We’re so excited to embark on a brand new adventure as Ninja Warrior Teesside is set to open its doors at Teesside Park on 14th July! I noticed the Ninja Warrior Coming Soon signs next door to Showcase Cinema when I attended the Jackdaw premiere in January 2024. Great news for families like mine who are already big fans of the one in Leeds, which we recently visited so images in this post are from Leeds.
Teesside Park: The Ultimate Family Destination
Teesside Park, situated on the outskirts of Middlesbrough/Stockton has long been a popular destination for families seeking shopping, entertainment, and dining experiences. But now, it’s about to become even more exciting with the arrival of Ninja Warrior Teesside.
Ninja Warrior: A Test of Strength and Agility
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Ninja Warrior, it’s a high-energy obstacle course that tests your physical strength, agility, and mental determination. Inspired by the popular TV show, this course promises an unforgettable experience for kids and adults alike.
What to Expect at Ninja Warrior Teesside
Here’s a sneak peek into what you can expect when you visit Teesside Park’s Ninja Warrior Assault Course:
1. Variety of Obstacles
Get ready to tackle a wide range of obstacles, including rope swings, cargo nets, balance beams, and the iconic warped wall. The course is designed to challenge participants of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned adventurers.
2. Family-Friendly Fun
Ninja Warrior isn’t just for adults; it’s a fantastic activity for the whole family. Children as young as five can participate, making it the perfect outing for those looking to bond over shared challenges.
3. Safety First
Rest assured, safety is a top priority at the Ninja Warrior Assault Course. Trained staff members will be on hand to provide guidance and ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.
4. Competitive Edge
For those who love a bit of friendly competition, you can time yourself as you tackle the obstacles, competing with family and friends to see who conquers the course the fastest.
Looking for a unique way to celebrate a birthday or special occasion? The Ninja Warrior Assault Course at Teesside Park is likely to offer party packages that include access to the course, just like the other parks around the country.
Plan Your Trip
Before you head out to Ninja Warrior Teesside, make sure to plan your visit accordingly. Check for any age or height restrictions, dress comfortably, and be prepared for an action-packed day. Our youngest child was 5 at the time of visiting and where he loved the inflatable section, he really struggled with many of the obstacles. Age 4 plus is advised on the website.
We can’t contain our excitement about the upcoming opening of the Ninja Warrior Assault Course at Teesside Park. It’s set to become one of the must-visit family attractions for Teessiders, county durham-ers and those from North Yorkshire , providing hours of fun and challenges for everyone. Stay tuned for more updates, and be ready to unleash your inner ninja at Teesside Park’s newest adventure destination!
One of the fantastic projects that I’ve been involved with is Coal Face, an artist pilot project in which we’ve been able to use Arts Council NPO funding for alongside The Cultural Spring’s CPP funding.
The outcomes also involve comprehensive first person research, verbatim poems and podcasts which have been funded through our Grand Challenges work with UCL.
The project culminates in an exhibition as well as the publication of a breathtaking publication due to be launched at Washington F Pit in September 2023.
Using visual tintype portraiture, Sunderland photographer Andy Martin and biographies and verbatim poems created by Dr Louise Powell capture the last generation of Washington Miners’ memories and sense of belonging in a changing coalfield community in the ‘Coal Face’ exhibition. The exhibition will be open to the public at Washington F Pit for the duration of September.
Funded by Redhills, The Cultural Spring and University College London (UCL), the exhibition recalls the era when the pits were still open and operational, examining the layering of place in an area where half a dozen pit villages had the superstructure of a new town imposed on top.
Nick Malyan, Chief Executive of The Redhills Charity, said: “Washington and Sunderland are integral parts of the former Durham Coalfield, so we’re delighted to be working with not only a brilliant Sunderland photographer in Andy Martin but partnering with The Cultural Spring and Sunderland Culture to deliver an exhibition that is rooted so firmly in the people, culture and heritage of the area.“
Alan Taitley, 91, who lives in Fulwell, was one of the ex-miners who participated in the project. Alan was born in Washington Glebe to a mining family and held roles including putting and power loading at F-Pit. After its closure, he worked at Boldon and Wearmouth Collieries.
