Mark Warner Activity month week 3 – Get Sporty

gymnasticsOn to week 3 in our Mark Warner challenge and our prompt this week is Get Sporty we have managed this in a number of ways fitting it into our week as we went along.

First to mention is on Tuesdays, since September, the girls have been attending gymnastics at a club local to us. The club has high standards and an excellent reputation and although they’re not pushing 4 year olds, they do start training them. They use the beam, the trampoline, the bars and other apparatus in the gym strengthening their muscles and building confidence. Parents only get to watch them once every 6 weeks through an upstairs window, this is to avoid any distractions and to help the young gymnasts focus.

I have seen enormous benefits in the girls posture, in their lack of fear in playgrounds and their general well being overall since they started. They are very close to gaining their second badge, I think it’s the head stands and kick up to a handstand that’s holding them back but we hope to get the second badge before the end of this scolastic year.

gym

We spent Sunday at Legoland enjoying rollercoasters, spinning spiders, activity playgrounds and there in the Duplo Valley on the Raft River Racers we had a competition, Dad and Bessie versus Mum and Alice. Each team sat in a raft and waited for the contraption underneath to lift and tip them down the slide with running water. The slide was a long curvy track and we had to hold on tightly as we slid down. Some of the curves were high and Alice and I were screeching along the top at one point (or it seemed so) then as we slid back down in the slide we managed to let gallons of water enter our raft which soaked me right through. Mum and Alice won but not without payment.

mum gets soaked at duplo valley

We wanted to hold a few Sports Day events in the garden, like egg and spoon race, jumping in a sack, three legged races but the weather has not been on our side and when it was the girls were plagued with poorly tummies so this part of our Get Sporty week will have to be put on hold until half term when we’re also very much looking forward to Week 4′s challenge – bring it on!

Week 4 (27th May – 2nd June)

Enjoy a splash about -active family in the water (swimming, watersports etc.)

Mari’s World has been selected to take part in the Mark Warner Active Family Blogger challenge along with another 9 bloggers. The idea is to inspire other families and encourage everyone to stay fit and healthy.

Active Family Blogger Challenge

Your challenge is to commit to spending a minimum of one hour per week taking part in a designated activity as a family. We’d like you to write a blog post about your experience each week, inspiring your readers with photos and maybe even asking your children to write about their experience.

Judging and Prizes

Judges will be looking for a creative and inspiring approach to family fitness and the winner will be awarded a family holiday for up to four at Mark Warner’s resort in San Lucianu, Corsica

Our challenges so far

Go for a spin

Active Playtime

Thorpe Park review – a Family Day Out

Thorpe Park is way too advanced to take the twins along but I knew my niece Rosie, 13 and nephew Billy, 11 would love it so I put the idea to their parents first and they all jumped at spending some family time together and reviewing Thorpe park for Mari’s World. Here’s an account in their own words of their Thorpe Park experience and check out the great savings at the end of the post too

Photo credits: Rosie Whooley

thorpe park

Rosie’s thoughts – age 13

Rosie Whooley

When I first heard about the opportunity to go and review Thorpe Park I was ecstatic (I was literally counting down the days)!

thorpe park

When I first got there I rushed straight to The Detonator. The feeling that you get when you drop down is so fantastic, such a high!

thorpe park detonator

I was then forced onto my first roller coaster. Ever. In the queue I was so scared but when I sat down I honestly enjoyed it so much! The rush gave me such an exhilarated feeling. I loved it so much I went on it another 3 times, that must be a record right? Although I loved it my mum came off as white as a sheet. She then vowed to me to never go on it again! It was pretty hilarious!

thorpe park

Thorpe Park has such a variety of rides. My favourites are the roller coasters. There are so many including Saw, Colossus, The Swarm, Nemesis Inferno and of course, Stealth!thorpe park quantum

Although if you are not a thrill seeker like my mum Thorpe Park has attractions such as Storm in a Tea Cup, Rumba Rapids, Mr. Monkeys Banana Ride and Flying Fish. Thorpe Park really caters for everyone.

airplane crash

The other thing that made my experience even better was the sets Thorpe Park has created. My favourite was the crashed aeroplane and overturned ambulance when you walk towards Swarm, it brings the experience alive!

ambulance crash Thorpe Park

All-in-all Thorpe Park is a great place to go with family or friends. The rides are amazing and there is definitely something for everyone. It’s truly a great day out although if you are planning to go in the holidays I suggest buying a fast track pass to rides such as Saw as Colossus as the queues were very long.

I urge you to get down to Thorpe Park today and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Rosie writes her own blog My Head and Me and she’d love some visits.

Billy’s thoughts – aged 11

To Auntie Mariane

Our trip to Thorpe Park last saturday was spectacular! Every ride was exhilarating, and although they definately weren’t for the fainthearted, everyone loved them-even mum!

mum hanging on for dear life :)

mum hanging on for dear life :)

Towards the last hour of the park’s opening time, the size of the queues reduced dramatically, which allowed us to fit in a few extra rides . Although the gift shop items were overpriced [£8 for 1 photo ], the merchandise was great. Overall, I would rate the day 10/10, and I will reccomend Thorpe Park to all of my friends.
From Billy.

