Jersey, Channel Islands - Being only a short flight away from the UK, the Channel Islands provide a sun-splashed retreat without the hassle of long hours - and even longer tantrums - in the air.
The sandy south-coast beach at St Brelade's Bay will be a hit with younger children armed with buckets and spades, while the rock pools and sea caves at the north's Plemont Beach are likely to appease more adventurous minds.
Families with an appetite for exploration should visit the small rocky islands of Les Écréhous, where a vast reef attracts numerous birds and seals. Book a two-hour Écréhous Wildlife Seafari from jerseyseafaris.com.
Fringed by five miles of beach at St Ouen's Bay, The Atlantic Hotel is an upmarket accommodation option for families, with the option of interconnecting rooms and family suites.
The Michelin-starred Ocean restaurant also serves a dedicated nursery menu featuring homemade Jersey beef burgers and ice cream made from Jersey cow milk.
Until September 19, the hotel is offering seven nights for the price of six, from £750pp (about R14 000). Visit theatlantichotel.com
EDUCATE YOUNG (AND OLD) MINDS
Give kids a helping hand with their history homework by visiting the birthplace of Horatio Nelson in Norfolk. The naval commander who fought in the Napoleonic Wars was born in small village Burnham Thorpe, where it's still possible to see his childhood home and The Lord Nelson pub where he supposedly ate a farewell dinner before taking command of HMS Agamemnon in February 1793.
Another pub regularly visited by the Admiral was The Hoste in nearby Burnham Market, now a boutique hotel with family friendly cottages including a Railway House and vintage train carriage.
The hotel has an onsite museum dedicated to the historic hero, featuring personal letters and an original life mask cast in Vienna in 1800. But if dusty artefacts fail to stir imaginations, borrow bikes, helmets and locks from the hotel for a cycle tour through Norfolk's country lanes.
It's a three-mile journey to the coast, where you'll find the grass dunes of Holkham Beach, voted best beach in the Coach Awards for three years running.
The Hoste offers three-night B&B mid-week breaks for £775 based on four people sharing. Visit thehoste.com
CAMP, DANCE AND then MAKE MERRY
With the festival season in full swing, get out of town to revel in music, poetry and even Howard Marks reading fairy tales. Offering possibly the most eclectic line-up of any family festival this year, Camp Bestival is a winner for all generations.
Surrounded by rolling hills and castles, Dorset provides the perfect (albeit unashamedly middle class) setting for the award-winning four-day event where families can camp in tents, teepees or gypsy caravans.
With Kaiser Chiefs, Under-world and Professor Green promising to delight punters from the main stage and a Wild Side theme that includes den building and sleeping under the stars, there won't be a better weekend option for mum, dad and a couple of sprogs this summer.
Tickets: from £65 for adults, £15 for children, under 4s free. Visit campbestival.net
HOP OVER TO HOLLAND
With idyllic settings, an excellent range of facilities and options to suit all budgets, it's easy to see why Center Parcs are market leaders in UK family holidays.
If you want to replicate the experience further afield, take the family to one of the nine Center Parcs holiday villages in Holland.
Anyone keen on water sports should try De Eemhof in Flevoland, set in a marina with kayaking, sailing and windsurfing on offer. Kids who prefer life in the fast lane (or flume) can head indoors to the Aqua Mundo centre with an 11m Turbo Twister.
Should the summer heat prove too stifling, visit the indoor snow centre at De Kempervennen, close to Eindhoven, where it's possible to ski and snowboard year-round. The site is located on two lakes, and the deluxe houseboats are a quirky accommodation option.
The best choice for a beach break is Port Zelande, close to the North Sea coastline. Try beachsailing, using wind to propel a buggy equipped with sails along the sand, or glowkart in the dark with illuminated apparatus (both activities suitable for ages 10 plus).
Prices start from €619 for a week in August although check centerparcs.com for last minute deals. Stena Line offer summer crossings from Harwich to Hook of Holland from £49 for a car and one adult, with additional adults costing £14.50 one-way and children under 15 £7.25 one-way. Visit stenaline.co.uk
SPLASH OUT ON A BREAK
A summer break is an opportunity for families to bond (or break!), particularly when team sports are involved. Promising to test the limits of even the strongest family unions, a new six-person stand-up paddleboard is the latest water sports craze on offer as part of a seven-day break in Argelès-sur-Mer near Perpignan with Family Adventure Holidays. The travel company, claiming to be one of the first to offer the boards to customers, is also encouraging families to compete with each other in races on the waves.
Other activities on the Mediterranean Watersports break include kayaking, windsurfing, white-water rafting on the rapids of the River Aude, and abseiling through waterfalls in the manmade canyoning park at Argelès.
Trips run from 25 July - 29 August with accommodation in mobile homes set in a pine wood campsite with swimming pool complex and tennis courts. Prices start from £529 for adults and £396 for children, based on four sharing, and include all activities, an evening entertainment programme, two barbecues and three packed lunches.
Visit familyadventureholidays.com or call 01273 803030.
FIND THE FORCE
Want to join the Rebel Alliance and fight alongside Luke Skywalker to defeat daddy-in-disguise Darth Vader? Or get up close and personal with Princess Leia in that gold bikini?
If you didn't make it through the open auditions for Star Wars Episode 7, a visit to Madame Tussaud's latest exhibit is a seriously fun fall back. All your favourite heroes, villains, Jedis and small green philosophers are here, spread throughout a dark warren of eleven elaborate sets, providing ample opportunity to play, pose and re-enact your favourite fight scenes.
Join Chewbacca to pilot the Millennium Falcon, tell Han Solo you love him (he knows), and come to the aid of Obi-Wan Kenobi as he duels with baddie Darth Maul. Soundtracked by John Williams's famous score, a wander through this intergalactic playground will get you in the mood for December's big screen comeback. Just don't forget your lightsaber - or selfie stick.
Entry included in main admission price. Tickets: from £24.74, children £21.60. Visit madametussauds.com
The Independent