessscotland.com).The high life: Children will enjoy the climbing wall at Butlin's
Walking is simply wizard
If you find it hard to get your children to enjoy long hikes, you may need to get them under the spell of the Wizard Walks in Wales, conjured up by hostels such as the YHA Broad Haven, in a magical seaside setting.Harry Potter fans, especially those aged four to 12, will enjoy this CD audio tour of Pembrokeshire, which brings alive the spellbinding myths and legends of the area.Five quests take you on journeys to enchanted castles and deserted islands as you unravel riddles using the maps and clues provided en route. If you solve the tasks, your Muggle family will be awarded a Pembrokeshire Wizards Certificate of Merit.This is one of the family multi-activity breaks offered by the YHA (www.yha.org.uk/activities) from overnight to week-long trips that include pursuits such as abseiling, coracle-building, ghyll-scrambling and human bowling.
Young at heart
Butlins may be celebrating its 75th birthday but the holiday camps in the seaside resorts of Skegness, Bognor Regis and Minehead are still for the young at heart.Billy Butlin opened his first holiday camp in 1936 for families to have a place to spend time together, try something new and relax - a recipe that still applies.The choice of accommodation ranges from simple rooms or self-catering apartments to contemporary hotels. Activities include wall-climbing, Tots Soccer, go-karting and fencing. Theres also a Circus School and Splash Waterworld. In the evening, acts from TVs Britains Got Talent and The X-Factor perform. Prices start from 61 per person for a four-night break including a host of activities (0800 048 1002, www.butlins.co! m).
Racing ahead: Beach football at Butlin's
Campers have never had it so good
Camping is always popular with children, though perhaps not so much with Mum and Dad. To keep everyone happy, there are many sites around the UK that offer extra comfort with pre-erected tents equipped with beds, floors, barbecues and lanterns.The Channel Island of Guernsey hosts its first eco-camp this month where guests can pitch their own tents or choose to have everything ready and waiting for them.WildGuernseys Wildcamping (www.wildguernsey.wordpress.com) also offers a choice of activities such as swimming, sea-foraging, sea-snorkelling, surfing, guided walks, cycling, beachcraft, fishing, kayaking and interactive farm experiences.Eurocamp (www.eurocamp.co.uk) also provides 12 ready-pitched sites in beautiful locations around the country. There is a choice of safari tents, mobile homes and mountain lodges on offer. Forest Rangers give guidance on nature trails, survival skills and orienteering.Or for wild camping with a difference, stay at Livingstone Safari Lodge at Port Lympne in Kent for a Roar and Snore weekend. This includes a night under the stars, waking up to the roar of lions before setting off on a dawn safari, watching zebra and wildebeest grazing and rhinos wallowing in the mud.You could be in the Serengeti rather than the South of England (0844 842 4647, www.aspinallfoundation.org/portlympne).More...
- See our great ideas for family breaks
- Luxury UK family camping holidays
- Our pick of the week's holiday deals
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