Latest news with #childfriendly
Times
25-05-2025
- Times
12 of the best cruise lines for families
Cruises can be a brilliant option for families. You're all in one place, with no worries about accommodation, cooking or eating out, and every need is catered for: food, drink, activities, nightlife, entertainment and even kids' activities. The facilities on the best ships are fantastic, with loads to keep little ones occupied while their parents get to enjoy some precious child-free time. Most vessels give you the option of doing some onshore exploring too, allowing you to visit several places without having to worry about car hire, buses, traffic or unscrupulous tour operators. Onboard facilities can vary by ship, so do check details — and what's included in the price — before you book. These are 12 of the best, for every kind of family. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue An all-inclusive voyage with Tui's cruise arm, Marella Cruises, is a hassle-free option for any family. The standard fare includes everything from transfers to the ship to selected alcoholic drinks and mocktails, plus a choice of at least four different restaurants serving child-friendly food. There are kids' clubs for those between 3 and 11 offering pirate hunts, mini-discos and chocolate parties, a teen-hangout area and family-friendly facilities galore, including climbing walls and cinemas. Children even get their own plush toy and activity booklet to help keep them busy on board. Travelling as a family doesn't have to mean scrimping on luxury. Explora Journeys aims to replicate the experience of a five-star hotel at sea on its two ships, yet children over six months are welcome (under twos sail free, and there is up to 50 per cent off for the third and fourth passengers in the same suite, aged up to 17). There are interconnecting suites for extra space, special kids' activities and a poolside ice-cream gelateria, while the Nautilus Club room features games consoles, a pool table and a digital library. Best of all? The standard fare includes food, drinks, room service, gratuities and the all-important wi-fi to keep any travelling teens happy. Toddlers, teens and all ages in between have been considered by Celebrity. Their Camp at Sea programme features slumber parties, Xbox stations for reclusive teens, and sports courts for older kids. And, in the unlikely event that your brood are missing school, there's a chance to bone up on subjects such as marine wildlife and ecological conservation with Stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) on selected ships, offering activities and events around these topics. Cruises include meals (bar speciality dining), shows and activities. With the All Included option, drinks and wi-fi are also covered. Kids' clubs are mostly complimentary. • Best cruises with fewer than 200 passengers• Best cruise lines with their own private island You'll be entertained from dawn to dusk on MSC ships, which feature award-winning facilities designed to keep the whole brood happy. Zoom across deck on a zip line, score a lucky strike at the bowling alley and enjoy Broadway-style shows in the evenings. MSC Virtuosa features the Teens Lab, an immersive, tech-filled room created especially for older kids, a silent disco and a waterpark. Full board meals (bar speciality dining), entertainment, most activities and kids' clubs are included. Excursions, some drinks, wi-fi and spa visits are typically extra. • Discover more of the world's best family holidays Norwegian offers families that all-important flexibility with no set dining slots. And, while every ship in the fleet has activities for children aged six months to 17 years, Norwegian Encore goes above and beyond. Race towards the chequered flag on the Speedway track, brave the waterslides, or head to Galaxy Pavilion, where virtual reality experiences include simulated hang-gliding. Included are meals (bar speciality dining), coffee bar, kids' clubs, most entertainment and poolside activities. You'll pay extra for most drinks, shore excursions, babysitting, and popular activities such as the race track. Look out for the occasional Kids Sail Free promotion, offering third and fourth guests complimentary cruise fares. P&O is pushing the boat out with their Excel class ship, Arvia. There's a chance to test your balance on the Altitude Skywalk high-ropes experience and practise your swing at mini-golf. Or, if you'd rather keep your feet on the ground, there's a four-screen cinema and a retro-style diner serving all-American dishes. Dance classes, use of the sports deck and most of the kids' activities, entertainment and food are included (bar speciality dining). It's usually mainly Brits on board. Gone are the days of hunting down stray kids. Thanks to smart wearable devices in Princess MedallionClass you'll be able to track down exactly where family members are at the touch of a button — as well as order food and drink to anywhere on the ship. Standout features to impress the kids include