Parenting advice

STARGAZE for days at this island gem, says Associate Editor Sarah Barns.

The Pad

With a slipper bath, outdoor shower and a cloud-like king-size bed, Glamping The Wight Way’s four plush safari tents are ideal for giving off-grid life a go.

Set in lush meadows between Yarmouth and Freshwater, expect solar-panel lighting and USB charging points, plus three spacious bedrooms, a sofa bed, a well-equipped kitchen and a wood burner.

We loved toasting marshmallows on the fire bowl overlooking the River Yar – one of the best paddleboarding spots in the UK – and gazing at the starry night skies.

There are also countryside walks, cycling trails and horse-riding opportunities, as well as binoculars in the dresser for spotting red squirrels and an Isle of Wight edition of Monopoly.

Nab the swing chair and watch the kids run around with the rounders set as the fairy lights twinkle.

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Explore

The golden beaches at Freshwater Bay, Compton Bay and Colwell Bay are nearby, and you’re only five minutes’ drive from Tapnell Farm Park with its go-karts, jumping pillows, sledge slides, soft play and an array of animals.

The Wallaby Walkabout, where you get to feed the marsupials, is a particular hit.

Entry costs from £8 per adult, £10 per child (Tapnellfarm.com).

Robin Hill is a 30-minute drive away, offering 88 acres of adventure, with 35 rides, treetop walks, climbing walls, mini diggers and electric boats.

The exhilarating quarter-mile downhill toboggan ride will have even the big kids screaming.

Entry costs from £16.49 per person over 1m (Robin-hill.com).

No trip to the island is complete without a visit to The Needles, just 10 minutes’ drive from your tent.

Take a breathtaking chairlift down to Alum Bay beach to see the famous cliffs up close, from £6 one way, then putt your way around the 11-hole Jurassic Adventure Golf course or hop on the traditional horse carousel (Theneedles.co.uk).

Refuel

Follow in Kate Winslet and Benedict Cumberbatch’s footsteps and dine at The Hut in Colwell Bay, a beachfront restaurant dubbed the Chiltern Firehouse of the Solent.

The restaurant’s branded Jeep will pick you up in Yarmouth harbour, so you can enjoy a glass (or three) of Mirabello rosé, £37 a bottle.

The seafood is all sourced from the south coast – we devoured lemon sole, £36, with fries and tomato salad, £6 each, followed by banoffee pie, £10 (Thehutcolwell.co.uk).

Harbourside restaurant The Terrace in Yarmouth is another popular spot.

Order the divine Cornish cod with pea fritter and potato rosti, £27, and the rich dark chocolate mousse with salted chocolate crumble, £11 (Theterraceiow.co.uk).

For quick bites, Off The Rails, set on the old railway line in Yarmouth, does a cracking bacon sandwich, £8 (Offtherailsyarmouth.co.uk).

And PO41 Coffee House serves up island-brewed teas, home-made cake and delicious picnic essentials – we loved the orange and almond loaf, £8.75 (Po41coffeehouse.com).

Book It

Two-night stays for up to eight people at Glamping The Wight Way cost from £650 (Glampingthewightway.co.uk).

DESPITE being in the UK, you could be easily mistaken for thinking you were in France when visiting Waddesdon Manor.

And the French Renaissance-style chateau in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, has revealed plans for a huge new woodland playground this year.

Built back in the 1870s by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, the Manor opened to the public in 1959 and is still home to the Rothschild collection of paintings, sculptures and artworks.

And now the grand home is opening a woodland playground.

The new playground will boast giant wooden towers, climbing trails, bridges, tunnels, slides and more.

Pictures also show there will be a zip line as well.

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Using natural materials, the new attraction hopes to connect kids with nature.

The new play area – which will be free to use – will open this year, though an exact date is yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, from the end March, visitors can see the House as it reopens for the season.

Inside the Manor, you’ll be able to explore a collection of 18th century French decorative arts including furniture, porcelain and carpets.

In fact, the Manor is home to over 15,000 objects.

And if it is a sunny day, the gardens are well worth exploring as they are in the style of French formal gardens.

There’s even an Aviary which is home to rare and exotic birds.

You can head to the Wine Cellars onsite too, which features a collection of more than 15,000 bottles.

The estate also often hosts events such as family trails.

And for when you are feeling peckish, there is an cafe onsite serving light bites and drinks.

A ticket to the house and grounds costs £25.50 per adult and £12.50 per child.

But if you are a member of the National Trust then you can visit for free.

One recent visitor said: “An incredibly beautiful building. It is worth visiting at least once, but be sure to visit.

“Different types of birds, flowers, and palm trees will delight your eyes.”

Another added: “I think this was my most enjoyable National Trust visit.

“One of many Rothschild properties in the area but must be the jewel in the crown.”

In other attraction news, London’s best family attraction that ‘feels like it was created for kids’ to get huge new nature playground.

Plus, a huge new wooden play attraction is set to open at historic English house with den building, zip lines and racing slides.