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If you’re thinking about a family getaway with your new bundle of joy then you may be considering a Center Parcs break. We took our almost 8 month old to Center Parcs Longleat in the early autumn so read on for my information and tips about Center Parcs with a baby.
What to pack for Center Parcs with a baby
We all know that babies come with A LOT of stuff. But Center Parcs make travel with a baby a little easier. High chairs and travel cots are included in your lodge, so you can leave those at home unless you particularly want to bring your own.*
You can also hire a pushchair for a charge. As we had enough space in the car we chose to bring our own pushchair.
One thing that Center Parcs do not supply is cot linen, so you will need to bring your own. We took a couple of fitted sheets from our daughter’s cot at home as well as her sleeping bags. Other items you should definitely bring is all nappies, toys, formula, food, feeding equipment, baby monitor etc.
If you are planning on going swimming then be sure to pack a baby swimsuit and towels. Also, don’t forget the swim nappies! There is a swim shop on site as well as supermarket but it’s best to bring your own.
*My daughter hated the travel cot. The first night involved a lot of tears and eventually ended with her co-sleeping with us in the double bed. On our second day we requested some bed guards from Guest Services which we put on one side of a single bed. We then put the other single bed on the other side to stop her falling off. Fortunately we had booked a 2 bedroom lodge so we took it in turns to sleep on the other single bed.

Are the lodges baby friendly at Center Parcs?
Center Parcs is for everyone, so it is up to the individual to choose the best accommodation for them. We stayed in a two bedroom woodland lodge which was all on one level – ideal for those travelling with toddlers! My daughter wasn’t mobile at the time of our visit so I can’t comment on lodge life with a little one on the move. To read a little more about my experience of the lodges, check out my Center Parcs vs Forest Holidays post.

Is baby food free at Center Parcs?
One of the good things about Center Parcs is the on site restaurants. There are plenty to choose from and they cater to all members of the family. Upon request, the restaurants do stock Ella’s Kitchen pouches, which is great, however sometimes the selections can be quite limited. I would recommend bringing your own baby food but there’s still an option to ask what they might have available.

Things to do at Center Parcs with a baby
Many of the children’s activities at Center Parcs are for ages 3 upwards so options are limited for babies. However there is still plenty of fun to be had by the whole family.
Swimming
Swimming is probably the easiest activity as it’s free and you don’t need to pre-book. The Subtropical Swimming Paradise has something for everyone. There is a dedicated baby and toddler pool with shallow water and little slides and fountains to play with. We had never taken our daughter swimming before so this was a good opportunity for us to test the waters so to speak before committing to swimming classes at home. We even brought a rubber ring with us so our daughter could have a little float in the main pool. There is a wave machine in there though so we made sure we got out before it started!

Baby Sensory
The only activity we pre-booked for our daughter was the Baby Sensory. If you’ve been to a baby sensory class before then you will know what to expect. If you haven’t, then the class began with singing and actions, as well as sensory items such as ribbons and rattles. There were then various ‘stations’ dotted around the room where parents and babies could interact with the objects like glowing balls and musical instruments. We were also able to get our daughter’s hand and foot print in paint onto a poem they had printed out. There is a place at Center Parcs where you can make a proper hand and foot print keepsake but we didn’t do this as it was quite expensive.

Baby Dolphins
Lastly, the other baby centered activity we did was Baby Dolphins. Baby Dolphins is a free pool session for Under-3s where there is singing and playing with inflatables. Even though it is free, spaces are limited so pre-booking is essential. When we tried to book online, unfortunately there were no spaces available. After casually mentioning this to the lovely lady who ran the sensory class, she told us that because it’s free, many people don’t show up! So she got our names down on the list so we were able to attend. Baby Dolphins is held at 9.30am in the pool before it opens to everyone else so it’s lovely and quiet.
Creche
One other thing to note is that there is a creche so if you want to spend time as a couple then the option is there. I didn’t want to put my daughter into a creche so we didn’t try it. Instead, my husband did the Aerial Adventure while me and my daughter watched. I then had a relaxing solo trip to the Aqua Sana Spa while hubby took care of baby.

Which Center Parcs is best for babies?
I have only been to Elveden and Longleat Center Parcs. I’ve also only been to Longleat with a baby. Based on my experiences, I would not return to Longleat Center Parcs until my daughter is a little bigger. Longleat Center Parcs is too big and too hilly. We didn’t pay to upgrade our lodge location, so our lodge was situated a bit of a distance from the main facilities. There is a land train that you can hop on and off to take you around the park. However it is very difficult to fit a pushchair onto it as it is too narrow (we managed but with difficulty). The train also gets really busy so there were occasions where people weren’t able to get on. Another thing to note is, it isn’t fun standing and waiting in the cold or rain with a baby.
If you have your heart set on visiting Longleat Center Parcs with a baby, then I strongly recommend paying a little extra for a better located lodge. All in all the biggest draw to Longleat Center Parcs is being able to visit Longleat Safari Park itself.
If you liked this post then you may like my comparison post – Center Parcs or Forest Holidays – which is better?