Child Friendly Cottages

Child Friendly Cottages

A break at a luxury cottage should be a fabulous experience for everyone, regardless of age. So if you’re planning to head off to the great outdoors this year and have the little ones in tow, what should the ultimate child friendly cottage offer you and your family? Here are a few suggestions on what to look for when you’re planning your family cottage holiday:

Facilities For Tots

Travelling with a newborn or toddler can be challenging enough. But if you arrive at your destination only to find that there are hazards such as open stairs with no child gate, easily accessible cupboards or other dangers, or that there is nowhere for the little one to sleep, then your holiday is off to a bad start. Look for child-friendly cottages where the owners have really thought about every member of the family and have supplied equipment such as high chairs, cots and even a changing mat for you to use.  Many of our cottages offer a lot more equipment than the standard cot and high chair, and this is free of charge.

Play Space For the Kids

For older kids, somewhere to run around and let off a bit of steam is essential. Perfectly manicured gardens and bowling-green lawns are great, but they’re not really very child-friendly. Look for cottages that have swings, a sandpit or other play areas to keep them amused. And on those days when the weather isn’t quite as clement, an indoor play space is essential, if nothing else but to ensure Mum and Dad’s sanity.  Lots of the Premier Cottages child –friendly properties have indoor play barns, ride-on toys, trampolines, adventure playgrounds and lots of acres for them to run around to their heart’s content.  Some even provide X-boxes or Wiis to keep them entertained.  Oh, and 95% of our properties offer free WiFi (normally the first questions the kids will ask!).

Personal Space For the Grown-ups

It’s all very well making sure the kids have somewhere to kick back and relax, but what about the grown-ups? Adults need some ‘me’ space too, but where they can also keep an eye on the kids and make sure they’re safe. So a luxury cottage with a conservatory or sun room is ideal – the kids can play outside while the adults relax with a glass of wine in the sunshine.

Close to All Those Essentials

If you run out of nappies at three in the morning, or (worst case scenario) if the little one gets a snuffle, then you need to be close enough to facilities such as a shop, chemist or even local doctor to make sure you have access to everything you need. Travelling with kids means always planning ahead, but sometimes the ‘best-laid plans of mice and mums’ can go awry. If you have very small children then choose a luxury cottage that’s perhaps a little less remote and a touch closer to civilisation.

Attractions and Great Days Out

One thing that every kid wants to do on holiday is go exploring. So when you’re choosing your holiday cottage, whether it’s in Devon or Dundee, Northumberland or Pembrokeshire, check out the attractions in the area before you head off. Yes, it can be fun taking a ‘let’s see where the wind takes us’ approach, but if you want to make the most of every precious day away then a rough itinerary of great places to see and attractions that will entertain the kids is a good idea. Premier Cottages website has Local Information tabs for each section of the map, which shows the major areas of interest in the region.  The majority of properties will also have good information on their own website, and you can check out the local tourist information websites, or have a browse through our blogs and find out more about each area and what’s on offer all year round.