DRAGGING your kids away from their screens can be a never-ending battle – but I think I’ve found the solution.
Tucked away in Brean, a short walk from the sea, Unity Beach holiday park in Somerset is a hive of activity.
With everything from swimming and football to archery and axe- throwing, the caravan site will make iPads seem dull to young eyes.
I was visiting with my lads Wilf, nine, and Jasper, six, plus their dad Simon — and for the first time ever, it was a doddle finding varied entertainment that suited everybody.
While Jasper and I were sticking coins in the 2p slot machines at the Family Fun Arcade, Wilf and Simon were getting stuck into an energy-burning axe-throwing class.
Wilf had so much fun that he was still proclaiming it as his holiday highlight by the end of the trip.
The staff were excellent, too, giving him lots of tips and hyping him up as he launched the axe at the targets ahead.
The fun doesn’t stop there, though. For young footie fans inspired by the World Cup, there’s a superb football skills class with first-rate coaches.
There are also entertainer-led activities at 11am every morning at Unity Beach’s family pub, Wonky Donkey.
Jasper particularly enjoyed the Wizard’s Workshop, where he created a magic wand and cast lots of silly spells.
The swimming pool is not to be missed, either. It’s large and all one depth, which meant my youngest could swim in safety as his feet always touched the bottom.
Next to the pool, there’s a fun splash park complete with little slides, flumes and equipment, but my kids were too obsessed by the mini inflatable jet skis.
Bookable for little ones aged three to ten, these mini motors look just like the real deal, only smaller, and kids love racing each other up and down the water.
And if that’s not enough water fun for you, come the school summer holidays, families will also have access to a brand new lido and flumes.
Swimming and the site’s soft play area — which my kids were too old for but looked fun — are included in the price of a stay if you book directly with Unity Beach.
Other activities can either be pre-booked or paid for on the day.
If you prefer the beach to a pool, you won’t have to wander far to reach the shores of Brean.
It doesn’t quite have the same clear seas as Devon or Cornwall as it is situated on the Severn Estuary, but the vast golden sands are perfect for playing cricket, tennis, football or frisbee.
GO: UNITY BEACH
STAYING THERE: Four nights’ self-catering in a platinum three-bed caravan, sleeping six, at Unity Beach Brean is from £879 for arrival in July.
See unityholidays.co.uk.
A word of caution, though — it is very important to read the beach’s warning signs because as the tide goes out, the sand can get rather muddy and is not safe to walk on.
When we weren’t getting stuck into mini jet ski action or playing games at the beach, our three- bedroom platinum caravan was the perfect place to unwind.
I must admit, I was expecting something a little like the scruffy caravans of my Nineties childhood, but this was smartly decorated and with a very modern feel to it.
It felt like a home away from home and the boys really loved the simplicity of evenings spent indoors gobbling up homemade pasta (the caravan has a well-equipped kitchen) followed by a night of board games.
If you don’t fancy cooking though, there are so many restaurants onsite that you could have a different dinner every night of the week.
Scoop & Swirl was a big hit for ice creams and other sweet treats, plus there are takeaway options for fish and chips, pizza and fried chicken.
Our foodie highlight was breakfast at the Wonky Donkey, where the grown-ups tucked into a huge full English while the kids wolfed down decadent waffles drizzled with maple syrup.
There’s also RJs — a restaurant that dishes up burgers, pizzas and chilli con carne with a side serving of entertainment.
From kids’ discos to energetic magic shows, there’s something on here every night of the week, so you’ll never get bored.
And to top it all off, we didn’t have one single request for the iPad.
That’s the biggest result of all, if you ask me.