Water Sports Holidays: Why Every Family Should Try One!
“Mummy, look at me!”
I glance over from where Im relaxing on the beach and spot my four-year-old balancing – legs spread like a tripod – on a kayak, with three other small children. They are all cackling loudly before she takes a giant leap into the sea.
Later she tells me, “Don’t eat the water. I did that and it didn’t taste good.”
Many parents wonder about the best ways to amuse their children. When it comes to choosing holidays, childcare becomes a key factor – will they enjoy holiday clubs? What will they be doing and who with?
Keeping our two kids entertained whilst we could lie back for more than few minutes at a time was a priority. We opted for a holiday at Mark Warner Paleros, a purpose-built five-star resort located on mainland Greece.
Mark Warner run an extensive childcare programme six days a week, inclusive in the holiday price and for seven days a week for families staying a fortnight.
One of the most impressive aspects of this service was the water sports programme they offer the kids in their care. All children, aged six and above, get at least one hour of water sports every day and the three-to-five year olds get four, hour-long sessions, as a minimum. This includes a mixture of windsurfing, sailing and paddle sports, like kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding.
As well as childcare staff on hand to offer the kids a friendly face, my children were also taught by dedicated instructors. Jamie Barker, the Waterfront Manager explains:
“This includes instructor-led sessions in sailing and windsurfing. For the younger groups, it is more about water confidence, so getting used to the equipment. We very rarely introduce a wind surf sail until the second or third session in windsurfing, for example. We play a lot of balance games first, then introduce the sail during the third session.
“It’s similar with sailing; we get them in a boat, having a bit of sail around, so they get used to the idea of being powered by the wind; a sensation many of them will not have had before.”
We are lucky in the fact that both our girls, age four and seven, enjoy swimming but this was their first experience of these kind of water adventures. They loved playing games and having fun with their new friends but what other benefits do these sports offer over others?
Barker explained that water sports offer an excellent way to give kids confidence and boost their self-esteem.
“I think is all about pushing their comfort zone,” he says.
“Many children live in towns and cities, not near the coast, so they will have never been out on the water before in this way. So, they will be in an unfamiliar environment, in a different country and this is a great confidence giver.
“It is really inspiring to see how they then book onto courses or get home and try to find somewhere nearby that offers sailing or other water sports.”
The wonderful thing about being out on the water, is the sense of freedom it offers.
The calming sounds of the water and the sport itself means focusing the mind on what you are doing, to the exclusion of everything else.
“We are all aware of trying to get kids away from screens and back to nature and water sports provide the perfect opportunity to do this,” Barker explains.
“It can be really meditative and reviving. Being outside and being in a fresh air away from pollution can also make a difference to sleep and mental health.”
All water sports also offer a great mix of agility, strength, coordination, posture and fitness. He adds: “You need to be very fit to do everything. Children will be using muscles that they don’t use just running around the playground at school. It’s great for core strength and balance – you can stand up on a beach and you are fine, but as soon as you get onto the water, suddenly it is not so easy!”
Both my daughters loved the childcare offering here and were always eager to get out on the water. My eldest one summed it up perfectly:
“Everything about being on the water was just fun. We laughed all the time, we splashed each other, and everyone was happy. I also learnt something completely new!”
- 7 nights at Mark Warner Paleros departing 5th October from £599pp.
- Georgina and her family were guests at the resort, all opinions are honest reflections of her experience
