A Half Term Break at Butlins Minehead

Our first family holiday to Butlins was back in 2014 - Elliot was a cheeky, wobbly toddler and the Just for Tots break was a perfect introduction to the quintessential British caravan holiday!

We've been a few times since then but recently we returned for the May half term holiday - it was our first time visiting in the school holidays and I was interested to see how it would differ from the term time breaks. (Aside from the price which was a very obvious difference!!)

Here's what we got up to...

Day 1

After packing what feels like 1,456 bags into the car, we leave Poole just after 10am in glorious sunshine and are on our way to Minehead. It's a clear run down and we arrive in Blue Anchor just in time for lunch. It's a bit of a tradition, we always stop at the Driftwood Cafe for lunch on our way down but it wasn't to be today - everyone else had the same idea so the cafe was packed! They were so busy that they'd actually stopped taking orders so we headed back up the coast to The Blue Anchor pub which had amazing views across the beach. It wasn't the best meal - we had to wait over an hour for our food and they got the order wrong about 4 times but they got there in the end! 

If you can't wear matching t-shirts on holiday, when can you?!

After a quick stop at Morrisons for some supplies, we picked up our welcome pack at Butlins and found our accommodation for the next 4 nights. Usually we stay in a private caravan but our usual one was booked so instead we opted for one of the log cabins next to the lake - so glad we did, it was lovely! We find it's much quieter staying here rather than at the hustle and bustle of the Butlins chalets and apartments. (Details of the private caravans and cabins can be found here) 

The view from our cabin - the french doors opened out onto this decking, what a lovely view!

After a quick unpack and change we headed back out and up to the entertainment complex. The weather was so hot, it actually felt like we were abroad and not in Somerset! 

Elliot couldn't wait to hit the arcade - he loves the grabber machines! My Dad had given him 5 bags of 2ps (one for each day) so he was itching to spend these in the 2p machines. Erin was just excited to be out of her buggy - and funnily enough she made a beeline to the puppet show which is exactly what Elliot did when he was that age! 

We spent the rest of the evening in one of the clubs. There was a Justin Fletcher disco thing with the redcoats so the kids had a whale of a time on the dance floor. Erin didn't sit still - she was chasing the lights on the floor! 

We stopped for a quick photo at the giant deckchair on the way back to the cabin and even at almost 10pm, it was so warm still. The kids certainly slept well that night :) 

Day 2

Today was all about having fun and not making plans! I'd like to say the kids had a lie in but they were up at the crack of dawn ready to go...thank god for CBeebies is all I can say ;) 

We headed up to the main complex and that's pretty much where we stayed for the rest of the day! What I love about Butlins is there is so much to do for the kids and you don't even need to spend any money if you're on a tight budget. We started off at a children's fencing lesson which was also included in the price of the holiday. Elliot's never done fencing before but he loved it! 

From there we headed to the fairground which is brilliant fun  -Elliot's favourite is the helter skelter and he made a beeline for this. All the rides are free too so the children can go on again and again. We also spent some time in the little ones fairground which is located inside. All the rides are suitable for smaller children, even Erin was able to go on. Not that she enjoyed it - her face is a picture in all the photos!

Soon our tummies were rumbling so we decided to eat at The Diner. Last time we ate there, the servers would get up and sing but unfortunately it looks like they don't do that anymore - a pity because it made for an entertaining lunch! Still, the food was really nice and Erin devoured a kids meal - I swear she eats more than her brother! 

The afternoon was spent playing in the parks, eating amazing ice creams from the ice-cream parlour, attempting to win on the grabber machines, meeting Teletubbies, watching puppet shows, more fairground fun and generally just having a lovely time. 

Scoops do THE nicest ice cream!

We rounded off the day by watching Dick and Dom's Circus Showdown which was pretty good - Elliot kept calling them Dick and Dong though haha!

Day 3

We woke up to rain - boo! So what do you do on holiday when it rains? You head to the indoor pool! Along with hundreds of other families all doing the same thing! The queue for the pool was ginormous so we spent a bit of time inside entertaining the kids until we were able to swim. The pool at Butlins is fantastic and it's something we always look forward to. There's a lazy river, wave machine, slides, toddler pool and loads more to suit all ages.

