Family friendly holidays for every School Holiday in 2026!
The new year looms ahead and with it comes about 180 days where the kids are off school- juggly, exciting and daunting in equal measure.
As a Kent Family Photographer I meet families all the time during the school holidays, because it is a perfect time to take those family photos outside of busy weekends, and often mid photo-shoot the conversation turns to holidays ahead.
Families always tell me they struggle to find holidays that don’t cost the earth, are still the kind of holiday they wanted to do pre-kids but also cater to the children and mean siblings actually get along. Sounds impossible, but I’m here to help…
Below I have listed some tried and tested destinations across each of the many school breaks across the year….
February Half Term - Dubai
The Sofitel on the Palm is a beautiful family friendly hotel. With large suites that have separate sleeping areas for the children, delicious buffets and super shallow pools - it was a perfect escape from the cold Kent countryside post Christmas.
I was always uncertain on visiting Dubai, it didn’t feel very me, but the contrast between the beaches and sky scrapers really is unique and there is so much for children of all ages to do. The weather is ideal at that time of the year, and the flight isn’t too painful if your little ones can focus on Peppa Pig for some time. I recommend the night flight.
On arrival, we easily could have stayed in our hotel the whole time. The kids loved the variety of pools, the white sand beach, the soft play, the waterslide and the many restaurants and tasty buffet options. They also loved taking the golf carts from breakfast to the room. But for those who want to explore, the Mall, the Marina, the desert and many other interesting day trips are easy to explore and perfect for keeping toddlers and young children fascinated.
For the Mums’ - I personally loved the fact that even the kids pools were attractive, lined with palm trees and never a scrum for sunbeds. There is also a fantastic spa.
Sofitel The Palm - shallow pools, beautiful weather and easy for the kids!
Easter - South Devon
Devon for me takes some beating at any time of the year but Easter is a perfect time to visit. Often the weather can be really warm if Easter is later, the beaches are quieter and good weather just feels like a bonus. I recommend staying in the South Hams near Salcombe, Kingsbridge or Dartmouth. There is so much to do to fill a week - with stunning beaches, coastal paths, pretty towns to visit and family attractions the kids will love. Some of my top picks include:
Bantham Beach and sea tractor, including an explore of Burgh Island.
Kingsbridge for a stroll up the high street, lunch at the Crabshell Inn and the leisure centre for soft play, inflatable fun or swimming - perfect if the weather is wet.
East Portlemouth Ferry and beaches and then over to Salcombe for ice creams and sweets at Cranches.
Torcross for stone throwing in the sea and the BEST fish and chips at The Start Bay Inn.
Totnes day trip to explore the amazing independent shops and lunch at The Bull Inn - kids and Dad’s can visit the local Rare Breeds Wildlife centre to make it even more enjoyable for peaceful shopping ;)
Woodlands - incredible children’s adventure day out with waterslides, rides, playgrounds in the forest and the biggest soft play ever, plus lots of farm animals
Pennywell Farm - another brilliant option - more of a farm, than rides so slightly better for children under 8 but a really special day out, as it is such a hands on place, where you can cuddle baby piglets and many other gorgeous animals.
East Portsmouth Beach looking across to Salcombe - so many things to do in this lovely area!
May Half Term - Sóller, Majorca
Such a beautiful island, but also so kid-friendly and has something for all the family. We visited with our toddler and 5 year old, with aunties, uncles, grandparents and everyone loved this beautiful town.
Sóller is the ideal size for a week holiday- plenty of fantastic restaurants, a great shopping scene and scenic views and a stunning neo-gothic church in the centre. For the children there is a pretty tram which takes you to the picture perfect beach and harbour, lined with palm trees, tasty restaurants and mountains in the distance. The water is warm, calm and clean and the sand is perfect for little ones to keep them entertained all day. There are ice cream shops, gift shops and a range of restaurants that if you want to go a bit fancier for the adults you can, but you can also grab a simple and cheap pizza if the kids are short of patience.
The town itself gets very busy with day trippers but by evening or first thing in the morning the square is peaceful and the ideal spot for a coffee or Cava.
Located near by are pretty coves, stunning mountainous scenery and picture perfect villages such as Deia, which also has a beautiful beach where the Night Manager was filmed!
Summer - Isle of Wight
Travelling abroad in the summer holidays as a family is super expensive as we all know, but the Isle of Wight feels a bit like you are going further afield because of the ferry across and the micro climate on arrival.
The island is a bit like stepping back in time in some places and you do need to pick your places or be happy with a slight ‘kiss me quick’ vibe in some towns, however the beaches, the upcoming foodie scene and options for watersports mean the island is a brilliant place to visit with a family.
I would recommend visiting with friends and hiring a house through AirBnb or staying in a static caravan - as there aren’t as many hotels or rooms in the small costal towns. We stay in Bembridge, which has a lots of pretty beaches nearby, and is a pretty small town with some tasty restaurants. For the kids there is a Conversation Zoo with lots of Tigers, old school piers and farms and a Steam Train.
October Half Term - Tenerife
If you are looking for great weather, a short flight and lots of hotel options then Tenerife is a good bet. We visited Adeje and I recommend the side closer to Adeje Beach than Playa De las Americas as the areas around this isn’t quite as nice. Saying that we did stay closer to this side but the hotel was lovely - called Hotel Dreams Jardin Tropical. I did have mixed reviews of this hotel, it was beautiful in lots of ways, with lovely decor, plenty of restaurant options and a large palm tree lined pool. The cocktail bar had a gorgeous view of the sunset. However the scrum for sunbeds was a bit annoying so I do recommend upgrading to their ‘Preferred Club’ as this gives you access to to a lovely terrace with cabanas and also free snacks and drinks, including loads of alcoholic drinks and Cava most of the afternoon and early evening. One of the best things we did while there was visit the Volcano. We hired a car as the trips were expensive and this only cost about £70 - the driving was easy and the views up there were STUNNING. If you do visit this hotel, the resturants around aren’t amazing but we found a fantastic one with delicious food, and beautiful surroundings called El Molino.
Dreams Jardin Tropical, Adeje
Christmas - Stay Home!
For me, Christmas is all about being at home with my children. Kent has some brilliant things to do at this time of the year and means family traditions are made that we repeat annually and are perfect for seasonal family photographs. Some of my favourite local activities at this time of the year include:
Hever Castle lights and Father Christmas Visit
Penshurst Place Panto and Christmas Craft Fair
Tunbridge Wells ice skating and last minute Christmas shopping in the Pantiles
Oxted Everyman cinema trip
Knole Park in Sevenoaks for a festive walk to see the deer
The Tractor Run, which involves heaps of local farmers decorating their vehicles and driving past all the local pubs in Hever, Chiddingstone, Mark Beech and Edenbridge. A must for us as a family and something my children remember every year!
