Our family has recently grown by one and after an initial whirlwind of dirty nappies and sleepless nights - we were so excited to head off on our first holiday as a new family of four.
With a six-month-old baby and a five-year-old in tow, we were happy that Ribby Hall Village was right on our doorstep - just an hour’s drive from Liverpool and only 20 minutes from Preston and Blackpool.
If you have young children then you know how much planning it takes to go out for the afternoon, let alone a few days holiday - and then there’s the packing.
And with a baby you never know what you’re going to need so you just end up bringing everything.
So when we arrived for our four-night stay, I was so pleased to see there were a travel cot and highchair all ready and waiting amongst some other luxuries (a welcome hamper including all our shopping essentials which can be pre-booked before your arrival from the on-site Spar shop).
The hamper provided much-needed refreshments in the form of Lancashire Tea and an oat biscuit after the car journey and while the baby and I took a walk - my hubby Mike and my little girl Ava-Violet hit the swimming pool after pre-booking a fast track swimming session.
The leisure complex features a tropical pool and pirate-themed kids zone with huge tipping buckets and racer slides plus an adults-only pool with sauna and steam rooms. We went swimming every day as the use of the pool was included in our stay.
After a cheeky caramel frappuccino at the on-site Starbucks, the four of us headed to the playground after swimming so Ava-Violet could let off some steam before dinner.
Ribby has a wide range of things for the kids to do including outdoor adventure playgrounds - one featuring a pirate ship and sandy play area.
There are also two indoor soft play areas plus free activity sessions (some activities have a charge) including balance bikes, jewellery making, biscuit decorating and play dough mania.
We ate at the Terazza Italian restaurant, taking advantage of the sunny evening by sitting outside on the terrace.
The hubby had a huge freshly baked pepperoni pizza (£11.25), my daughter opted for children’s tagliatelle bolognese (£5.95) and I had baked salmon fillet and Mediterranean vegetables, olives, salsa verde and roast potatoes (£14.95) - delicious!
Feeling stuffed we headed back to our Poppy cottage to put the kids to bed. The cottage sleeps up to six with a double ensuite and two twin rooms.
There was a spacious open plan kitchen and living area, perfect for keeping an eye on the kids while cooking breakfast the next morning.
Even though it poured down for most of the second day, we pulled on our waterproofs and took ourselves on a fairy hunt through the woodland trail, where we discovered tree carvings and even built a little den for shelter.
Walking around the village there was a great family atmosphere (there’s Wifi across the whole site too) and that evening we chose to dine at The Bar and Grill restaurant which offers family entertainment including live shows with Ribby’s characters Dizzy Duck and Cyril Squirrel plus disco dancing, party games and bingo.
After we were all danced out, it was another early night and back up the next morning for more activities.
My little boy Gabriel loved the UV sensory session designed especially for babies and toddlers and included glow-in-the-dark face paint, dance music and light shows.
Ava-Violet spent the afternoon painting pottery which included a treasure chest and unicorn money box which she was very proud to take home.
On our final day, the weather brightened up so we headed to the Island and went on a pedalo ride with the resident ducks. It was so much fun even if we did keep going around in circles! After the boat ride, Ava-Violet had a go on the climbing wall before we went for a round of mini-golf.
The holes on the course are based on holes from all over the country including Royal Birkdale and St Andrews.
Then Mike and Ava-Violet hired a bike and took a ride around the village meeting us at the Wild Discovery animal experience (adults £7, children £6, family of up to 5 £24, under threes go free
Even in the rain, we were greeted by the friendly animals, including reindeer, wallabies and meerkats who were very happy to see us.
After a full day jam-packed with activities we were happy to reach the solace of our cosy cottage for our final night’s stay.
There was just enough time for another bike ride before check-out the next day and a peaceful walk through the woods before we packed up the car to go home.
Our break was a wonderful reward after a busy few months following the arrival of our newest addition - and Ribby Hall was the perfect place to relax - full of memories we will treasure for years to come.