Elliot went off with Paul to go on the water slides while me and Erin bounced around the lazy river - she loved it! She has been swimming since she was a few months old so is very used to the water - the waves and splashing didn't seem to phase her a bit. She was absolutely zonked after going crazy in the water so we got out to dry off while the boys had a bit more fun on the slides. Erin was asleep as soon as her bum touched down in the buggy! 

We stopped off for a late lunch in the Firehouse Grill which is very similar to Nandos - we always eat here and it's always really nice! We like to get one of the family platters so we can have a bit of everything - Elliot surprised us by taking a liking to the ribs. Erin was just happy with a plate of chips as per normal! 

We spent a couple of hours back at the cabin to shower/get changed/let the kids recharge their batteries and we headed back up to the main area for that evenings entertainment.....which was only our mates Andy and the Odd Socks!! As you can probably guess, Elliot was bouncing off the walls with excitement - and even more so when we ran into Andy and the band literally as we walked into the Skyline Pavilion!

I have to say a big thank you to Andy and his team who are always so lovely to us. Elliot was invited backstage to say hello to Andy and the band and it absolutely made his day when Andy agreed to record a little video for him to show his school! (I wish I could say the same for Erin but she started screaming the minute Andy walked around the corner...sorry Andy!)

The show was great as always, we know the songs like the back of our hands now! Erin was mega tired but she was bouncing up and down to the music. One of our faves is the Dinosaur Football Legend Megamatch song and the kids love seeing the T-Rex running around the stage kicking the giant footballs! One of the balls came towards us - my husband was so busy trying to get it back in the air that he spilt his wine, oops!

Day 4

We decided to head away from Butlins today and went for a walk towards the harbour, stopping off at the train station to spot the steam trains.

If you're visiting Minehead then I'd definitely recommend going for a ride on a steam train - there's some lovely little villages along the route such as Wachet and it's a really great day out. We did just this on our last visit! We decided not to go on the train today but instead followed the coastal path which took us up to a lovely pub called The Ship Aground. It was lunchtime so it would have been rude not to stop for some fish and chips!

And what a lunch it was! Amazing food, friendly staff and really welcoming to the kids which is so important. I'm sure we'll be back at Butlins next year so this is somewhere we'll definitely be visiting again. Especially we were too full to try the puddings!

We walked a little further and found a large pebbly beach which Elliot and Paul went to explore - thousands and thousands of smooth rocks, I wanted to bring a bag of them home with me to paint!

After a quick play in the nearby park, we thought we'd better make a move as the sky was looking ominous and we kept feeling spots of rain....which turned into a torrential downpour! Silly me hadn't packed any raincoats so we did get a bit wet - the good old British Summer eh!?

On our way back we went via the town centre - there are the usual array of tacky gift shops, arcades and pubs so it's nothing special but I did stumble across a Rolys Fudge shop. Rolys do THE BEST FUDGE so of course we had to stop and buy some!! We also stopped at a really nice little ice cream shop called Scrumdiddlyumptious that did all kinds of wacky ice creams - Elliot chose the "George Pig" but was adamant it was a rat and even asked for the "blue rat cone please!"

It was a particularly wet walk back to Butlins with the rain pelting down again - next time I really must remember to pack rain coats! Fortunately I had spare clothes for the children so I was able to get them changed once we were back at Butlins but Paul and I were very soggy. We made a group decision to head back to the cabin and call it a (wet) day. It may have been out last night but everyone was feeling a bit tired...and the suitcases weren't going to pack themselves :-/

Zonked!

Day 5

Check out time for us was 10am but Butlins let you use the facilities for a few hours after so it's not a big rush to leave. We packed the car and headed up to the indoor fun fair to let the kids have a play - it was a good time to go because it was very quiet and Elliot was able to go on the giant slide again and again without queuing!

We had one last go in the arcade to use up our coppers and then we were on our way. Everytime we visit Minehead we try and visit Dunster Castle and today was no exception! It's a lovely National Trust property with some beautiful walks around the castle grounds. It's not massively big either so it's quite handy for a quick stop off on the way home.

