When it comes to families with younger children, there are probably 3 different categories of holiday accommodation that parents everywhere have probably experienced. The first consists of establishments where children certainly are not welcome at all and which are geared towards adult guests. Fortunately, such places are fairly easy to identify especially with the help of websites such as Tripadvisor.
The second group is however less easy to spot. These are the places where children are tolerated but sometimes quite grudgingly. Again, peer review sites can be useful in weeding these out before any bookings are made but also it is worth checking out what facilities, if any, are laid on for children. This provides the best clue as to the owner’s mindset. Anyone genuinely encouraging young families to book is going to invest in facilities that will keep children fully occupied, even in poor weather. This brings us on to the third category of accommodation, the places where parents and their children are actively encouraged to stay.
These providers of what are usually described as Family Friendly Holidays are invariably parents themselves and are amply qualified to know what is going to make or break a youngster’s holiday and how to provide parents with as much freedom as possible.
Some of the most family-friendly holiday accommodation is to be found on farms – mainly because they have plenty of room and because farm infrastructure and livestock can provide so much amusement on their own. Most farmers and their wives are now just as proficient at laying on top-class holiday facilities as they are at rearing cattle or growing corn so visitors needn’t worry about arriving at an amateurish set-up.
There is an amazing choice of such farms, particularly in the South West, because so many farmers run holiday accommodation as an important part of their business. Most are busy working farms so that children can enjoy such novel experiences as collecting eggs and bringing the cows in for milking. Many provide such facilities as indoor and outdoor play areas and secure trails that youngsters can explore.in safety. It is surprising just how many also have luxuries like heated swimming pools.
Of course, it is a bonus when the seaside is only a stone’s throw away and this is why, if you can make the extra effort, Cornwall is such a popular destination. Because the county is so long and narrow, nowhere is more than a few miles from the coastline which is some 300 miles long so children can enjoy all the fun of the farm together with the traditional bucket and spade seaside activities.