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Valentine's Day: Family Breaks With, Without and For the Kids

by Rhonda Carrier

Though it’s important for all parents to carve some ‘us’ time away from the chaos of family life, the annual celebration of love can also be seen as a chance to make time for ALL of your loved ones, as well as a chance to do good for others.

For when really don’t want to be away from the kids, or your circumstances dictate that you spend Valentine’s Day with them, here’s a rundown of our favourite places to go, plus a couple of suggestions for those who will be child-free.

The Love Run/Fun Run

Perhaps the best way to spend Valentines Day with your family and contribute to a good cause is to head for London’s Battersea Park (or parks in Newcastle, Manchester and Cardiff) for the Valentine's Love Run. This 10km run in aid of the Action Duchenne charity for boys suffering from the muscle wasting disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy runs parallel with an untimed one-lap (5km) fun run so all the family can take part, with fancy dress optional. 

A London Theatre Break

Here’s one for which you do have to leave the kids behind, or at least younger kids, for a couple of hours: on 13th February the performance of ‘Dirty Dancing’ at London’s Aldwych Theatre is a special Valentine's Day Charity Gala, with proceeds going to Magic 105.4’s Cash for Kids charity supporting socially, emotionally or physically disadvantaged under-18s. Guests get special Valentine’s gift bags and the chance to win a holiday to the original movie location in North Carolina.

Right by the theatre (and offering first-class babysitting), One Aldwych has a Valentine’s package including his and her spa days. Surprisingly, perhaps, for such an oasis of style, the hotel is also very family friendly, with a swimming pool, gifts, bathrobes and slippers for kids, children’s menus (including room service), and a concierge who will happily arrange tickets for nearby family-friendly shows such the long-running ‘The Lion King’.

British Hotel Breaks

Five country houses oozing style combined with a family-friendly ethos, Britain’s Luxury Family Hotels promise parents ‘the best of both worlds’ – bring the kids for an overnight stay and you can sneak down for a candelit meal while the baby-listening service takes over. This year, the group’s Fowey Hall in Cornwall is offering a package including Valentine’s gift-making for kids in the daytime and a candlelit dinner for two in the evening, with free babylistening. Prices start at £250 per room per night.  

Another Takethefamily favourite where you might combine a family package with a romantic meal in the hotel restaurant is The Grove in Hertfordshire, which offers babysitting plus a highly regarded OFSTED registered crèche so that parents can take advantage of its fabulous spa.

A Little Ooh La La

As an alternative to London, why not hop aboard Eurostar and takethefamily to Paris? – both a romantic and a family-friendly destination.

Other feature articles by Rhonda

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