We had a late lunch in Dunster (I won't tag the cafe as it was very disappointing!) and then started the journey back to Poole. Unfortuantely we hit really bad traffic near Yeovil and what should have taken us 2 hours took almost 5!

We had a wonderful 5 days away and Butlins was fantastic as always. It was a lot busier going in the school holidays but we expected this and it wasn't really an issue. The only thing I would say is be prepared to arrive at the clubs a little earlier if you want decent seats near the stages for the shows - the Dick and Dom show was absolutely packed out at Centrestage and people were struggling to find seats!

I'd always recommend Butlins as a family holiday - I'm sure we will be back next year! 

10 Things I've Loved in May

With the months flying by so fast, I thought it would be a nice idea to write down all the things we've loved and enjoyed. We've had some great weather and have been out and about lots, plus we had a little holiday too. Read on to see my favourite things...

1. Just For Tots at Butlins Minehead

This is our 3rd year at Butlins for the Just for Tots break but I think it might just be our best year yet! For starters we had brilliant weather and it was sunny all week, normally we're dodging showers so it made a nice change to be out in shorts and t-shirts. 

As Elliot has got older we have found more and more for him to do at Butlins and this time he was actually tall enough to go on the go-karts with his Daddy - he was over the moon! 

We also had a bit of a special treat when we watched Treasure Island featuring Sid & Rebecca from CBeebies. Elliot was picked to go on stage to take part in a game so we were just a bit excited!! Now every time he sees Sid and Rebecca on tv, he says "we know them!" :)

2. Dunster Castle, Somerset

On our way home from Butlins we stopped off at Dunster Castle which is owned by the National Trust. As it was a weekday, it was really quiet and we only saw a handful of people whilst we were there. We didn't go inside the castle this time (we did this last year, it was interesting but a bit boring for toddlers!) but instead we walked around the castle via the wooden play area which Elliot loved. There were logs to climb on, stepping stones to step on and musical instruments made from trees! 

We had a quick stop in the Dunster Watermill on the way round and then finished off in the crypt which always gives me the shivers! Especially when a bat flies past inches from your face, eeek! 

3. Singing with Just Sing Choir

This is consistently one of my very favourite things! I read a report recently that said being in a choir is good for your health and I agree 100%, it's a great stress-buster and gives you such a high. We've been busy this month practicing for our big gig of the Summer which is at the Wimborne Folk Festival. We have two performances over the weekend and I can't wait! It's such a busy weekend with thousands of people descending on Wimborne and the choir always has such a fun time.

4. Bluebell woods at Pamphill, Dorset

Elliot and I finally got to see the bluebells in bloom when we visited Pamphill in Dorset. I've been meaning to go for the last couple of years but never quite made it! It was a beautiful sight and I'm so glad we visited, I got some lovely photos of Elliot. 

5. Sunshine!

Finally finally we've had some lovely weather and we've been trying to make the most of it by days out and spending more time in the garden. Elliot's got a new water table so he's spent lots of time outside dunking various toys in the water! 

One of my favourite places to visit on a sunny day is Upton Country Park - there is a lovely walled garden there that is a great place for a picnic but the best bit is the splash fountain! 

6. BBQ's and Alfresco Dining

This is our first Summer in our current house but we have a lovely decking area that is great for barbeques. We've had a few this week and I love eating outside, I don't know what it is but food just tastes better eaten in the fresh air! Looking forward to having many more bbqs over the Summer :)

7. Sports4Tots

Recently we signed Elliot up to a kids sports programme called Sports4Tots. He already does Little Kickers football on a Saturday but we wanted him to try out something different. At Sports4Tots they cover a variety of different sports such as rugby, tennis, football and hockey and the classes are really fun. Elliot loves it!

Elliot's first taste of tennis!

8. Scooby Doo

This isn't one of my favourites but Elliot has gone mad for Scooby Doo recently. We bought him the mystery machine and haunted house for Christmas and he has been steadily building up his collection with new figures, and the current favourite, figures in slime!

Universal Studios Sep 2015...this might have been the start of the obsession!

9. Eurovision Song Contest

This is one of my guilty pleasures in life!! Every year my family all get together at my parents house for a little Eurovision party - we have party food and one of my sisters will always bring a notebook to mark all the entrants. I know that UK never really stand much chance of winning (even this year with a great song!) but we're still holding out hope that the UK gets to host again one day in the future so we can get tickets!