Mum’s thoughts

Thorpe Park is the perfect day out for those of us with older children, but DON’T disappoint them by chickening out of a rollercoaster – hellish but worth serious street cred with your kids! Best things about Thorpe Park; variety of rides (as well as food & drink outlets), short queues (5 to 20 mins long, although we avoided a couple of rides which permanently had queues of more than an hour); general design – parts of Thorpe Park feel like being on a film set (especially The Swarm), and general friendliness and professionalism of staff. Worst things: fearing for your children as they ride Stealth…

Dad’s thoughts

A great way to spend a happy day with the whole family. So good in fact my teenage daughter was nice to me all day!

We all enjoyed the rides but my favourite was The Swarm; sitting on a winged roller coaster is great fun. No one would come on Stealth with me which was the one I wanted to go on the most but queueing alone is no fun.

Stealth thorpe park

We went last Saturday and luckily did not have to queue too much, I would recommend a fast track pass if it was a busy day though.

We spent 5-6 hours in the park but did not get round to trying it all, partly due to once the kids had discovered and enjoyed Nemesis they wanted to spend most of their time on that and partly due to the amount of things to do. A return visit will be in order.
We took a picnic but stopped for refreshments and were very happily surprised to find the drinks very reasonably priced, often at places like these you are charged a fortune as a captive audience, well done to Thorpe Park.

My one critisism would be the lack of sign posts. I am suffering with a bad knee and would have been much happier walking directly to each ride rather than going down blind alleys and doubling the distance.

Thanks for your thoughts guys and if you are interested in finding out more on Thorpe Park nip over to their website and start planning your day. You could even stay up to date on Facebook

Save money at Thorpe Park

    1. Pick up a Frijj to take advantage of a 2-for-1 coupon offer when booking tickets. Check out more information on their Facebook page
    2. Book tickets 7 days or more in advance to save 30% – adults from £30.24, children from £23.52 (under 12)
    3. Get 2-for-1 tickets courtesy of Coke
    4. If travelling by train, head to South West Trains to get online discounts on entry
    5. Feel like one day isn’t enough? We now offer over-night stays at the park in our newly opened ‘Crash Pad’ accommodation from £64 per person which includes 2 days at the park and breakfast

We were given four tickets for our Thorpe Park review. Thank you, as you can see the family had a brilliant time even if mum’s still recovering!

Top 10 tips for LEGOLAND Windsor

LEGOLAND windsor

This weekend saw the official opening of the DUPLO Valley Splash and Play area at LEGOLAND Windsor and we were lucky to be invited to test run it. We had a brilliant time and all our photos can be found on the Mari’s World Great British Housewife Facebook page

We arrived to a [...]

Marks and Spencer A/W 13 collections

M&S AW13 red biker jacket

I will admit to being totally blown away by all of the products I saw last Thursday at the Marks and Spencer A/W 13 launch. It is no secret I am a massive M&S fan, one of my favourite pink cardigans is now 10 years old and still looks as good as new which [...]

The week that was 365/20

children sleeping

This week has been a funny old one, the kind of week where nothing went to plan but there were lots of hidden surprises – including the central heating being put back on!!

I’m so glad I’m not in a tent

Saturday 11th May

We decided to take [...]

How a water softener could save you money

hanson salt

Approximately 60% of water supplies in the United Kingdon are hard, meaning they have substantial deposits of calcium and magnesium. While these elements are harmless to humans and animals, they can play havoc with your home and cost you money.

If you think that the water running through your hot water pipes, your furnace, [...]

The secret of the river

Sandy Balls - River Avon

Some places are for staying quiet girls.

If you listen hard enough you can hear the wings of the fairies beating. You can hear the elves singing whilst they collect acorns for the long winter ahead.

You can hear the swans chatting as they gather materials for their nests.

Watch the river how [...]

How does your garden grow?

purple flower

Well mine in all honesty is let to do much as it pleases in as much as I am not a constant gardener but one who dabbles now and then. Thank goodness the forsynthia knows that! She gets a good cut mid summer and again in the autumn and we get on just fine.

[...]

Mark Warner Activity Month week 2 – Active Playtime

climbing the spider web

Week 2 challenge – Active playtime – active family playing lively games and perhaps learning a new skill (walking the dog, hide and seek, hula hooping e.t.c)

We’re on to week 2 of our Mark Warner Active Family Month challenge, last week we had to ‘go for a spin‘ this week it’s playtime -  [...]

How to Turn a Boating Holiday into a Magical Kid’s Adventure

norfolk broads

Now there’s one holiday I have never been on but that is high, very high, on my Bucket List; a boating trip on the Norfolk Broads.

I could have gone years ago, my mum’s partner at the time took my brothers on a boating holiday on the Broads and although the partner hasn’t been [...]

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...