Every parent wants their child to be active and to also make friends. Sport is a fantastic way for you to get the best of both worlds, not to mention that it also helps them to get some friendly competition as well.
Choosing a Sport
The first thing that you need to do ischoose a sport that is going to suit your child’s age and their own physical ability. If you force your child to take part in a sport that interests you rather than them, then this can lead to them begin bored or even resistant. You may even lower their self-confidence as a result as well, and this is the last thing that you need when you have worked so hard to build it up. It also helps to choose a sport that you can afford to sustain, and one that you have time for. If you have to stop yourchild from going just because you can’t afford it then this can really have an impact on their confidence.
Another thing that you need to do is buy the right equipment and materials. If they don’t have the right gear, then this will make it even harder for them to take part and they may not even feel as though they are part of the team as well. The gear you choose should be of the best possible condition as this is one of the best ways for you to stop them from getting injured when they are out and on the go. If you are worried about injury then look intoFirst Aid 4 Sport.
Your child really does need your support when they choose to take part in new activities. You need to drive them to games and you also need to take them to practices. It also helps to show your child how the game is played so that they can understand the most basic rules. This will help them to feel more confident when they are out playing and it will also show them that you are doing everything you can to keep them interested.
Sportsmanship
A lot of parents overlook the idea of good sportsmanship. You need to tell them about the positive aspects of the experience. Competition is a good thing, and it encourages us to work hard. The sooner your child is able to understand this, the better, as it will really help them to develop a good team spirit. It also shows them that if they lose, then this isn’t a bad thing, which leads onto the next point.
Support
It’s so important that you support your child when they don’t win a game or when they don’t succeed. You should let your child express their feelings of failure or even disappointment. When they do this, you then need to try and counter those negative feelings by reminding them of everything that they have accomplished. Even professional athletes have bad days, and there are plenty of good days to come.
There’s all manner of farm animals and a petting corner for the kids to get close to the little furries. Our rabbit was born at the farm and shes a delightful little gin.
Its a little bit boring for Garreth but the younger ones love it.
There’s also Cefn Mably Farm Park near Cardiff which has an indoor soft play as well.
Cardiff Bay, Cardiff
Cost – FREE to £££
Suitability – All
There is something for everyone down Cardiff Bay, from places to eat to places to play. Techniquest is also in the area.
You can ride on a boat, visit the Wetlands and walk to Penarth all from a central Location.
Cardiff itself is full of activities and days out all within a walk, train or bus ride.
You may think of Amsterdam as more of an adult getaway – whether that means civilised strolling around the art museums and enjoying coffee and waffles by the canal, or the raucous fun of a hen or stag do in lively bars and nightclubs that the city is also known for. If you have a family, Amsterdam also has a huge amount to offer for a break with the kids – from boat trips to bike rides, dive in and discover what family fun you can have in this quirky capital…
Stay and Play at Vondelpark
Amsterdam is peppered with beautiful green spaces, one of the factors which makes it ideal for a family break. And one of the biggest and most beautiful of these is Vondelpark, which is centrally located and well worth a visit to zoom around on hire bikes and burn off some energy on the play equipment. But there’s more to this park than picnics and pretty lawns – the on-site Kinderkookcafe not only offers a great cup of coffee and slice of cake, but also hosts children’s cookery classes. The park is also home to a paddling pool, so kids can have a splash around as well.
Hire Your ‘Bakfiets’
Well known as a city of bicycles, two wheels really is the best way to see this cycle friendly destination, and hiring bikes is so easy when you get there. When visiting with young children, you can hire a ‘bakfiets’, which looks like a low-slung bike with a wheelbarrow on the front – designed to pop your children in so they get a great view as you pedal the pretty canal lined streets. Amsterdam is one of the safest places to cycle with wide bike lanes and motorists aware that they need to defer to riders.
Visit The Zoo
ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo is well worth a visit as well, with shady, tree-lined groves and all manner of star animal residents and beautiful plants in one place. A beautiful, peaceful oasis in the heart of the city, the zoo was founded back in 1838 and houses over 700 species. Find Amsterdam Zoo tickets with discount and visit your new favourite animal friends with all the family.