10. Family Days Out

This month has been busy for us but we always try and do something together at the weekend...nice weather is an added bonus! Last weekend we visited Swanage which is a pretty seaside town located on the Jurassic Coastline. We had a little wander around the town followed by a delicious lunch in The Ship Inn - I love pub lunches! 

Family Photo!

I'm going to try and remember to do this each month so we can look back and see all the lovely stuff we got up to. Especially as Summer normally equals a packed diary for Elliot!

What was your highlight of May?

10 Things I Have Loved - May

The Cornish Mum, aka Stevie runs a great linky called Ten Things and I decided to join in by blogging about 10 things I have loved / enjoyed over the last month. May seems to have passed by in a blur and as always we have been mega busy - Elliot has a better social life than any adult I know!!

So in no particular order...

1) Finally getting an offer on our flat which we have accepted. We've yet to find anywhere to move into but I've started the packing and I've been checking rightmove religiously! We are in a 2 bed flat at the moment and we've just run out of room so I'm hoping our new home has a playroom for Elliot's toys. Of which he has many!! 

2) Butlins Just for Tots holiday. We had such a great time and it was fantastic to see Elliot enjoying himself so much. It was lovely to have some family time too as we don't see much of my husband in the week with him working so hard at the shops, Elliot just loves spending time with his Daddy!

3) Pitch Perfect 2 - I've been looking forward to this sequel for months now and it didn't disappoint! It was great to spend some time with my sisters and a real treat to go to the cinema - don't get the chance to go very often these days!

4) Family Catch Ups - My favourite cousin and her family came down to Dorset this weekend for a short break and it was lovely to see everyone. My sister was also visiting for the weekend so we had a brilliant lunch at my parents house with everyone and Elliot loved playing with his cousins. We spent ages playing hide and seek in the garden and I'm not sure who had more fun...the kids or my adult sisters!! 

5) Climbing the Tots 100 Chart - I still have a long way to go but my Tots 100 score for my blog is getting better and better and I have almost cracked the top 1000. Out of 8000 parent blogs! 

6) John Barrowman Live - I know JB isn't to everyone's tastes but he is very entertaining and I did enjoy his live show in Bournemouth! Even if we were the youngest there by about 50 years ;) 

7) Just Sing Choir - Joining this choir in 2013 was one of my best decisions ever and I really look forward to our Wednesday rehersals. At the moment we are rehersing for the Wimborne Folk Festival where we have 4 performances over a weekend in June and the songs sound incredible. Can't wait for our live shows! 

8) Introducing Elliot to classics from my childhood - One wet, dreary day I decided to watch the Labyrinth with Elliot. I wasn't sure if he'd like it but he was mesmerised and actually sat through the majority of the film..normally he gets a bit restless and buggers off to play with his toys. But he couldn't take his eyes off it and kept talking about the gob-o-lins! We've watched it countless times since and I love it, it's one of my faves from my childhood. I did also try him on the Goonies but think he's a bit young for that still. Never Ending Story next! 

9) Playdates - I hate that word but it is what it is! We've had lots of fun catch ups with our little group of friends and they are made so much nicer by having abit of sunshine. It means the kids can play outside and hopefully spend less time wrecking people's houses!! I've been having to carry more spare clothes for Elliot though, one sniff of a water table and he's there drenched to the bone. Oh well, as long as he's having fun!

10) The expansion of our business - My husband opened our first Laptop Fixers shop in 2009 and through a lot of hard work he has been able to open a 2nd larger store. Excitingly, last week he picked up the keys to our new 3rd shop! It's in a great little area called Broadstone and I hope we will be very busy there. 

What things have you enjoyed this month? Feel free to comment on my Facebook page

Linking up with....

Just for Tots - Butlins Minehead

photo credit - Butlins

Butlins launched their "Just for Tots" breaks last year and they have proved very popular amongst families with small children. We went last year and enjoyed it so much that we decided to go again this year!

The Just for Tots breaks are designed for children under 5 and everything is geared up for them including live shows with their favourite characters, early dining times and repeated activities throughout the week. 

