Half term is just ahead and the perfect moment to enjoy a week by the sea with the family at Searles. We’ve got days of fun-filled activities to keep little ones entertained and top live acts on the bill for the evening, the resort is open and we are ready to welcome you back. