Children-Friendly Holidays in Normandy

Posted by Rosie

Whilst children love haring around in around in our play area and parents love relaxing in the garden you can't really come to Normandy and not see some of our fantastic attractions can you?  There is a comprehensive tourist information pack in the gite but to save you having to trawl through everything, I thought I would help you out with a few of our most local attractions and things to do, with an emphasis on those which are particularly suitable for younger children.

Festyland

Festyland

This is our local theme park about 45 minutes away on the edge of Caen.  It is ideal for children of all ages with a good range of rides for toddlers, young and older children.  It may not be as big as Disneyland but you will hardly have to queue meaning you'll fit in loads during your visit.

Girafou Soft play Area

In case the weather does turn wet this soft play area in Caen will allow youngsters to run off some energy whilst they wait for the sun to come out again.

Miniaiture Railway at Clécy

Thomas fans will delight at this wonderful working model railway just 15 minutes from us.  And afterwards you can enjoy an ice cream on the river front at Clécy and watch older children and adults kayak down the river or take younger children on a pedalo or little motor boat.

Zoo de Jurques

Zoo de Jurques

What child doesn't like a zoo and Zoo de Jurques is just a short 20minute drive away from Eco-Gites.  It has plenty of shade so makes a good trip out if the weather is hot.  As well as the animals there are plenty of keeper led feeding times as well as meet the snakes ... if you dare.  The restaurant area has recently been refurbished and we can vouch for how good their chips are!

Local swimming pools

Many of the local towns have swimming pools and virtually all have a baby pool as well as a shallow pool and "big" pool. At Condé-sur-Noirea just 20 minutes away the roof is rolled back from the indoor pool in hot weather and at Thury Harcourt, also 20 minutes away you can sunbathe on loungers in the garden area.

Beaches

Child Friendly Beach at Ouistreham

We are an hour away from Normandy's wonderful sandy beaches which stretch for mile upon mile. The sea is shallow and calm, many of the beaches have life guards in the summer and if you are looking to save some money there are not many beach-front shops so your children will not be nagging you to buy all sorts of things the moment you arrive.  Get there before lunchtime and you may well find the beaches almost deserted.

Falaise Castle

1066 and all that.  Falaise is the birthplace of William the Conqueror and has been rebuilt over the last 100 years to something close to it's original form.  New interactive displays using tablets supplied for you make this a very exciting visit for children of all ages and their accompanying adults.  There are plenty of towers to climb and everyone can imagine what it would have been like fight a marauding dragon or be a damsel in need of rescue!

Château de Vendeuvre 

So the the house and museum may not be of great interest to younger visitors but the gardens are sure to be a hit - there is a maze, a grotto a surprise water garden and lots of space to run and let off steam.  We've not been yet (it's on our list for this year) but lots of our guests have and all have come back saying it is lovely there. 

Quiet country lanes

The Countryside

You cannot come to Normandy and not be enthralled by it's beautiful countryside.  Rolling hills, steams and rivers, woods and lakes, quiet country laves as well as delightful hidden villages just waiting for you to stumble upon them.  You can take a stroll with your family straight from our back gate along a huge network of footpaths and let little (and older) ones discover the beauties for themselves. Say hello to a gentle Normandy cow, dip your toes in a shallow stream or relax under a tree and make daisy chains.  





This is just a quick selection of the most popular things to do and see.  It is far from an exhaustive list.  Have you visited this part of Normandy?  Do you have any recommendations of children friendly attractions to visit or things to do?   Please do let us know in the comments.

Linking up with Ket Kids be Kids to see what else children have been up to this week and Travel Tuesday which is all about, well all about Travel!  If you have time make a cuppa and have a read of some of these lovely blogs.