Fit not fat! Haven Holidays make fitness fun

This week’s focus on a 14 stone eight year old serves to highlight the question…..puppy fat or one step closer to heart disease? The problems of obesity in children feature regularly in the press and we all know we should be encouraging our kids to get up of the sofa and start exercising.

Haven Holidays are determined that keeping fit should be fun as well. “Our holidays are about families having fun together,” say Haven who have 34 family holiday parks around the UK. “We have loads on offer to tempt even the most reluctant couch potatoes!”

Their Sports Teams organise all sorts of sports and activities for kids – and you don’t have to be super-fit to take part.

All the parks have multi-sports courts and most offer Coke FC Football Training for footie-mad boys and girls.

This summer all the family can take part in Tennis Coaching and there are seven parks offering golf coaching – you might discover that your children could be the next Tiger Woods! And there are plenty of more unusual sports on offer as well from fencing and archery to roller disco and climbing. Haven have even introduced Pilates sessions at a number of parks.

Check the website (havenholidays.com) or the latest brochure for parks with tennis courts, boating lakes, golf courses or pitch and putt, fishing lakes, climbing walls or even horse-riding.

In the Swim

All Haven and British Holiday Parks have heated indoor pools and you’ll find the bigger parks have huge leisure style pool complexes with slides, flumes and even wave machines and rapids.

In 2006 a staggering 50,000 children took part in Haven and British Holidays’ Learn2Swim programme. Next year children can gain certificates in 5 levels of achievement with Water Tots on offer for tinies to build up water confidence. And if your little ones aren’t quite ready for the pool there are SplashZones at a number of parks – safe water play areas with fountains, geysers and lots of fun.

But that’s only a part of the huge number of exciting pool activities on offer ….new for 2007 is AquaCise – workouts in the water for the whole family and Water Dodgems in inflatable dodgems armed with on-board water squirters.

And you can join in with sessions of Aqua Jets (powered submersibles), Aqua Gliders (like an inflatable jet-ski for the pool) and Surf Rider (learning body boarding and snorkelling skills).

Great Entertainment

When your little darlings are worn out by all the activity there’s a full programme of daytime and entertainment where all the family can sit back, relax and have fun. Every night is a night out with performances from Haven characters, Rory the Tiger, Bradley Bear and friends, pantos, stage-shows, cabaret, music, dancing and party nights – and kids are welcome too!

Great Accommodation

Haven offer a range of accommodation from the luxurious Gold range of caravans to the more economical ‘Star’ caravans which offer plenty of comfort for less money.

Self-catering is relaxed and easy with well-stocked shops and a choice of take-away menus and sit-down meals. Three parks offer half board holidays and there are 22 parks where you can take your own caravan or tent.

Easter Bargains

Prices for a break over the Easter holidays start at as little as £189 for a four night break for a family of up to 6 people in self-catering accommodation at Hafan y Mor from Monday 9th April – or book a break at Cala Gran near Blackpool in similar accommodation for 3 nights from 6th April for £229.

For immediate bookings, more information and details of other special click onto havenholidays.com.