Center Parcs Sherwood Forest, Newark

I didn't actually visit here with my son, I came on a Hen Do but I spent the whole weekend wishing I'd bought my son! There's sooooo much for them to do and apart from being as expensive as a week away to Spain I'd happily bring my son here. the swimming pool/s are excellant and are included in the price. Even as part of a hen do we spent the whole day in there... wave pools, slides, rapids, you name it they have it! There are numerous play areas and parks of various degrees of difficulties for kids throughout the park not to mention the miles of woodland, walks and fields to explore. If you like nature and want your children to enjoy it, you have to visit centre parcs. There are different cabins depending on what you pay. We got in one of the luxury executive cabins that had a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna so you can have a spa day without paying the extra to use their spa (which is expensive). But every morning you will get a visit from either a duck, squirrel, birds, I even saw a weasel one morning? They just run past your window... The food outlets are varied, you can get normal pub grub or a proper american diner meal. The supermarket is priced the same as most average supermarkets and as far as I'm aware all cabins have cooking facilities. During the summer there are tonnes of outdoor activities for kids like boating, planned walks, horse riding etc. But during the winter months most of the activities are inside such as sports, roller skating etc. I didn't get to see many of these but we did hear other families talking about them, sounds fab! I really really REALLY want to bring my son here!!

The problem I had with listing this was what category to place it under. I chose Adventure and activity holiday but in all honesty, holidays at Center Parcs are exactly what you make them. When talking to people about Center Parcs the one thing people agree on is how good it is, how much fun the kids have and simply how much choice there is. Center Parcs is somewhere I first visited as a child and loved it, I have since had the opportunity to take my own children and it has now become their favourite holiday destination in much the same way as it was mine. You stay in your own self sufficient villa (of varying degrees of luxury dependent on your booking choices) which makes a great base for the family to prepare for there day, relax on an evening in front of a log fire or even watch nature through your patio doors (a hobby of both our children). When venturing out you can take leisurely walks around the village or ride a bike, either your own or they can be hired on site. It is very much at your own pace. Activities include nature walks and fitness trails, which are signposted throughout the woodland so that they can be done whenever you choose free of charge. They also include sporting activities such as rock climbing, badminton, squash, soccer, horseriding and so on....... these all come at seperate costs with off peak slots costing that little bit less. The number one activity for both children (because of the amount of fun it is) and adults (being free certainly helps) is the subtropical swimming paradise. The swimming pool includes the use of buoyancy vests for the little ones. Sherwood forest includes a giant wave pool surrounded by tropical plants and tables and chairs dotted around so it's possible to bring a picnic. There are dedicated infant and children pools with slides and waterfalls to keep the littlest of kiddies entertained. there are two bigger waterslides that my 4 year old started to use on her own last year and yet are enjoyed by adults in just the same way. There is the outdoor heated pool which is constantly warm and made even better in the early evening when the air temperature starts to drop. The rapids for the stronger swimmers throw you round bends and down slides a lot of fun for the older children. There is even an icy plunge pool outside for the brave ones. On an evening you can relax at your villa with a board game or just watch the TV or you could take the kids to the disco which is free and whilst you watch the people on the rapids with a drink from the bar the kids are bopping away on the dancefloor. There is one thing some people disagree on, this is the price; some find it extremely expensive. This doesn't have to be the case; Here are three ways to lower the price of your holiday... 1. When choosing when to go on holiday check several different weeks. Half term holidays are always more expensive, and with Center Parcs being popular this is no exception. Looking at random weeks I was able to book our family of four for the midweek stay (mon-fri) for less than £200 during the week of easter monday. This was a bargain compared to the £700+ you can pay at other times of the year. Another thing to consider when choosing a holiday is whether to go with another family. The larger villas aren't always much more expensive therefore you could knock upto 50% off your costs that way. 2. Book some activities before you go. The pre booking can save you money so if you know you want to try your hand at badminton or ten pin bowling booking one session before hand will save you a couple of quid. This will increase if you know all of the things you want to book in advance. It will also save on the disappointment of missing out on activities with limited availability. 3. Take food. There are many great restaurants at the Sherwood Forest village. Ranging from Italian and Indian to pub grub and American style diner (both the latter with childrens playareas). However if you are wanting to reduce your spends whilst on holiday take some items to cook in your villa's kitchen or barbecue on your patio. You could also purchase items from the onsite supermarket although these are slightly more expensive but are top quality with a fresh bakery included. All in all as value for money goes I believe few locations come close to Center Parcs, this is because it is what you make it. An ideal place for children to learn new sports, acquire new hobbies, improve their swimming, appreciate nature or simply make new friends (easy if you let them go to one of the kids club parties allowing yourselves three hours of freedom). I have been three years on the bounce now and if the children have their way we won't be stopping any time soon. I must admit though I think I agree!

My family and I stayed at Sherwood earlier this year and were expecting great things. We'd heard from family friends that Sherwood was the best of the UK Center Parcs chain, and so after such a fantastic experience at Whinfell, we were slightly disappointed by Sherwood to say the least. We found staff slightly 'offish' and that they spoke to guests with an air of authority, almost patronising. The forest is much, much more sparse than that of Whinfell - there are areas which have hardly any trees at all and are really open. It is also obvious how much bigger Sherwood is in comparison to Whinfell. All of the areas are well spread out, making activities and eating a full day job rather than just a morning or afternoon leisurely adventure. My step-dad, who joined us on this occasion, found walking round the parc almost unbearable and so I would advise that this parc isn't the best for those who have motibility issues and/or are disabled. The parc does provide a taxi service, but this separates those using this service from the rest of the family. Activities are much the same as the other parcs. Pricing varies from under £5 to up to around £20 per person, per activity. Parents are usually free when accompanying a child. Activities during out stay included, Tots Songtime, Get Fit with Rupert, Teddy Bear's Picnic. We found at Sherwood, Strada replaced Bella Italia (slightly more upmarket, a disappointing exchange) and that there was also a Pancake House. We were really looking forward to eating an afternoon lunch at the Pancake House but were slightly disappointed by the quality and presentation of the food. It rather looked like it had been thrown together. Again facilities such as the babysitting service, crèche and playgroups are available and bookable in advance. Little Tike Kiddy Cars are also available to hire with the bikes and trailers however these are not bookable online and are hired on a first come first served basis. During our stay, we paid around £500 for a four bed, 8 man, Executive Lodge. This included four en-suit bedrooms, 2x double, 2 x twin and a cot; a huge kitchen/dining/living area with plasma flat screen TV; a games room with pool table/poker table, a plasma tv and playstation with games and board games; a sauna, a bbq - the list goes on. The lodge was fab and well worth the money, it was just a shame that the parc let the accommodation down. The lodges are equipped with highchairs, ironing board, iron, dishwasher, wine cooler, fridge/freezer and all other kitchen appliances, as you would expect. PS games are available for purchase or hire from guest services.