Go green this Christmas and take the family to Belize, one of the hottest emerging places for eco-adventure travel, with sailing, snorkelling, kayaking, scuba diving and cave tubing on offer. And eco doesn’t have to mean expensive; the Costa Maya

, but it’s stuffed with exceptional children’s attractions. The West End is always a good place to start, and the Athenaeum in Piccadilly makes a fabulous base. Families of four can stay in either two adjoining rooms or an apartment, and a family package

are housed in two three-storey chalets, brilliantly linked to the hotel’s spa, bar and lobby by underground tunnels (if that doesn’t impress your children enough, watch their faces when you tell them that they can have a go at dog-sledding). Book your

their post-prandial sleep. Then they're guaranteed an hour of marble-run fun without a 15·month-old's 'help'.• Split up. Get one adult to play games with a couple of children; another to do colouring and another to sit and have a cuddle.• Go out. Cooped up

and space away from the adult gaze,” confirms Tim Gill, former former director of the Children’s Play Council. “  In their secret places, all kinds of imaginative processes come into play. At the same time, they are experiencing their first taste

. Suitable from eight years. Tel: 020 8269 4620 or visit www.thedavidbeckhamacademy.com4. Go climbing, Northumberland Children will love Alnwick Garden’s huge treehouse and adventure bridges. Suitable for all ages. Tel: 01665 511350 or visit www

in time.Star attractions As well as watching the tiny railway trains clickety-clack by, Beckonscot has a light railway so larger passengers can go for a ride.Family X-Factor So many places to go, so many people to see. A visit to Beckonscot is a multitude

she was about ten months old and it really captured her imagination, and every time we go she gets something new from it. I often see much older children enjoying every minute of their time there, too. It’s the sort of place you can take the whole

Grand AdventuresHead to Morgans Hotel, Swansea’s grand boutique hotel located in the beautiful marine quarter with its sandy beach, promenade, children’s lido, leisure pool and museums. The hotel’s elegant traditional exterior belies the superbly

Starting school is always an emotional experience. Many children are thrilled by the prospect of uniforms and reading books; others find the whole idea terrifying. And some children simply refuse to go. Last year, my little boy Sam was never going