Haven supports ‘Great Family Escapes’

Haven Holidays have teamed up with Reading for Life to support ‘Great Family Escapes’ - an exciting campaign to encourage families to have fun reading on holiday.

And they’re giving away nearly £1million worth of books! Every family arriving on six of Haven’s biggest parks during August will receive a tote bag packed with more than £50 worth of books.

Reading for Life said, “Children who love reading from a young age get a head start with their language skills which is invaluable for their future. We want to get more families reading together on holiday to show how much fun it can be!”

Haven have taken this even further with a whole programme of lively family activities based around books, words and characters for holidaymakers to enjoy at their holiday parks at Devon Cliffs, Combe Haven, Hafan y Mor, Littlesea, Haggerston Castle and Primrose Valley.

August holidays at the six parks will start with free audio downloads, colouring sheets and more to help occupy everyone before they even get there – find it all online at readingforlife.org.uk/greatfamilyescapes .

Pack your bag with a costume to take part in a ‘Where’s Wally’ fancy dress competition (the real Wally will be somewhere on park too!) or bring along your best witches outfit and meet the famous kid’s character ‘Winnie the Witch’.

There will be quizzes with prizes, Letterland scavenger hunts on park, free sticker sheets, special performances with Winnie the Witch, joke competitions, book swaps and all sorts of fun reading related activities to join in with - as well as all the usual sports, games, music, dancing, entertainment and first class facilities that holidaymakers have come to expect on a Haven park.

And of course there’s the goody bag of books to enjoy. Completely free of charge the bag contains more than £50 worth of books and magazines ideal for everyone in the family. One will be provided for each family (whilst stocks last) when they arrive at the six parks. Mum and Dad will get fantastic best sellers by Jeremy Clarkson and Katie Fford, older children can enjoy books by Jacqueline Wilson and SAS supremo Chris Ryan whilst little ones will love the Letterland magazine and Winnie the Witch stories. And everyone in the family will get hooked by the ‘Where’s Wally’ book.

A week’s holiday at Haggerston Castle in Northumberland from 21st August starts at £599 for a family of up to six people in a Superior 2 bedroom holiday home – Combe Haven, near Hastings costs from £669 on the same date. A week at Devon Cliffs costs from £799. And the bag of books and all the extra activities to make this a ‘Great Family Escape’ are completely free of charge.

Visit haven.com for immediate bookings and more information. To find out more about Great Family Escapes, top tips for holiday reading and more free stuff (whether you’re going to Haven or not) see readingforlife.org.uk/greatfamilyescapes .

Top tips to help your child read for fun

• Be nice. Praise your child for their efforts reading – it’s fine for them to make mistakes. It's supposed to be fun!

• Let them make some noise - Encourage your children to read aloud – to you, friends, pets or even their toys. Hearing their own voice helps practice their speaking and builds confidence.

• He ain't heavy, he's my brother! Get older children to read to younger ones – not only some valuable time off for mums and dads, but younger children will follow their example in practising their reading later.

• Set the example - We all know how much kids copy their parents. Make sure they see you reading the newspaper or a magazine, a book or a recipe. In copying you they will gain confidence and get to be great readers too.

• It's never too early to start. Even tinies love sharing a book. Point out the pictures and encourage your baby to babble away – they’ll be talking before you know it.

• Read it again, Sam! Although grown-ups might like something new, children love to hear a good story again and again. Plus, repeating actually helps to build your children’s language, so don't worry if they're hooked on one book.