top-deck stargazing, an indoor planetarium and, depending on where you're sailing, the chance to meet guest puppies or parrots on board. Over on Caribbean Princess, the Reef Family Splash Zone provides hours of watery fun for little ones, washed down with mocktails for the kids and cocktails for the adults. What's included? Onboard activities, kids' clubs, main dining (most drinks are extra), and entertainment. Royal Caribbean has a fair few trump cards when it comes to family fun: rock climbing, ice skating and zip lining being among the highlights. Anthem of the Seas is one of the most impressive ships in the fleet with a RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator, FlowRider surf simulator, bumper cars, and cocktails shaken by robot bartenders. Cruises include full board (speciality dining is extra), some drinks, most entertainment and onboard activities. You'll pay extra for beverage packages, the spa, shore excursions and wi-fi. • The best cruise lines in the world Uniworld is known for being a favourite among luxe lovers, so it's a pleasant surprise that this river cruise line is also family friendly. The Generations programme, operating on a handful of departures during the UK school holidays, features itineraries and onshore activities aimed at children, with paddleboarding, treasure hunts and bike rides among the mix. On board there's a lounge with PlayStation, regular cooking classes and craft workshops, as well as ship tours with the captain. Trips are all-inclusive, including premium wines and spirits, activities, bike hire and gratuities — and usually return flights. • Best river cruises in the world All A-Rosa river cruises are designed with families in mind — they're less formal than your average sailing — but E-Motion takes things one step further: expect spacious cabins with bunk beds and an age-appropriate toy box. Adults can unwind in the spa, kitted out with a sauna and whirlpool, while kids can meet the captain and splash about in their own separate pool. Top up on family time with mini-golf, pizza-making and mocktail workshops. Meals and selected drinks are included with its Premium All-Inclusive offering, and children aged 15 and under can sail free on some ships. During school holidays there are free kids' clubs for children aged four to 15. Shore excursions cost extra. Carnival majors on family fun. Kids can squeal at the twists and turns on Bolt, the first rollercoaster at sea (extra cost), get arty in the craft studio and be suspended 150ft in the air on SkyRide — a recumbent bike suspended beneath a metal track. Cabin fever is kept at bay with extra roomy staterooms and a family lounge, and the huge projectors on the top deck are perfect for getting together to watch movies under the stars. The innovative ship Mardi Gras has lots to keep children entertained, including waterslides, mini-golf and a ropes course. Meals (bar speciality dining), entertainment, kids' programmes and many activities are included. Most drinks, spa treatments, shore excursions and gratuities are not. This line will have you dancing from the moment you board. Disney cruises deliver on the pizzazz the parks are known for. Little ones can be pampered in the kids' beauty salon, meet their favourite characters and settle in for theatre shows based on Disney classics. If you're lucky, you'll cruise into Castaway Cay — the line's family-orientated private island in the Bahamas, with a snorkelling lagoon, boat rentals and a teen hideout. Packages include entertainment, various dining options (including 24-hour room service), kids' and youth clubs, and Castaway Cay (on most Bahamian and Caribbean cruises). You'll pay extra for alcoholic drinks, adult-exclusive dining and tips. This themed cruise is all about the Disney brand and ideal for those who want to mingle with Mickey. You'll find family suites on many ships, including Royal Caribbean (which offers perks such as an in-room slide, table tennis and cinema), Celebrity Cruises, Carnival, Princess, MSC, Disney and Norwegian Cruise Line (which also has the Haven Family Villas on selected ships). This depends on what cabin grade you opt for and where you want to go. For a seven-night sailing in the Mediterranean for a family of four, you can expect to pay upwards of £1,500. Look out for Kids Sail Free promotional offers on some ships, which could offer worthwhile savings. Again, this depends on the itinerary and where in the world you are sailing. For Caribbean cruises, the best time to bag a bargain is during school term or hurricane season (which is the UK's summer to autumn); for Mediterranean sailings, try the typically cooler months of March, April or November. Additional reporting by Oliver Berry • Best cruise destinations• How to save money on a cruise
Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
16 of the best things to do in London with children