The Coal Face exhibition coincides with annual heritage open days, for which Washington F Pit opens to the public. Despite officially closing as a pit in 1968, F Pit remains a fascinating historical attraction for locals and tourists wishing to learn about Sunderland’s coal mining heritage.
The exhibition will be open to the public from Monday, 4th September until Saturday, 30th September, 12-3 pm Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Visiting is free and no tickets are required.
We are no strangers to visiting Iberostar hotels with kids having previously stayed in Iberostar Málaga Playa in Spain and Iberostar Tainos in Cuba and have now visited Creta Panorama Mere twice.
We visited Iberostar Málaga Playa with a one-year-old and Iberostar Tainos with an 18-month-old.
On our most recent visit to an Iberostar hotel with kids we had an eight-year-old and five-year-old with us. So this is a review based on staying at Iberostar Creta Panorama and Mere with kids aged 8 and 5. We also stayed at the same hotel the year before when they were 7 and 4.
Iberostar compared to other brands
Our last package holiday, which wasn’t an Iberostar, we visited Fantasia Bahia Principe in Tenerife to see what we thought about another chain. Needless to say the fact that we have gone back to Iberostar shows that for the ages of our children, we preferred what they had to offer.
Fantasia Bahia Principe shows were a lot later and for older audiences – although the production values were much greater it was wasted on us as the children were too tired to stay up for them!
Jet2holidays
One constant in all of our bookings on package holidays is that we have always gone through Jet2holidays because we have always been very happy with the level of service. I would not hesitate to recommend them to any parent looking for hassle-free travel.
Flying from Newcastle or Leeds Bradford
We have flown from Newcastle and Leeds Bradford with Jet2holidays. Jet2 were staff faultless both times, although the set up around car parking is slightly better at Newcastle, so would always opt to travel from there if possible. I urge anyone traveling from Leeds Bradford to read the reviews on parking before making a selection, in particular around Meet and Greet options.
General information about Iberostar Panorama and Mare
The Iberostar Creta Panorama & Mare is a 4-star beachfront hotel located in the Cretan village of Panormos. It has direct access to two private beaches, seven pools, free Wi-Fi, Star Camp for children (kids clubs for different ages), a paid for spa. I visited the spa for a massage package (some kind of olympic themed body massage and head massage which was approximately £165, I wouldn’t really recommend for the price).
What are the board options?
You can visit the Iberostar Creta Panorama & Mare on an all inclusive or half-board basis. We went all inclusive both times, so we got a band to wear throughout our visit so staff could see that we didn’t have to put snacks or drinks onto our room tab. Half board customers also got waiter service for drinks on an evening, whereas all inclusive helped themselves to what was on draught as well as being able to made to order drinks via the waiters. Although service was incredibly slow in the bar on an evening. Wasn’t too bad during the entertainment but pre-mix cocktailed and few beers and spirits were a limited offer.
What was the room like?
We have experienced two accommodation types – the sea view bungalows and junior suites. Our ‘sea view’ which we paid extra for was restricted by a building! So we thought we had been placed in the wrong accommodation as we checked in at 3am when it was dark. The next three images show what the bungalow offered.
Technically we could see the sea – but it definitely wasn’t what was advertised. The bungalows are small for a family of four – and the set up seems to be different in each bungalow. The first year that we visited this hotel, we were placed in a bungalow where one of the beds was positioned outside of the bathroom in an area without air conditioning and three beds in the main room. We visited Crete during the July 2023 heatwave, one of our children sleeping in an area without air conditioning isn’t something we had considered when we heard about the potential temperatures before departure.