Book a Boat Tour
One of the best ways to see Amsterdam is on the water, exploring the incredible canal network from a unique vantage point. There is lots of beautiful architecture to admire both on and off the water – some of the gorgeous houseboats need to be seen to be believed. It also avoids the problem of little legs getting tired out from a walking tour. Each boat tour of Amsterdam is hosted by a knowledgeable guide who delivers a running commentary of the city and its history in multiple languages and provides some colourful stories and anecdotes to take back from your travels.
There are so many magical aspects to discover to this vibrant city with your family. Amsterdam has so much to offer to create some truly special memories.
A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to enjoy an amazing day out in Cardiff. We made a full day of it and even enjoyed the main event, Monster Jam!
Monster Jam is HUGE in America, but you don’t really hear much about it in the U.K. I hope that’s going to change.
We decided to take the older three children because Enfys and Anwen wouldn’t have gotten anything from the experience.
It was an adventure!
We started out at 8am, with bags packed with sun cream, hats, and whatever else we needed for our big day. I was also lucky enough to have the Samsung Galaxy S9+ from Three to take with us. It meant we really did get some cracking shots of the Monster Trucks. The only downside was the lack of time to get used to the camera beforehand (and I’m most certainly Not a photographer).
The entertainment started with a pit Party at 10am before the show at 3pm.
If I’m completely honest the Pit Party didn’t suit my kids. Macsen was a little overwhelmed. there were just too many people there for him. Seren enjoyed it, but I think she was stunned by the number of people. Garreth was Garreth; he pretty much went along with whatever the younger ones wanted to do.
We didn’t stay long at the Pit Party and went in search of food. We ended up having to find Clarks shoe shop before food because Macsen’s Shoes were starting to rub.
GETTING LOST IN CARDIFF
We don’t usually go into Cardiff, so we had no idea where we were going. The Galaxy S9+ came into its own. It was a fantastic way to navigate your way around the city Centre.
We found everything we needed to find without getting (too) lost.
Eventually, we got back to the Principality Stadium (although it will always be the Millennium Stadium to me) for 2pm when the gates opened, mainly to give us some time to relax. It was a damn good job we did because within 20 minutes Macsen had fallen asleep.
The pre-show entertainment was welcome. It entertained Garreth and Seren and built up a great atmosphere.
THE MAIN EVENT
Macsen woke up just in time for the start of the show. Honestly, we couldn’t have timed it better.
The atmosphere by this point was incredible. The intro music added to it and the ROAR of the Monster Trucks was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Wow!!
The whole stadium vibrated, and my heart joined in with the rhythm.
I remember seeing Monster Trucks as a child, but I don’t remember that feeling of exhilaration.
The Show was phenomenal. The almost continuous roar of the engines was simply brilliant.
Would I go to see them again?
Heck yes! And so, would Jim and the kids! Just show us the way!
Thank you, Monster Jam UK, for an amazing experience.
A few weeks ago we were sent the awesome Lexicon-Go! to review. We are big fans of word games in our house, they made spelling fun. Anything that makes us all think hard is a winner.
Initially, I wasn’t sure that we would get Lexicon-Go! after reading through the rules.
It looked a little complicated and took me a few days to take the plunge.
Now, Lexicon Go is suggested for children aged 7+. It’s great, in theory. However, I didn’t take into consideration that Seren is actually 8 but educated in Welsh medium. She only started studying English as a subject in September. Her Welsh is A*, whereas her English is just beginning to catch up. It was GREAT practice for her.
Garreth found the game quite difficult to grasp but enjoyed it when how to play clicked.
Lexicon-Go! actually brought out mine and my husband’s competitive sides.
We were like raging bulls. (Although, my husband is way more competitive than I am. Ahem.)
Our Lexicon-Go! experience was great, although, I enjoyed it far more when it was me against Jim. I kind of felt bad winning against an 8 year old and 12 year old.
How do you play Lexicon-Go!?
Think of Domino’s – you start the same way with all the tiles face down in front of you. (The draw pile).
Each player takes 10 tiles and leaves them face down on the table.
When a player shouts “Go”, everyone flips over their tiles and gets rid of their tiles by making words.
The first player to use all their tiles wins the round.
There are a few additional rules but we left them out while playing with the kiddos. Preferring to keep it simpler.
To be honest, as long as you’re consistent, you can play the game with your own rules.
We haven’t just used Lexicon-Go! for playing the game either. The tiles are great for Macsen to recognise letters (And he’s pretty good if I’m honest.)
I also found a pretty awesome use for the tiles.
Look at this photograph. The tiles make awesome props. 😀
