Hampshire: Under the canopy

When the weather is gorgeous and sunny (or even when it’s not), you get the itch to swap four walls and a roof over your head for the forest canopy and a dappled forest floor, getting back to nature lets you rest and recharge. You can get your adrenaline pumping with mountain biking and activities at an adventure centre or take a more relaxing route with a meandering forest walk.

New Forest National Park

If you’re looking for a day out that has it all, you’ll find it at the New Forest National Park. With a wide variety of activities for the adventurous, beautiful walks and even a new forest tour by bus if you’d like to see the sites from a comfy seat, you and your family will have the perfect day out. If you prefer guided activities take a look at Wild Wednesdays or ranger led activities like bug hunts, scavenger hunts, colouring and crafts. There is horseback riding and some great mountain biking trails as well. If you bring your four-legged friends along please make sure you take a look at their dog

walking code!

Avon Tyrrell Adventure Centre

They seem to have you covered from a-z. Archery, bushcraft, water sports, climbing & abseiling, ropes courses, ice breakers, orienteering, biking, walks, and a zipwire! We could keep going because this list doesn’t remotely cover everything. You’ll definitely find the activity that you and your family will enjoy, visit their website to see Avon Tyrrell’s full list. Make sure that you book ahead of time as spaces are limited and they can full up quite quickly!

Marwell Activity Centre

If you want a little more adventure in your life, you’ll love Marwell. This venue offers quite a few high-octane activities, including quad bikes, air rifles, battlezone archery, laser tag and raft building. If you’re more partial to laid back activities they also have a giant swing, climbing and wayfaring & orienteering. Their handy website tells you exactly what the age requirements are for each activity, making it easy as pie to decide on a family day out.

With so much to see and do under the Hampshire canopy, you won’t have to travel far for world class activities. Where will you and your family choose to go next?

If you want to find some great seaside destinations here in Hampshire you should check out ‘Hampshire by the shore’ and pick a great place to spend a day.

We have lovely weather here in Hampshire, but it wouldn’t be home if we didn’t get a bit of rain on occasion. With this lovely, hot summer we’ve had, the rain is a welcome respite from the heat. There’s so much to see and do outside but what about all the things you can do inside?

Bakers at the ready

There’s nothing better than baking with the family when it’s raining outside. It’s a science experiment you get to eat! Whether you love a good cake, have a biscuit recipe that’s been in your family for generations or love to try new things, it’s time to get out the scales and get your bake on. Your kitchen pantry makes baking a breeze and you’ll love spending time in the kitchen with the children. To help you get started we’ve got a recipe for our favourite brownies from Lorraine Pascale. These brownies are extra special because they have Oreos in the mixture, and who doesn’t love an Oreo?

Break out the board games

We don’t know about you, but when the weather is less than stellar we love a good board game. Not to be confused with a ‘bored’ game, those ones that are supposed to be fun… but never are. Every family is different so the difference between a board game and a ‘bored’ game will vary. Does your family break out the games on the table or do you all sit around and enjoy your living room? A couple of our kid friendly favourites are: Uno, Speak Out, Taboo, and Mouse Trap!

Get crafty with it

If you don’t want everyone stuck in front of the TV all day, you can always get some craft projects on the go. They don’t have to be expensive either! Salt dough is a great activity. Who doesn’t have salt and flour at home? Mix 225g of plain flour, with 125g of salt and 125g of water. It’s that simple. You can make ornaments, sculptures and more. All you need is a bit of paint (and maybe glitter?) to decorate them when they’re dry. Of course, we can’t forget to mention slime, every child’s favourite activity, still going strong after all these months! You can find recipes with and without borax, rainbow slime, glitter slime and mermaid slime. Who knew slime would have such staying power?

A few other honourable mentions are building an indoor fort, visiting a local museum, and watching movies or a tv show as a family. Rainy weather is no excuse to scrap a family day.

Next week we’ll be out in the forest with ‘Hampshire under the canopy’ and we’ve got a couple of great places for you to check out!

If you’re looking for a day by the sea, we’ve got you covered. ‘Hampshire by the shore’ will help you find your next visit to the shore.