The main room in the bungalow at Iberostar Panorama and Mare
Bed outside of bathroom area which was not serviced by air conditioning
My partner went to reception to raise his concern about the accommodation not being as we had booked and the Manager was extremely helpful and went over and above offering us a variety of options to move to. We moved to the junior suite which had views of the pool – it had three balconies and a separate sleeping area for both children it was perfect. Small issue in that it was right above the bar which didn’t close until midnight, but this wasn’t an issue once we had repositioned the children’s beds away from the balcony and to be against an internal wall instead.
In 2024, prices had risen dramatically for visiting, so we opted for a bungalow knowing what we were faced with but were pleasantly surprised this year when we had bunk beds in an area where there was air-conditioning. So maybe we got an older style which was due renovation in that first year of visiting.
the view from the junior suite showing the main pool area of Iberostar creta panorama
The junior suites were newer than the bungalows and from looking around the area it looks as though the bungalows may have been part of an Aegean holiday company before being taken over by Iberostar and the main hotel block was built at a later date. The entire resort was immaculate and the landscaping was spectacular.
Food and drinks
Considering the quantities that it is made in, the all-inclusive good is extensive and tasty. We did notice that all of the drinks were incredibly sugary and the wine on offer with the all-inclusive was pretty terrible.
The sparking wine and cocktails were ok so we survived! They had cocktails of the day available as well as Aperol spritz and made-to-order drinks at two of the main bars you had to walk into. There were bars situated by all pools with the exception of the baby pool and a swim-up bar in the main pool.
There were a variety of fresh fruits, pasta, pizza, chips and ice cream available daily as well as daily changes to the menu and speciality themes. There is a food outlet at one of the beach coves which offers drinks, chicken gyros and lovely doughnuts.
There are bookable restaurants such as the BBQ which is great if you’re a lover of meat and fish – you just use the online booking system to book in. Between 2023 and 2024 there was a change where you now needed to book a time for the buffet evening meal to prevent overcrowding in the restaurant. Your reservations were checked as you entered and we never had any problems with getting our required times as we typically dined early to prevent the kids from getting hangry.
Entertainment
Iberostar, like most companies, have an onsite team responsible for entertainment poolside, for the kids and also for everyone on an evening. The ‘animation’ team are multilingual and multitalented. They are vivacious, outgoing and work long hours! The hotel offers kids club 4-7 then other clubs for older kids. Poolside activities such as aquagym and volleyball as well as the theatre based activities later. They had a good variety of shows for everyone and weren’t as cringe as you can find in some places.
As with all Iberostars we’ve been to Starkey and Stella were involved with the mini disco along with the animation team. Show started at 8.30, given the 2 hours time difference this was really good.
The main shows started at 9.30 and lasted approximately one hour. There was then a bar opened at 10.30 for more cocktails and dancing if you liked. The main bar in the hotel also offered Greek style music and DJ sets until around 11 before it closed at midnight.
Added bonus for us was A FOOTBALL pitch! In need of some maintenance, this was a welcome addition to our holiday for our football mad child, so much so we went back for a second year as we knew it ticked all of our boxes. Many of the staff were the same from the year before, but the energy levels felt a little lower for the staff who had been there a long time.
There was a brand new Iberostar next door, which I believe was five star, but we had no reason to switch and pay the additional £800 it would have cost as Creta Panorama had everything we needed to enjoy our holiday.
Tuesdays is Hartbeeps Day for us in our week of baby groups in Darlington. Again, shying away from traditional playgroups because we have seen the rewards of going to taught sessions; Hartbeeps offers something for both children in our household. Either as individuals for the benefits of one-on-one time or as a pair, I never have to worry about anyone missing out, thanks to their understanding that people often have children close together in age.
The tunes in Hartbeeps are often based on ones you know, with a little Hartbeeps twist. So children benefit from the sense of familiarity as well as developing their listening skills.