Few cities are as child-friendly as London. From interactive museums to soldiers on horseback,Harry Potter filming locations to open-top buses, the capital has plenty to keep young ones enthralled. Throw in age-appropriate restaurants, hotels with plenty of family appeal and a skyline straight from the films and London is an adventure for children of all ages. Here are some of the best things to do in the capital with children, whether they love animals, white-knuckle thrills or simply eating as much cake as possible. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Hold on tight for an adrenalin-pumping trip down the Thames that's guaranteed to appeal to thrill seekers of all ages. You'll be kitted out in life jackets to board a speedboat by the London Eye before cruising out towards Canary Wharf past the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Shard and Tower of London. An on-board comedian/guide means that bog-standard commentary as you sail is replaced by plenty of quirky stories and funny facts that kids will love. As the river widens, the boat's speed picks up and you'll race out to Docklands at up to 35mph, with the boat twisting and turning like you're escaping the villain in a James Bond film. • Discover our full guide to London History is way more interesting to kids if it's gory or spooky, so a trip to the Tower of London will fascinate them. This medieval castle and world heritage site was built by William the Conqueror and has served as a royal palace, a prison and the home of the Crown Jewels. Tickets include a tour with a Yeoman Warder — otherwise known as a Beefeater — which run every half an hour from the main entrance. Expect to hear tales of bloody executions, the exotic animals that once lived in the Tower and the ghosts said to haunt it to this day. You'll also see the room where Guy Fawkes was imprisoned, the famous ravens who live at the Tower and the priceless royal jewels watched by armed guards. • Best family hotels in London Great views can be hard to sell to kids, but a vista enjoyed from the top of a giant ferris wheel? Now you're talking. Situated on a stretch of the South Bank that also features Shrek's Adventure! and the London Aquarium, the London Eye's rotating pods provide a killer perspective on more stately attractions over the River Thames, including the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Wow your family with this fun fact: 'Big Ben' isn't the name of the structure — known as the Elizabeth Tower since the Queen's diamond jubilee — but of the bell itself. • Best luxury hotels in London The ceremonial handover of the King's Guard is British pomp and ceremony at its best. Children will love seeing the marching soldiers — all wearing their distinctive red tunics and bearskin hats, some on horseback — enacting this centuries-old ritual. Troops gather at St James's Palace and Wellington Barracks before marching along The Mall to the sounds of the military band. Many visitors to London make the mistake of setting up camp outside Buckingham Palace, but a pre-booked small-group tour can offer superior vantage points as well as insightful commentary to help everyone understand what on earth is going on. • Best affordable hotels in London under £200 London's theatres are host to a wealth of child-friendly musicals, from literary spin-offs such as Matilda and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to reimagined Disney films including Frozen and The Lion King. The latter has been running for nearly 25 years with good reason; inventive sets and imaginative puppetry and costumes conjure a convincing savannah dreamworld in a corner of Covent Garden. Elton John and Tim Rice's impossibly catchy songs, including the show-stopping opener Circle of Life and the life-affirming Hakuna Matata, mean all-aged audiences invariably leave the Lyceum humming along. • Best hotels with a view in London London was a port long before it became England's capital, and there's no better way for children to learn about its seafaring history than with a visit to one of its vintage ships. Built for the China tea trade, Cutty Sark was state-of-the art when she set out on her maiden voyage in 1870 and still looks chipper today — kids will love exploring the cabins and steering their way through a virtual voyage. It's a 25-minute journey along the river from Tower Pier (serving the Tower of London and Tower Bridge) to Greenwich, and travelling by Thames Clipper is all part of the fun. • Best hotels in London with pools A Rembrandt self-portrait and Van Gogh's Sunflowers are among the highlights of one of the world's greatest collections of paintings, and cherry-picking from its 2,300 works will help visitors of all ages stave off cultural fatigue. A one-hour highlights tour of the National Gallery is the ideal timeframe and a Blue Badge guide will steer visitors through the crowds to study a handful of key pieces in more detail. Top tip: bring paper and pencils so children can sketch their own souvenirs, and make a game of spotting animals in the artworks, from the dog in Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait to