Shere Village, Surrey

Shere is an idyllic village in the heart of the Surrey Hills. Widely considered to be Surrey's most picturesque town, it can draw large crowds over the weekends and has been widely featured in movies such as The Holiday and Bridget Jones- Edge of Reason.

For families with little ones, its just the perfect place to go on a hot summers day for a paddle in the Tiling Bourne and to feed the ducks. The quaint old village shoppes are charming and not too different from a hundred years ago im sure! There's also a lovely 3 mile buggy friendly walk around the village and surrounding countryside which takes you past pretty cottages, breathtaking country landscapes, fishing ponds and a Silent Pool... and lots of fun swimming spots along the way. Here are some pics

Fishing in the Cotswolds

We had a lovely day out in the Cotswolds picnicking and fishing recently, here are some pics

The car even got lost in the gorgeous green grass!

Mayfield Lavender Farm

If its July, its sunny and youre in Surrey, this place is a must see! There are simply fields and fields of lavender plantations that will dazzle you with delicious smells and vibrant colours. Its great for taking special photos too. There is a quaint little lavender shop on site which serves coffees and some interesting lavender themed food!

Witch Party

We were honoured to have my beautiful little niece Stella visit from South Africa just after her birthday this year and her party mad Auntie didnt miss the opportunity to throw her a little celebration! She wanted a witch bash so here it is, the "English half" of the family were very happy to be share to celebrate this very special day :)

 

The Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a perfect day trip or weekend getaway from London and the surrounds. The passenger ferry from Southampton to Rhyde is less than 15 minutes, and the car one takes around 45 minutes.

The beautiful sandy Rhyde beach 

Rhyde alone makes for a great day trip with the kids in good weather. The beach has its own "Rapunzel tower", amusement park, water fountain park, pool, waltzing water lake & swan boat rides, and a few beach side eateries. 

Venturing further into the Island there are beautiful stone villages and grassy landscapes to discover 

Godstone

On the far side of the Island are The Needles and Yarmouth.... the views are breath-taking!!

Yarmouth Harbour

The kids loved the ferry ride :)

West Wittering Beach

This is my favourite nearby beach, its an hours drive from Oxshott, and about an hour and a half from London. I definitely recommend it on a hot day, and its quite pleasant for swimming too as the water is shallow. Although the beach is huge, with acres and acres of parking, it does get busy and can be a bottle-neck towards the late afternoon .. so get there early and dont leave too late!

Perfect tobogganing conditions!

More fun activities for kids

Here are some quick, easy kids activities ....

1. PAINT IN A BAG

This is a great mess-free fingerprinting activity that can be used over and over again. Simply squirt some paint into a zip lock bag, squeeze out the air, and hang up onto a window .. Presto!

2. BUBBLE SOCKS

You will need  a sock, some dishwash solution, an old bottle with the base cut off and optional food colouring

Slide the sock over the bottle, and seal with sellotape ...

Squirt some colours onto the sock face, and dip the bottle into the solution. Blow into the pouring end and you will make a long rainbow of bubbles!

3. BAKING SODA VOLCANOES

Here mix vinegar with food colouring in different containers. Empty a tub of baking soda into a large tray and allow the kids to spoon in the coloured vinegar. The mixture will bubble and rise, my 3 year old loved this one!

4. GLOW IN THE DARK BATH

The title says it all... so simple! Poundland sells packs of glow sticks and other such illuminating things, switch off the lights and blackout the lights.. add some bubbles, and let them have a long fun bath. 

5. SPAGHETTI HOLDERS

Let the kids paint and an old Pringles tin.. and label it. Its the perfect size to store a lot of spaghetti!