1 Invite a friend Walking is a simple, cheap and popular form of exercise, and it will be much easier to get your child on board if one of his friends comes, too.2 Watch wildlife Research by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds shows that spending time in natural environ...

1. Collect nuts, berries and pinecones to look for signs of feeding. Follow any trails of food and try to identify which animals have been nibbling on them.2. Find a quiet spot in your local woodland to sit and listen to the sounds of the local

such as local cakes and wine.Venture to a lesser-travelled part of England, such as Northumberland, and the rewards are huge. Barn Cottage is situated just outside the village of Ellingham with a sea view across rolling cornfields. With two bedrooms, a

Mounts Bay, the locally sourced cuisine, rub downs in the Purity Spa and interconnecting bedrooms with tasteful lime woollen throws and Elemis goodies in the bathrooms.You don’t even have to think about packing baby gear as it can all be pre

.The property sleeps six and was once the manse for the local church.It has an extensive sitting room conservatory, with a woodburning stove at one end and large windows and doors opening to a decking area at the other.The large garden is perfect for both

or bedtime stories read by a local celebrity. Baby essentials are provided from cots to nappy rash cream! Interconnecting rooms cost from £180 per night, themerchanthotel.comRead more...Natural Retreats in IrelandFamily festivals in the UKBrilliant Bath

for a spot of sandcastle building.Prices from £1088 for a family of four with two children up to 12 years on a B&B basis, including local transfers. For details, tel: 0208 246 5300; www.powderbyrne.com.Read more...Dreams come true at the Alva Park, Costa

to be off. This focus on unauthorised absence deflects attention from the fact that all absence is bad for children’s education.”Altering school-term schedules at a local level could help lower the national summer holiday demand that hikes prices up

!When was the first time you cooked a Christmas dinner? I was living in Ludlow, Shropshire, and was so excited. I got it all prepared, then went to the pub. The locals were friendlier than I had anticipated and by the time I got home the turkey and veg were like

of hours in the morning at the local ski school. That morning is now part of our family folklore – the tale of how Sophia was chucked out of ski school by lunchtime, and nope we’re not talking about ASBO behaviour here – just a five-year-old who couldn