playground

THE bus swings round the hairpin bend with ease, climbing higher and higher into the clouds.

I’m grateful for the driver’s skill as the winding trip eventually takes us clear of the tree line to reveal Switzerland’s breathtaking scenery below.

The Laax Alp Nagens bus stop is a dizzying 2,263 metres above sea level — and the scenery gets more and more beautiful as we then hike along the mountains, which sit in the Sardona Tectonic Arena.

The Arena is an impressive natural geological phenomenon in the Swiss Alps, where tectonic movement has resulted in rocks up to 300million years old being pushed up above younger rock formed a mere 35 to 50million years ago.

It has been absurdly easy to get up here thanks to Switzerland’s world-class public transport.

Buses are a great way to get around but make sure you have some cash as you often have to buy a ticket on board.

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I’ve only got four days here in Laax, but that’s more than enough to get swept up in the magic of the Swiss Alps in spring.

While the snow still clings to the mountain peaks, along the valley floor below it the scenery turns from white to neon bright green, as the grass returns and trees and flowers burst into life.

Luckily, if your legs get tired on a hike, there are plenty of cable cars to get you back down to your accommodation. For me, that’s Laax’s Rocks Resort.

It’s an adventurer’s playground — ideal for families, thrill-seekers or anyone who just wants to fill their lungs with mountain air.

More a mini village than a resort, it boasts everything from the world’s longest treetop walk (1.56km) to skate parks, trampolines, basketball courts, swimming pools and more hiking and biking trails than you could ever tick off in one trip.

The hotel rooms are comfortable yet chic — and have a perfect view of the sprawling forest next door.

If you are travelling with family there’s comfortable one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

My room has the perfect view of the 30metre-drop bungee jump — and I perch myself on the window seat to read my book and watch kids and parents alike plunge off the ledge.

The room also gives me a great view of the 220-metre zipline over the skatepark and snake run.

But after a busy day of adventures through the forest, I’m starving.

Luckily, there’s nine restaurants and two coffee shops to choose from, as well as six bars and lounges.

Take your pick from Italian at the Ristorante Camino or spectacular vegetarian options at the Riders Restaurant.

From beetroot wine to local Swiss delicacies, this is a must-visit spot to chow down at.

Also on offer are Asian specialities at Ikigai, Swiss treats such as rosti potatoes at Tegia Larnags — and of course cheese fondue, at Casa Veglia.

You don’t need to look far for ways to work off all those calories though.

On a particularly gorgeous morning, we hire electric mountain bikes to explore the surrounding trails.

They snake through forests, over meadows and along ridges, each turn revealing another gasp-worthy vista.

The e-bike makes the uphill sections a breeze, while the downhills are fast and glorious.

Two hours in, we roll up to Lake Cauma — a jewel-toned lake so startlingly blue it feels almost artificial.

We refuel lakeside with a rich Toblerone mousse from Ustria La Cauma restaurant, with its terrace perched above the water.

Food, it turns out, is as much a part of the journey round these parts as the scenery. Menus are hyper-seasonal and full of heart.

And old traditions are not forgotten. As spring turns to summer, local farmers take their cows up to the high pastures, the cattle decorated with flower crowns and large bells.

And come the winter, for those who are keen on skiing and snowboarding, this resort will become the place to be — a perfect spot for spending a day on the slopes before scoffing down hot cheese fondue in the evening.

I will certainly be back.

HAMPTON Court Palace has everything families need for a fun day out and it’s all within the grounds of an enormous former royal home.

From seeing inside the historic building itself to the pretty gardens, a kids’ playground and there’s even a comic-book themed takeover this summer.

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When you’re at a loss with how to keep the kids entertained over the weekend, or the next warm day during the week – head to Hampton Court Palace in London.

Kids in particular will love its enormous playground called the Magic Garden.

It’s aimed at children under 12 and has so much to keep them entertained from climbing up the huge towers to even facing a ‘dragon’.

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There’s a secret grotto with hidden pathways, plenty of slides and a sandpit, while a nearby cafe is the best spot to stop for hot drinks and snacks.

Another popular spot is the maze – which is the oldest surviving hedge maze in the country.

It covers a third of an acre on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace with plenty of twists and turns throughout.

And this summer, a new Beano-themed trail is set to launch.

From July 25 to August 23, kids will be able to see some of their favourite characters like Dennis the Menace and Gnasher.

More information about the trail says “Dennis, Minnie, Harsha, Rubi and Gnasher were late for their Bash Street School trip to Henry VIII’s palace.

“To save the day, Dennis has turned his go-kart into a time machine with Rubi’s flux capacitor – but “whoops”! it has malfunctioned and crash-landed in Hampton Court Palace.

“Now the timeline’s in a right royal muddle and Henry VIII is not amused. It’s utter chaos! It’s up to YOU to help the Beano friends fix their busted time machine.

“Grab your special Hampton Court Palace Beano comic strip story on arrival, packed with clues to track down the missing pieces scattered around the palace.”

There will even be some historic residents like Henry VIII and Elizabeth I dressed in the classic Beano red and black stripes.

During May half-term kids can enjoy The Big Bahooey which has cabaret performances, world-class street theatre and circus workshops.