George Stubbs' Whistlejacket. • The best serviced apartments in London London is home to many Harry Potter filming locations, from the Ministry of Magic (Great Scotland Yard) to Hogwarts' spiral staircase (St Paul's Cathedral). A walking tour is a great way to engage the attention of older kids who can handle two to three hours on their feet; guides tend to be genuine fans, who know their Mandrakes from their Muggles. The itinerary ends at Platform 9¾ in King's Cross station and from here there are trains out to Watford and the Harry Potter Studio Tour (be sure to book tickets for this several months in advance). Even the most hardened museum-phobes can't resist mummies, and Bloomsbury is home to the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside Cairo. The galleries put flesh on the bones of these ancient relics, presenting clues to the lives of people who died between 3,000 and 1,800 years ago. Check out the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone, perhaps the world's most famous slab of rock, before time-travelling to see Anglo-Saxon treasure unearthed at Sutton Hoo and armour once worn by a Japanese samurai. In need of sustenance before going into battle? There's a family-friendly pizzeria on site. • The best dog-friendly hotels in London Any child who's ever watched a David Attenborough documentary will get a kick out of the Natural History Museum, a bewilderingly comprehensive institution that charts 4.6 billion years of planet Earth. Highlights include a skeleton of a mighty blue whale, an array of stuffed animals and birds, plus interactive exhibits such as the earthquake simulator and dinosaur gallery quiz. Admission to the museum is free, but one of the best ways to keep kids engaged is by booking onto a private tour with an experienced guide. The museum's occasional sleepovers sell out months in advance. • The best Airbnbs in London With central London's greenest fleet of hop-on hop-off buses, Tootbus also offers special kid-focused tours capped at 45 minutes which should wipe out those enquiries of the 'are we nearly there yet?' variety. Routes are packed with big-hitting stops, from historic Westminster Abbey to the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus, the prime minister's residence at Downing Street and the wax museum Madame Tussauds (home to an immersive Star Wars experience). Live commentary from guides helps bring landmarks to life, arming children with fun facts and trivia about the capital. ZSL London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo and is set within the northern corner of Regent's Park. Its menagerie includes everything from tigers and gorillas to penguins and pygmy hippos, but perhaps most thrilling are the walkthrough attractions, such as Monkey Valley or Butterfly Paradise, where visitors share space with wildlife. Be sure to catch one of the timetabled feeding sessions and talks — witnessing birds in flight over the display lawn is a particular highlight — or book an overnight stay in one of the Zoo lodges in the Land of the Lions habitat, within roaring distance of the resident pride. Just around the corner from Royal Mail's Mount Pleasant sorting office in Clerkenwell is one of London's best small museums for children. Diverse displays bring to life the storied history of correspondence, including a collection of unread love letters recovered after a maritime disaster and a tall (but apparently true) tale about an escaped lioness. Kids will love learning about the Mail Rail while riding a miniature train through a century-old network of subterranean tunnels, and there's also a postal-themed play space. Here, children aged eight and under can role-play being a postie, having a go at moving the mail through a series of slides and chutes. Part-sculpture, part-helter-skelter, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's red steel equivalent to Paris's Eiffel Tower. Bonus: this piece of architecture also contains the world's longest tunnel slide. Kids must be eight years old and at least 1.3m to ride its 178m length; yodelling on the way down is highly recommended. Next, mosey on over to the nearby London Aquatics Centre for an Aqua Splash session: the inflatable obstacle course is ludicrously good fun and sits right alongside the Olympian Tom Daley's diving academy. From wizards to dinosaurs, David Hockney to Willy Wonka, London's top hotels have drawn on diverse inspiration to tempt junior guests in for afternoon teas. But this Mayfair establishment requires no introduction: tea at the Ritz is the stuff that stories are made of. From the tinkling piano music to the solicitous attentions of liveried staff, children will enjoy the atmosphere as much as the endless rounds of dainty treats — from cucumber sandwiches to freshly baked scones, via countless jewel-like pastries. The kitchen is happy to accommodate fussy eaters, and everyone gets a box of their favourites to take home. • Best places for afternoon tea in London For a family day out in London, you can't go wrong in one of its glorious patches of green: eight protected spaces, treasured by locals and visitors. Richmond Park is the biggest, and home to more than 630 red and fallow deer, while Hyde Park is perhaps the most varied, with swimming and boating on the Serpentine, plus the Diana Memorial Playground, where play equipment includes a huge wooden pirate ship. Regent's Park's Open Air Theatre is the place to see outdoor productions every summer, while Primrose Hill is ideal for rolling down (although parents may prefer the view from the top). • Best things to do in London• Best free things to do in London