Accomodation

I'll start with this one as it's one of the more important things to look at when booking! We decided to book a private caravan (we used Lakeside Caravans) rather than one of the apartments and for us this worked out great. The caravan was next to a large lake and Elliot loved feeding the ducks. It was a 10 minute walk to the restaurants/Skyline Stage but this meant it was generally quieter where we were based. I can't really comment on the apartments as we didn't stay in them but they are looking a little tired and in need of some revamping. On the other hand, Butlins have recently built some posh new chalets next to a new lake and these looked lovely! Butlins cater for every budget so it's worth checking out what the different grades mean. 

Dining

Rather than paying for a set dining plan we decided to go self catering - this works for us as we like to leave the resort and explore and don't like to be restricted to where/what we eat. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from if you don't want to cook and we  had some great meals whilst we were there. 

The Diner was a new restaurant since our last visit and we couldn't wait to try it out - lots of choice for adults and kids and prices not too bad. Hubby and I both went for burgers and they were massive! The Diner also offers entertainment while you eat - every so often the music stops and some of the staff get up and sing. Not something you experience everyday! 

The Firehouse Grill was another good meal - if you like Nandos then you can't go wrong with this place. We went for a whole chicken plus sides and there was plenty for the 3 of us to share - this worked out cheaper than buying two mains, and a kids meal. 

There are plenty more options on the resort including Pizza Hut, Sun & Moon pub, Burger King, Finnegans Fish & Chips, Soho Coffee and there is also a well stocked Spar shop if you fancy rustling up something back in your caravan. We stopped off at the large Morrisons before checking in so we had a well stocked fridge! 

All the restaurants have high chairs and the kids are really looked after with crayons and colouring sheets, and balloons.

Live Shows

The Just for Tots breaks have a jam packed schedule of live shows and there was always something on through out the day. Some of the shows we watched at the Skyline stage were Mike the Knight, Fireman Sam, Barney's farmyard singalong and the Skyline gang. There were lots we didn't find time for including Thomas the Tank Engine.....we didn't mention that to Elliot though! The only downside to the Skyline Stage was that the seats filled up really fast and latecomers had to stand along the sides - ok if your child is going to sit on your shoulders but not very good for the short ones. 

We also caught a couple of shows in the Centre Stage venue which really took me back to my childhood when I used to go to Haven Holidays and dance around at the disco while my parents watched on from their table! It's a large venue and despite the crowds at each show, there seemed to be plenty of seats for everyone although the queues at the bar were quite long sometimes. We watched Aladdin Rocks on our first night which is a "spectacular rock panto" but it wasn't really for us so we didn't make it til the end! The following evening we watched the Mister Maker show which was a lot more enjoyable and really fun for Elliot - you can read all about that here. On our final night we decided to watch the Scooby Doo show and actually, this was Elliot's favourite bit of the whole holiday! He was mesmerised from start to finish and loved the fact there was a ghost train and a monster on stage! 

Characters 

As well as the live shows, there are also plenty of chances to meet the characters and there is a dedicated area where this happens. Butlins take a few photos for you but they are very good at letting you take your own pics - you're not obliged to pay for their photos but it's worth having a look because they are done in front of a green screen so the end result may look different to what you were expecting! Last year Elliot was a bit scared of the characters (they are quite large!) but this year he was more than happy to stand next to them and have his photo taken. He met Mike the Knight & Evie, Fireman Sam, Scooby Doo and we also bumped into Barney on our last morning. We wanted to meet Bob the Builder but unfortunately the only time slot was 2pm on the Monday and we hadn't even checked in then so missed that one! 

Active Activities

There are tons of things to do to keep the kids busy / wear them out and most things are included in the price. The Splash Waterworld was great fun and we couldn't wait to visit again after enjoying it last year! There is a large pool with a lazy river and a wave machine that goes off every so often. We love the wave machine but it can be a bit choppy and might be a scary for those not confident in the water. Luckily Elliot is a big fan of the water and loved splashing about in the waves! There are also several water slides (we didn't go on these) and a smaller shallow pool suitable for toddlers. The pool can get really busy which means busy changing rooms but we managed to pick a quiet time and had no issues finding a family changing room. The only negative was that the showers were absolutely freezing and meant we had to just dry off and shower back at the caravan. It would have been nice to wash the chlorine off there and then but there was no chance Elliot and I were standing under those icy showers! 

