Family Break in Longleat

We have very recently returned from a family break in Center Parcs Longleat and we also stopped by Longleat Safari Park. It was an AWESOME experience for us all. I am now totally sold on the benefits of outdoor play. Whenever we go on a trip/holiday that allows Angelo to play, explore, investigate  and survey on his own in a safe environment, he has a what I call a development spurt. After our family break to Longleat Angelo has grown in confidence.

This has been my third time to a Center Parcs resort but my second time to Longleat. It was liberating experiencing it without a baby bump. It was much different experience from a parent perspective. I cannot rave enough about the customer service we received, and what thrilled me the most was the baby warmer stations at the restaurants! Some even had complementary baby food!!! Never in my two years and 10 months of motherhood have I experienced such a service at a restaurant. I also had the great pleasure of spending an afternoon at Aqua Sana and I was able to use all the rooms. You can't do saunas and Jacuzzi during pregnancy. Anyways...

on to the outdoors bit...

As a child I never really liked to play. I lived in my head. Now, as a parent I have a second chance (within reason of course) to enjoy play time. Hubby and I had a fab time at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise going down the water-slides and rapids... what a rush! The more I play the more relaxed and the less I take  my seriously. I'm learning to live outside my head a bit. Angelo was over the moon to see the rabbits and ducks that live on the resort.  He also
enjoyed the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and the various playgrounds on site.

Midweek we took the kids to Longleat Safari Park. He's been asking us for ages to see lions. Well we ALL got  a treat there. It sure is a wonderful place to take kids, well for all in the family really.. There is so much to see and do!  Its astounding to see the wild beast up close. The are go big, powerful and beautiful. Not forgetting the cheeky monkeys, do believe warnings about their monkey behavior. 
The adventure playground really made my inner child come alive... but not enough to take Angelo's bait and go down what seemed to me a near  vertical drop slide. The courage of  'youth' failed me for that experience. Despite the fact that he counted me down on a count of three I could not do it. I owned up to my fear. I told him I could not do it. I was too scared.  Later on, Hubby and I each took him on a kids zip line ride.

Here are a few images from our family break. I'm still over-joyed about how much fun we had. Our family outdoor playtime is really making us closer... a strong small unit.

I'm linking this post to the blog hop Country Kids from Coombe Mill.