Hampshire by the shore

We love to be beside the seaside and Hampshire has some gorgeous locations for you to while away your day. Whether you are looking for a beachy adventure or a place to simply enjoy the sun, sea and waves, there is somewhere for everyone.

Hayling Island

These family friendly beaches near Chichester are fantastic for the whole family to enjoy. The three main beaches have an international Blue Flag award and the Keep Britain Tidy award flags for beach cleanliness! The Hayling website tells you which beaches are best for swimming (West Beach is particularly good) and you can find out where you can get your adventure on with jet skiing, kayaking, powerboating, sailing, stand up paddle boarding, surfing, windsurfing and more!

We don’t know about you, but Hayling Island is on our list of places to visit this summer!

Lepe Beach

A part of Lepe Country Park, situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this shingle and sand beach has a great area for swimming and fantastic views of the Isle of Wight. If you’ve got your walking shoes on you can traipse along coastal cliffs, D-day remains and wild flower meadows, there’s even a nature trail for children, just £1.50 each for pencil, crayon and Lepe wristband. There’s so much to see and do! If guided activities are more your style ask about their Bat Walks, Nature Detectives and Marine Wonders.

Chichester Harbour (not quite in Hampshire, but not to be missed!)

One of the few remaining undeveloped coastal areas in Southern England, this too is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You’ll see a wide variety of birds (and other wildlife) in the saltmarsh and mudflats. Book a boat trip to see the harbour and the Isle of Wight from the deck to enjoy the views and sea spray. If you want a true beach day at Chichester Harbour you’ll want to spend part of your day at West Wittering beach with their beautiful white sand beaches.

If one of these beaches isn’t perfect for you and your family’s day out, then you can take a look at one of the MANY other beaches in Hampshire. The Visit Hampshire website is a great resource for planning a day trip and they have a page devoted entirely to their beaches.

With so many things to do in Hampshire we’re writing a series! Next week we’ll be tackling ‘Hampshire under the canopy’, covering forest pursuits both thrilling and tranquil.

You might also be interested in our article, ‘Hampshire is for families’.

Finding THE home for you and your family can be an arduous process. Every family member has a list of what they want in your new home, and sometimes those wants are at odds with each other. What’s a family to do? That’s where we’d like to help. We’ve put together the five elements you’re likely to want in your next family home.

Space

Whether you’re looking for open plan living or a more traditional style home, space is always at a premium. You want to find the home that utilises space in the way you need it to. Is there enough storage for linens and seasonal items? Do you prefer closets and built-in wardrobes to freestanding ones? What’s the back garden like? The way a home is laid out and how the space is used is the most important aspect that will make a house your home.

Schooling

Where your children are going to get their education is key. We all want what’s best for them and doing a little research before you move can help.- How will they get there? Can they walk or do you need to drive?- Do the schools make it easy to find their Ofsted ratings? Is it in a navigation bar or do you have to search?- What do other parents say about the school? Are they positive or do they have complaints?

These three questions can help you make the right decision for your family.

Comfort

As you walk in the door, you want to feel a sense of welcome and well-being. You want your home to be an escape from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. There’s a homey feel ready to be made all your own with personal touches, just like icing on a cake. There’s daylight adding warmth to the walls, nothing feels cramped and too small already. If you’ve got niggling feelings now, can you imagine how you’ll feel after you move in?

Ease

It’s the little things, all the small additions that make life just a little bit easier. Like a pantry off the kitchen to make cooking a family meal quick and easy and a utility room to hold all those muddy wellies and dripping coats. It’s heated towel rails and half height tiling in the bathrooms, the satellite wiring to the living room, all the things you don’t have to add or plan to take care of after you move in. Whether you’re looking for a new build or second-hand property, will it tick all your boxes or will you have to compromise?

Security

There’s a comfort in knowing that your new home is secure and within a great neighbourhood. You want to feel comfortable parking your car after a day in the office or after an errand or school run. It’s the carbon monoxide detector next to the boiler, the smoke alarms connected to the mains, the double-glazed windows and solid doors. All of these things really add up.

There you have it: space, schooling, comfort, ease, and security. The five elements that are needed to create your perfect family home.

Are you ready to find your ideal home?

Click the link below to see the specifications on a Bargate home. Let’s see if we tick all of your boxes.

www.bargatehomes.co.uk/find-your-home