Times
22-05-2025
- Times
Martinhal Sagres review: a fun, family-friendly resort on the tip of the Algarve
Martinhal Sagres opened in 2010 and set a new standard in family holidays: here, adults-only zones are out and children's playgrounds in, while a baby concierge helps parents keep packing to a minimum by providing everything from bottle sterilisers to potties at no extra cost. It's not quite as family-friendly as it could be, though, with more formal, pernickety service than you might expect (all meals, including breakfast, must be booked) and high prices for food and drinks across the board (though self-catering in one of the apartments or houses is an option). Despite these niggles, it remains one of the best resorts on the Algarve for children thanks to its facilities, with multiple heated swimming pools, a gorgeous sandy beach, brilliant playgrounds and kids' sports activities that will keep all ages entertained. Bear in mind that the hotel aims itself at families and almost all guests come with children — this isn't one for your next romantic break à deux. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Score 7/10The 37 rooms just back from the beach have lovely full or partial sea views and a crisp, cool colour palette designed to complement the landscape beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Most are large enough for just one child; come with more and you'll need to interconnect with a duplex beach suite, introducing stairs (though there are stair gates); bathrooms are spacious, with separate bath and shower. Alternatively, book one of the 132 houses and villas, arranged in a village-like pattern on streets leading away from the sea and sleeping as many as 12. These come with kitchens and laundry facilities and some have their own outdoor pool. The baby concierge service can provide cots, highchairs and baby baths, and the patient staff throughout the hotel are well-versed in dealing with the whims of young 7/10Overlooking the beach, As Dunas is the place to while away the middle of the day over freshly grilled fish and a bottle of Portuguese wine, while the kids let off steam within sight at the nearby playground. For evenings, O Terraco is best, its polished wood floors, large windows overlooking the ocean and contemporary chandeliers the backdrop to high-quality steaks. There's a (sometimes staffed) kids' corner inside both restaurants so children can go off and play while parents eat, and the children's menus offer dishes such as pastas, burgers and even baby purées. Breakfast is served at both restaurants, with a buffet that covers the basics, while simple crowd-pleasing dinners can be had at Os Gambozinos in the main square, which overlooks a larger playground. Note that all meals, including breakfast, must be booked in advance and that at busy times the most popular child-friendly slots fill up fast. • Discover our full guide to the Algarve• Best hotels in the Algarve Score 8/10Five swimming pools, all heated, are arranged around the resort, with the Hangout pool just above the beach the most popular (unless it's windy, when everyone heads to the indoor pool). Right on the doorstep is a sandy beach some 700m long; the resort also has a water sports centre for windsurfing, kayaking and SUP, and staff can also organise surf trips further afield. The football pitch hosts daily family football matches and there's tennis, padel, mini golf and a climbing wall. This is a resort designed around children, so there are several playgrounds (one even has a bouncy castle), as well as kids' clubs for ages from six months to 17 years — note, though, that these are split into five age groups, potentially separating siblings. All pools and playgrounds are complimentary, along with the gym and family playroom, which has board games, video games and a pool table, but all other activities, including the kids' clubs, attract an extra charge, except in low season (typically November to March). Score 7/10The resort is located in the far southwest corner of Portugal, which makes its weather more blustery than balmy — and certainly windier than other parts of the Algarve. The upside is that any clouds blow over quickly. You're surrounded by the Costa Vicentina Natural Park here, in an unspoiled part of the country — don't expect copious tourist attractions, do expect plenty of birdlife. The hotel has a bike station, for bike hire and guided tours of the reserve, and you can walk into the pleasant, surfy town of Sagres, which has a 15th-century fort and laid-back local restaurants, in about 20 minutes. Faro airport is about an hour and a half away by car. Price B&B doubles from £146Restaurant mains from £22Family-friendly YAccessible Y Helen Ochyra was a guest of Martinhal Sagres ( • Best family hotels in the Algarve• Best holiday villas in the Algarve
