#WalesforKids – Perfect Porthcawl (competition entry)

Britmums have yet another great prize up for grabs in their #WalesforKids blogger competition – a £1000 holiday in Wales! To take part, simply blog about your child’s holiday learning experience and submit your entry to the linky before 17th March 2014. – the winner is chosen at random.

I’m half Welsh myself (the mad half) so it’s no surprise that so many of my holidays are spent in that magnificent country. There are endless destinations to explore – as a child we would spend summer in Rhyl and Llandudno, in my teens I enjoyed weekends in Cardiff shopping for vinyl and on crazy camping trips to Dinas Mawddwy, in my 20s it was all about Portmeirion and rambling in the Brecon Beacons, and in my 30s I was climbing Snowdon and Tryfan. Honestly, you will NEVER be bored on holiday in Wales!

Since Ryland was born, our destination of choice is the Glamorgan Coast. Porthcawl’s lovely sandy beaches and rock pools, amazing ice cream and chippies, and places like Ogmore Castle and Kenfig Nature Reserve to explore! In Cardiff, there’s the castle and museum – and Techniquest in Cardiff Bay is fun – and educational – for older kids. And don’t forget to try Glamorgan (veggie!) sausages.

I’ve dusted off a little something from the comping archives here – Ryland’s first visit to the seaside back in 2010, filmed at Porthcawl Coney Beach!

Last year we celebrated my mum’s 70th birthday in Porthcawl with the family, booking into a great holiday cottage near the coast – we enjoyed beach picnics, swimming in the sea and a lovely day out at Bryngarw Country Park.

At the seaside Ryland was most fascinated by the tide going in and out – and trying to understand that in the morning he could play on the beach, yet an hour later the tide was up to the sea wall with the sand nowhere to be seen. He learnt to mix the dry sand with wet sand to make castles that lasted longer, and watching with a puzzled face as the water Nan walked miles to fetch sank without trace into his sandcastle moat!

I’m excited about all the future adventures we’ll have in Wales with Ryland as he grows up – Caernarfon & Conwy Castle, learning to surf, climbing Snowdon together, The Green Man Festival – and I’m desperate to try out the mile long zipwire at Bethseda!

If you need more convincing then take a look at the Visit Wales website for more inspiration, find them at www.facebook.com/visitwales or @visitwales on Twitter.

This post is an entry for the Visit Wales #Wales4Kids Family Holiday Challenge. Wales is the perfect place for a fun-filled family break.