WITH three boisterous boys who like to keep busy on seaside staycays, we were spoilt for choice at Parkdean’s Highfield Grange.
It’s a balancing act finding fun for all the family when you’ve got a six-year-old daredevil, a tween who’s too cool for school and a teen moving towards late nights and lie-ins.
But thanks to £5million of investment at the family resort in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, Parkdean offers something for everyone.
You can’t miss the new outdoor activities complex — the high-ropes course towers above its surroundings and you’ve got a sports dome, playground, bounce park, Off-Road Rangers, Bear Grylls escape rooms and an al-fresco eating area below.
Inside, a fairground-themed adventure golf course has been created in one corner of Hat Tricks sports bar and interactive darts and shuffleboard have been added, as well as a soft play area for under-fives.
We stayed midweek over the Easter holiday and I was wowed by how many activities were on offer — we could have done something different every day and still not have tried everything.
On the entertainment front, the highlights included live wrestling, a panto and a guest talent show, as well as bingo, gameshows, children’s discos and live music.
As a family, we thought the indoor golf was the best we’ve been to, thanks to the clever theming around fairground favourites like the ghost train, helter skelter and ferris wheel.
We tackled both the high and low ropes — it’s great that you can book them separately or together, particularly if you have no head for heights.
It meant I could try out the lower course first then decide whether to head up higher — although I found the low ropes more challenging than the upper course.
My six-year-old completed both, with a little bit of help from his dad.
If you’re after holiday staples like pedalling around the park on a kart or splashing in the pool, Parkdean has kept the core caravan-site classics and added lots of exciting new experiences on top.
As a mum with an eye on the budget, I liked the range of activity passes that Parkdean had to offer.
The best value is the £100 Ultimate bundle, which covers 16 paid-for activities and can be shared by friends and family in the same holiday party, bringing the cost of each session down to £6.25.
Other activity passes sre also available.
There’s a big choice of accommodation, too, from value two or three-bedroom caravans to luxury lodges.
If your staycay style is using your caravan as a base and being out and about exploring all day, this could be the perfect park for you.
The bright lights of Clacton Pier, with rides, arcades and attractions galore, are just five minutes away by car, 20 minutes by bus or a 45- minute stroll.
And from here, the beaches all the way up the Essex Sunshine Coast are easily accessible.
We enjoyed a swim or an activity in the morning, before heading out for the day then going back to the site to watch a show, grab some food or enjoy the arcade of an evening.
There are loads of food options for those who fancy giving cooking a miss, including Scoop for sweet treats and the Thunderbird Strip Shack for fried chicken, with its outdoor seating under cover in the new activity hub.
But we stumbled across the best fish and chips we’ve had in a while on our way back from the pier.
Skinners — on a parade of shops just round the corner from Highfield Grange — was packed with locals and there were a couple of picnic benches outside where you could eat your chippy tea.
If you’re visiting during school term time, take a look at the all- inclusive offer Parkdean launched at the end of last year at some of its sites, including Highfield Grange.
For £100 per adult and £40 per child, you can order three meals a day at the on-site restaurant on a four-night midweek break, plus unlimited soft and hot drinks.
Even though alcohol, starters and puddings aren’t included, it’s great value for money.
Parkdean certainly packs a punch when it comes to offering affordable family fun and food on a best-of-British break.
GO: CLACTON-ON-SEA
STAYING THERE: Four nights’ self-catering in a Bronze two-bed caravan sleeping four at Parkdean Resorts’ Highfield Grange Holiday Park is from £158. See parkdeanresorts.co.uk.