2. Set routines that may help you at home
The sessions follow the same structure, which is fantastic as children learn through repetition. The activities are never the same, as the theme is changed weekly throughout the term, but the basic core structure remains, which allows the children to anticipate what is next. The wind-down session is great to incorporate into your own bedtime routine. I have two children who go to two different sessions but the fundamentals of the wind-down are the same, so it allows them both to be familiar with what is happening through the use of songs, a Hartbeeps star and turning the lights down. This has often saved me when doing bedtimes when I am solo parenting!
3. Some Cheeky Classics Which Will Make Parents Smile
If you were anything like me and enjoyed a nightclub or two back in the noughties, even the occasional jaunt to Ibiza, you’ll appreciate the little nods to a simpler time in your life with Hartbeeps versions of classics such as Nalin and Kane- Beachball in some of the sessions! If you were more of a fan of latin music, they’ve got something for you too as the Lambada was modernised for the farming community to become the Lamb Baa Baa.
4. Lovely Classes
All of the parents in our classes are absolutely lovely. I don’t have the easiest of toddlers and Ali, who owns the franchise has been absolutely amazing. If it wasn’t for her, I’m sure I wouldn’t leave the house with my toddler because his behaviour was feral. We started the Happy House class so that we had some one-to-one time, but it was rough. As he is not vying for my attention with his brother, he likes to use the opportunity to let me know that his emotions overwhelm him. A new baby, hearing and speech issues meant he was emotionally in turmoil a lot of the time. Ali has been so kind and patient with us both. She’s been incredibly understanding and encouraging in the sessions with him, taking it as a win if he joins in and tries again next time if he doesn’t. I’ve also never felt judged by anyone for his behaviour and always extremely welcome. She also takes the time to comment on any social media posts she sees of the boys. People really do buy into people and Hartbeeps really does feel like you belong to a village which supports each other. I can’t express enough for any parent a little bit scared of baby groups or has a feral toddler, that Hartbeeps really is fantastic.
5. Quality
The content of the classes is exceptionally high quality and so are all of the props! I’ve never seen such an exquisite parachute – but the parachute used in Baby Beeps and Baby Bells is something else! You never have to worry about cleanliness around little babies in this class, it is the cleanest and anything that comes into contact with the children is the highest quality I’ve ever seen in baby groups in Darlington.
6. Something For Everyone – baby groups in Darlington that you can stick with!
We’ve found something that the children can enjoy as individuals or if I need to, I can take them to class together. The classes are grouped by development stage rather than age but as a rough indication, Baby Bells class is for newborn to won’t sit still any longer, Baby Beeps is for little explorers and Happy House is for toddlers and suitable until they start reception. So your child can have that sense of familiarity from the start, which can only be a good thing. The baby groups are available in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe through the particular franchise owner we are familiar with. Other areas are available. Trials are encouraged as each person will put their own spin on delivery.
Disclaimer: All views my own and all classes paid for. I have not been asked to publish this post.
Disclaimer: The Baby 2 Sleep Build Your Own Sleep Plan mentioned in this blog post was gifted by Baby 2 Sleep for the purposes of honest review. There has been no editorial control over this post and all opinions remain my own.
This post has been such a long time in the making, but I am finally able to say that E is sleeping through the night. I feel that we nailed naps such a long time ago but I put myself under no pressure to change sleep associations to make that final transition to get him to sleep through the night. By that I mean in his own cot, putting him down awake and allowing him to settle himself to sleep.
As you can see from the picture above – I tried white noise but it didn’t work for us! (Yes he’s on his front, this is the only way he would ever settle and I was sat on the floor next to him).
I needed to understand the mechanics of sleep, what would work best for us and without a looming deadline and that is exactly what Nicole’s from Baby2sleep build your own sleep plans offer. The series of videos that provide different explanations and advice were great and not overwhelming.
With having another child, the end of maternity leave looming and needing to work to a timeline that wasn’t going to put any additional pressure on me ( I was really struggling with postnatal thyroid issues coupled alongside sleep deprivation) I couldn’t deal with having a deadline put on me – slow and steady wins the race!
