Toddler Friendly Holidays in Normandy

If you are looking for a holiday abroad with a toddler, Normandy can be a great choice. 

• The French love children and if you can tempt yours to speak a word of two of French they will adore them even more!  Restaurants welcome children and will often bring out food for younger diners first to stop the grumps setting in! 
• Unlike some destinations Normandy does not tend to get too hot – something that can make holidaying with toddlers more difficult if they are not used to the heat.
• Travelling from the UK it is not too far which can be a bonus if your little ones are not too good at or used to travelling.  You have the option of taking the train or the ferry and not too far in the car before you reach your destination.   
• Normandy is one of the more favoured regions for expats so there are often English speakers around to help you out if your French is a bit ropey.  It also means there is plenty of holiday accommodation owned by people who speak English …. including us at Eco-Gites of Lenault.

Toddler Friendly at Eco-Gites of Lenault

At Eco-Gites of Lenault we have worked hard to offer families with toddlers much of what they need when away from home:

• We supply oodles of toddler stuff including a cot, high chair, booster seat, changing mat, potty and toilet seat, stair gates, plastic cutlery and crockery, a fire guard, a bed guard, a night light … and so the list goes on.

•  Toddlers love playing with new toys and reading new books and we have a play room with loads to offer our young guests. 

• Outside we have built a large play area including swings and a slide, sand pit, trampoline and even a small climbing wall. There is both a grassed area and hard-standing where children can play on the bikes etc and parents can play boules and a playbarn full of toddler friendly toys.

•  Eco-Gites of Lenault is in a very quiet location, perfect for parents to relax away the stresses of work and for toddlers to tear around wearing themselves out.  We are your only immediate neighbours and there to help if needs be.
• Oh and there’s our animals – the children can collect eggs and tickle a pig and might even see tiny ducklings or piglets if they are very lucky.

Out and About in Normandy

Many of the guests at Eco-Gites of Lenault have visited more than once simply because there is so much to do locally they just have not had time to do it all.  Here is just a taste of things to do with your toddler:

• Castles – Caen, Falasie, Vendeuvre, Balleroy are just 4 of our nearby castles
• Minature Railway – is your toddler a Thomas fan?  Whilst they may not see Thomas and friends the Miniature Railway at Clécy is sure to appeal to them!
• Festyland - our local theme park at Caen which has a great range of rides for children of all ages including plenty for toddlers.  Unlike some perhaps better know theme parks this one tends to be quieter so there is much less queuing for rides - always a bonus with toddlers! 
• Zoo to Jurques in just a few minutes up the road from us and what toddler doesn’t love a zoo?  There are also Champrepus and Cerza zoos within easy driving distance.
• Soft Play Area – these are great if the weather turns wet and Girafou in Caen is ideal for toddlers.
• Swimming Pools – there are 4 swimming pools close to Eco-Gites of Lenault and all are very toddler friendly with shallow pools, small slides and pool toys supplied.
• Beaches – just an hour from us all the nearest beaches are very toddler friendly. The sea is calm, the sand clean and in peak times they are patrolled by life guards.  

Author bio

Rosie and her family have lived in France since 2007 and opened Eco-Gites of Lenault in 2010.  Since then they have welcomed over 100 families from 16 countries around the world, many with babies and toddlers and many for more than one visit.  She blogs at Eco-Gites of Lenault on subjects as varied as parenting, France, green issues and life on their smallholding.  She can also be found on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Bloglovin’ and Google+.  If you are interested in making a booking or finding out more about the gite please visit her website – Eco-Gites of Lenault.