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Irish Times
MyFirst Fone S3 review: A child-friendly watch that mimics a smartphone but is not cheap at €170
MyFirst Fone S3 Price : €170 Website : Where To Buy : DID I've tried out a lot of smartwatches over the years, from the ones that promise a lot and deliver little to the ones that mimic a traditional timepiece while collecting lots of data in the background. But the latest smartwatch I'm wearing isn't my usual style. The functionality may be similar – it tracks my location, it allows me to make and take calls, and I can post updates from the device for family and friends. It even has a music player. But in this case I'm not the target audience. This is the MyFirst Fone S3. It is durable, it is child friendly and it serves an important purpose: to stave off the inevitable smartphone for your kids. It looks like many child-friendly smartwatches on the market: a colourful plastic case and silicone strap, with a decent-sized display for your child to read messages and otherwise interact with the watch. READ MORE Accompanying it is the MyFirst Circle app, which controls everything from the access to the watch and the contacts your child can use to geofencing safe zones. It has a heart-rate monitor and a step counter so you can keep an eye on your child's activity. But it will need a sim card, which is an ongoing expense. It comes with a preinstalled MyFirst sim, which includes a free month, but you can swap it for your own. In this case, a GoMo sim card did the job, keeping the costs down, but the watch will support a 4G nano sim, so the choice of network provider is up to you. [ What's the right age for my daughter to get a smartphone? I asked her older siblings Opens in new window ] Setting up the Circle app is key to getting the best out of this device. You can add in select contacts and send them an invitation to join the app. After that, they can contact the watch owner, receive voice and video calls with the 2-megapixel camera, exchange messages or view posts on the Circle feed, which functions as a sort of social media interface for the limited family circle. Your child can post photos and updates, and have them seen by the wider family group. You can also share the watch's location among select contacts – family members, friends – if needed. The watch is aimed at children aged three to 12, but the younger end of that age group will need to be trusted not to take the watch off and leave it behind. The buckle doesn't take a genius to undo, and at €170, it is not cheap the replace. However, it can take a lot of abuse. The watch was handed to the hardest-wearing member of the family, and came back with barely a scuff and in full working order. There are also specific child-friendly features. The chat messages are done via emoji or photos, rather than text, which suits the age group better. You can also add voice notes to chats. Class Mode will lock out the watch for a set period of time – a school day, an afterschool club, a weekend activity. You can set up multiple class modes for various times of the day, too, rather than a single school session. If needed, the SOS function will still work, alerting parents to a situation if their child needs help during school hours. The buttons are big enough for small fingers to get to grips with, and the S3 keeps things simple with two buttons on the right side of the case to control access to the menus, power and putting the screen to sleep. Good This watch is a good alternative to a smartphone for parents who feel that is a step they don't want to take just yet. It protects children from access to third-party apps such as games and social media, and from strangers. The MyFirst Circle app is a must, allowing you to keep an eye on the watch and notifications such as video calls and voice notes. Bad This watch may fall foul of smart-device rules in schools – it has a camera and a microphone, both of which may go against the spirit of smartphone ban. School mode helps, but it requires parents to enable it. The watch can't be customised in the same way as other kid-focused smartwatches. The pastel colours are nice, but it would be better if the cases could be customised in the same way as the Xplora X6 Play, for example. Everything else The watch itself is decently powered. It has a quad-core processor and 8GB of capacity. The storage can be used to hold songs for your child – more than 1,000, which should cover all the current hits and then some. Verdict A child-friendly watch that will bridge the gap before a smartphone.