Little Tikes Town was another favourite spot and we visited several times whilst we were there. It's a small track with lots of little Cozy Coupe cars to take a spin in. Or push around if you're Elliot! 

There are several different playgrounds in the resort including a toddler soft play inside - we didn't actually get time to do any of these despite wanting to! 

Things to Spend your money on!

Of course you could do this break on a budget but there are lots of things to tempt you into reaching for your wallet including our favourite - the arcade.  We never normally visit arcades so it was a bit of a novelty for Elliot being able to put some money in the machines - he got to be quite a pro at the 2p machines and we managed to win lots of tickets, 2ps and toys! The grabber machines proved to be a constant tease, we really wanted to win Elliot a minion but it wasn't to be....despite my husband's best efforts! He had to make do with a safari meercat instead :)

Butlins has a well stocked toy shop featuring all the toys and characters you could possibly think of. The prices weren't actually too bad and they do have a pocket money section which Elliot liked, he came out of there the proud owner of two giant bugs which he named Mister Maker and Andy ;) 

Next to the Skyline Stage there is a sweet shop sure to tempt your little ones. We bought some pick & Mix but they were a bit on the pricy side! 

Fairground

There are two fairgrounds - an traditional outside funfair with bigger rides and a small inside one just for toddlers. The traditional funfair is open daily from 12-4 and features a carousel (my favourite!), dodgems, Chair-O-planes, a helter skelter and much more. A few of the rides had a height limit but there was still plenty for Elliot to go on. He loved the helter skelter! All the rides are included in the price so you can go on as many times as you like. 

The tots funfair is brilliant because all the rides are suitable for under 5's so Elliot could go on everything. There were lots to choose from including cup & saucers, giant slide, flying aeroplanes, train ride and much more. His favourite was the aeroplanes and seeing his little happy face was the highlight of the whole week for me! 

Top tips

- Although you won't be able to get into your accommodation until 3/4pm, you can arrive on site from Midday onwards. It's worth arriving early to avoid the queues which can be massive around 4pm - the queue on the road was at least half a mile long when we arrived! We avoided the queue and parked up in the big carpark and my husband went and checked in later on when it was quieter while Elliot and I enjoyed the entertainment...and the sweet shop! 

- If you are planning on attending one of the character photo shoots make sure you get there a little early. The Redcoats will close the queue after a certain time so you may end up disappointed if you miss the time slot

- You can end up spending a fortune on drinks, especially for the little ones! We bought some Morrison's flavoured water in little bottles and made sure I had plenty of these in Elliot's bag. He still felt like he was getting a treat drink but it was saving us a few quid too! 

- If your little one needs a nap and you're wondering where to go for a walk the head towards the caravans. There is a lovely peaceful walk around the lake where you will plenty of ducks, geese and maybe even bunnies!

- Don't feed the seagulls, they are greedy!! We saw a man almost lose his pasty when a gull swooped down and almost pecked it right out of his hands!

- The shows get really busy and I'd definitely recommend allowing plenty of time to get a table otherwise you may end up standing or sitting right near the back

-  There are plenty of baby changing facilities around the resort but I found that the ones by the Skyline Stage were always really busy and by the end of the day they weren't the cleanest. The disabled loo in Hotshots sports bar was always empty and much cleaner! 

- You will be given an Entertainment guide in your welcome pack so it's worth planning what you want to do. Lots of the shows are repeated which is very handy as we missed a couple due to a sleeping boy! 

Butlins Just for Tots breaks have so much to offer and there is so much that I haven't even mentioned such as the messy play, Usborne Book Corner, Tots Soccer and Scoop Ice-Cream Parlour. There is also Minehead town which is a short walk from Butlins which has some nice places to eat (The Stone Hotel is our fave), the West Somerset Railway for little train buffs and Dunster Castle just up the road which is great for exploring. 

We had a great time and I'm sure we will return next year. Elliot has some great memories and still hasn't stopped talking about Mister Maker and Scooby Doo! 

**I wasn't paid to write this review, we paid for the holiday ourselves and had a genuinely great time!**