Bank Holiday weekends are great, aren’t they? For most, it means a bit of relaxation or embarking on adventures and activities that feed the soul. Before having a child, I lived for the extra long weekends, packing in as much into my itinerary as I could before going back to my Mon-Fri routine. Whilst the time off is still welcomed with arms wide, the time spent looks different – at least for us as a family.
Having a toddler means navigating those extra days out of our regular routine, interfering with nap time, and bedtime, and sometimes putting constraints on what we can do during the day. We have to plan child-friendly days out now, which limits us more than it did before, and whilst I’m not complaining in the slightest, there is an aspect to it that leaves me absolutely exhausted by the end of it and welcoming the return to the working week!
It’s okay to miss parts of your life before kids and it’s not shameful to admit that sometimes you need time for just you.
Lanie
Whilst our weekends used to be filled with stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking, hiking trails and travelling up and down the country (and abroad) on a whim to explore – our new reality is much more about forward planning, making sure we have everything we could possibly need when out and about for a two-year-old and staying closer to home. We know our adrenaline-filled weekends will return one day, but for now, we are enjoying navigating our family-friendly trips and memory-making with our son.
In the Winter of 2021, we relocated from Hampshire to Devon. For lots of reasons (but mainly the draw of the sea, the countryside and a slower pace of life) we have settled into our life here and set ourselves the task of exploring as much of the county as we can!
Here is what our Easter Bank Holiday weekend looked like for those of you looking for the top spots to visit with your family in Devon.
Bellever Forest – Dartmoor National Park
You might be inclined to think that these pictures below were taken in Canada but I can assure you these were taken on Good Friday, at Bellever Forest. One of my favourite places in the whole of Devon, this beautiful and tranquil place offers up a place to sit by the stream, soak your aching feet and breathe in all of the surrounding nature. With walking trails that go for miles, you can work up an appetite before sitting down to a picnic in the wonderful forest clearings where you’ll find logs and rocks to perch upon.
The last time we came here, my son was still in a carrier on our backs, meaning that we could go a longer distance and really explore the area. Now that he’s two and far too heavy to be carried, we walked along the river – with a few stops along the way for a snack and a drink at intervals. We were able to take the pram and park it up in the forest whilst we explored. There are good toilet facilities and plenty of spots with shade if needed. Whilst you’ll need to be watchful of the little ones by the water side, there is a lot of open space for them to play and explore.
Exmouth Beach
Next, we headed to our nearest beach and walked along the seafront in search of ice cream. What we love most about Exmouth is that it has a pretty town with plenty of places to eat and drink, and then the glorious sandy beach that stretches out for miles. Along the beach front there are the traditional fair rides and play parks that you find in most places, with little holiday shops and an arcade.
Killerton – Exeter
As National Trust members, we try to visit the different places on offer on a regular basis. It’s always a great day out with loads for the kids to do. Killerton is our nearest National Trust property and as we were looking for an Easter trail to do, it made perfect sense to go there. We were lucky with the weather and had a peaceful morning walking around the grounds that are currently covered in daffodils. There is a small play park on site too, which was a hit.
Wondering around the house, there are little mice to find in each room, which meant that our little one was thoroughly entertained as we walked through the stately home taking in the luxury of the interior and having a moment of peace before heading back out to roll down the hills in the acres of the garden the house has.
Gloucester Docks
On Easter Sunday we headed to Gloucester to meet extended family members for a carvery. I know it’s not in Devon – but there are lots of great places to explore not far from Devon including some of our favourites Bath, Bristol, Wells, Gloucester, Lyme Regis, Bridport and Weymouth to name a few.
As with any journey we take now, we made sure we had everything we could possibly need from nappies, wipes, snacks and drinks through to gadgets and toys to keep him entertained in the car!
Stover Country Park – Newton Abbot
And lastly, on Easter Monday we joined our friends and their children for our legendary annual easter egg hunt. This year it was hosted at Stover Country Park which was a brilliant location for hiding Easter treats for the children to find. With a beautiful lake at the centre of the park, with plenty of ducks to feed, the kids spent a fair few hours splashing about in puddles, squelching through the woods looking intently for eggs and having a whale of a time in between showers of rain and then sudden sunshine.
Overall, what I’m trying to say in this post is that whilst becoming a parent has altered my life in many ways – it has not altered my identity. All of us feel we’ve lost ourselves at various points of being a parent, and that is completely natural. It’s okay to miss parts of your life before kids and it’s not shameful to admit that sometimes you need time for just you. But at the same time, I am fully aware that he isn’t going to be little for long – and so I aim to try and embrace these chaotic and tiring times because one day they’ll be memories we treasure forever.
Lanie xoxo