To step back in time, head back in July to watch knights take on a jousting tournament – families can pick a favourite and cheer them on until the winner is crowned.

The jousting is on during on the weekends of July 11-12 and July 18-19.

If you want to steer clear of chaotic cartoons, head to the Hampton Court Gardens for a more relaxing stroll.

The formal gardens are pruned to perfection with neat hedges, immaculate lawns, ponds and pretty flower beds – especially in the Rose Garden.

During particular days of the year, the gardens are open free of charge with no pre-booking required.

This year these are May 9-10, September 12-13, October 10-11, November 21-22, December 26 (Wilderness garden only).

Then of course there’s the palace itself, which was famously the home of Henry VIII and his six wives.

For those who want to learn even more about Hampton Court Palace, a free audio guide is included in the price of admission.

The tour explores the highlights when it was lived in by Henry VIII and even how the palace has appeared on the back-drop of TV and film since the 1920s.

More recently it was used in Bridgerton as the home of Queen Charlotte, and the gardens are frequently used when characters are strolling around London.

It’s also appeared in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, My Lady Jane, The Favourite starring Olivia Coleman, and Lily James‘ Cinderella.

For more on family days out, this adventure attraction is inside the UK’s biggest park huge playground and ‘roller slide’.

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

FEW questions could strike fear into the hearts of parents faster than being asked by their children, “Can we play with slime?”

Messy, sticky, often neon in colour, kids seem to universally LOVE slime, while all grown-ups can think of is the nightmare clearing up.

Which is why iconic toy shop Hamleys has come up with a brilliantly clever workaround this spring.

It has transformed the basement of its flagship store in London’s Regent Street into a hands-on sensory, slime playground.

For £15 a ticket, parents can book children into a professional slime-making workshop run by Gootopia, who you might call professional “slimologists”.

I took my three children aged five, eight, and 12, and they all loved getting messy in the hands-on class – and best of all it wasn’t taking place in my kitchen!

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Kids are allocated their own work station and all the components to mix their own slime in a big metal bowl.

Then, under instruction, they are let loose to create their gooey concoction from scratch, mixing it and watching in wonder as it seemingly transforms into slime before their eyes.

They can then knead and stretch to their hearts content.

Once they have created the perfect gooey consistency, an array of paint colours are on offer to turn their masterpiece whichever shocking shade of their choice.

Kids are also invited to wield glitter – that other kryptonite substance for parents – and shake it with abandon over their slime.

And my little girl Estella also loved adding strawberry- shaped sprinkles to hers.

Once their creation is complete, the real fun starts.

The Gootopia experts, who patrol the class, show the children how to perform fun tricks with their slime, such as turn it into giant bubbles.

And at the end of the experience, the slime can be safely contained in screw-top plastic pots for transportation home, much to my kids’ delight.

Of course, there’s plenty more entertainment to be had elsewhere in Hamleys, with additional events throughout the Easter holidays including treasure hunts and Lego experiences.

We finished off our craft-making visit by visiting all seven floors of this wondrous toy store, taking in the free toy demos, new magic shows and meeting costumed characters.

We also checked out the newly opened Pokemon area of the store, crammed full of cuddly teddies, themed games and merchandise.

Messy craft and toy shopping in one day, no wonder my three had the slime of their lives.

• GO: Gootopia at Hamleys costs £15pp. The experience runs until April 12 and can be booked at hamleys.com.

A HUGE new playground has just opened in the UK as part of a huge multi-million revamp.

Forget it’s football team and towering transmitting station – Crystal Palace Park in London has opened a new playground right by the famous dinosaur sculptures.

The park features “hands-on play” with a “world shaped by scales, skeletons and stories from deep time”.

‍There are a number of pathways to explore with dinosaur-details as well as a few different shaped slides on the embankment.

A huge dinosaur-like skeleton also offers kids the chance to climb and hide, with the curving tail forming a play trail.

In the sandpit, which is shaped like a dinosaur’s footprint, young children can also dig and discover fossils.

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There’s also jumping discs, a log scramble and swings.

And a lot of features in the park are accessible including a wheelchair accessible roundabout, accessible swing and tactile games.

For parents wanting to rest and watch whilst their children play, there is a picnic area too.

The Dinosaur Playground is close to the main park toilets, as well as the cafe.

The new playground replaces an old one that had become rundown over the years.

After enjoying the new play park, make sure to head on the dinosaur trail to see around 30 Grade-I listed statues scattered across the park.

These are the world’s first life-sized prehistoric animal sculptures which were all inspired by fossils found by Victorian palaeontologists over 170 years ago.

Many of the dinosaurs look rather different to how we imagine dinosaurs now and that is because the statues were created from the scientific information Victorians had at the time.

It is free to visit the park as well as the sculptures, which can be found across islands and lakes in the park.

And by this summer, there will be a new £17.75million Visitor Centre.

It will be a single-storey and will have an ‘Interpretation and Activity Room’ which will showcase the park’s history and future through a number of displays, objects and information panels.

The park’s Grand Centre Walk is also being restored to create more space for events, with the path becoming wider and a new entrance being built at Penge Gate.

In total, the park’s revamp is expected to cost around £52million.

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