This plan was great because I was able to work towards smaller goals. It allows for a holistic understanding of sleep and to make small changes that can aid sleep.
This helped with our naps massively in a very short amount of time. Awake times, sleep associations, what happens when a child is overtired and why is all explained in such an easy to understand way, it was incredibly easy to follow my baby’s cues.
I found this way of helping E worked much better for my learning style too because if someone was simply giving me a list of instructions to follow, I’d want to know why – so Nicole’s style of explanation rather than rules really worked for me. You could really tell that she is a mother who has gone through this too, so is talking from experience and not just a textbook, although I know she is qualified alongside her having lived through sleep issues with her eldest daughter.
So why has this post taken me so long to write? I got the sleep plan around seven months ago to review and I wrote about how we had made progress immediately with naps but I took the easy option for a while of allowing sleep associations to continue and allowing feeding to sleep. I started to work on this a few months ago when I decided to stop breastfeeding but I simply replaced this feeding with another association – the comfort of cosleeping when he woke, which meant the process took longer. Slowly but surely he stopped waking and we got there! So I have taken much longer, but I think that is the absolute bonus of this sleep plan – no deadlines, no pressure on parents from anyone other than themselves. I had the tools to do it in my own time, which is the most important thing. It empowered me to make the changes in ways that suited me.
I can’t tell you how much better I feel for him sleeping through. I had constant brain fog, which I now know was ‘cortisol brain’ and cortisol had been an ongoing pest in our house. But I had never even heard about it before working with Nicole.
If you’re in the same situation as me: you couldn’t deal with pressure of progress checks, you need to understand the reasons why you need to do things, you need the tools to allow you to do this in your own rhythm because you have other children, maybe you’re going back to work or don’t have any support systems – I can’t recommend this sleep plan enough. The fundamentals are ones in which will still with me for life.
Originally published in 2020 and republished in 2023.
Throwing back to some Christmas content in 2019 with Lapland Letters.
Disclaimer: Lapland Letter mentioned in this blog post was gifted for the purposes of honest review in 2019. There has been no editorial control over this post and all opinions remain my own.
With having a three-month-old baby and a toddler adjusting to the new addition, we didn’t really get in the festive spirit last year. We were basically just trying to get through the tantrums! So this year we are very eager to have the best Christmas we possibly can as a family!
We have been slowly trying to introduce the notion of Santa and Christmas to R with a view to it being the norm when Christmas time is here. So we jumped at the chance to receive a lovely ease into the festive season from Lapland Letters. They’re obviously still only small at ages 3 and 1, but we thought it would be the perfect way to introduce the magic to R… and we obviously couldn’t leave the little one out – especially as he has FOMO (fear of missing out!).
Here are the boys opening their letters:
R straight away recognised Santa and was really excited. He couldn’t contain himself to sit and listen to the entire letter straight away as the appeal of colouring in the sign to put on the door hanger was too much. He asked his dad read it to read him his letter before bedtime rather than the usual story. He was absolutely amazed that it mentioned his little friend from nursery.
When my mum popped round the next day, I got the package out to reinforce the magic, as I knew she’d help get into the spirit and I was amazed at him getting the reindeer food out and explaining to her what it was and what you did with the ‘Santa Stop Here’ sign. I was so impressed he’d taken it all in as I wasn’t sure how much he would understand, but he’s definitely impressed and he’s been talking about Santa more and got very excited to see him at the DIY shop!
There were other additions such as a Santa map to show his journey to the house, which I will show him on the lead up to Christmas and some wishing stars to add to the Christmas tree when we put it up in a few weeks. It’s all professionally printed, just as you would expect from Santa and the envelope was handwritten by an elf.
It was a massive hit, so I was really happy it had the desired effect. I personally couldn’t believe that either of them was on a good list! But apparently they were and they both have Good Child Certificates to prove it!
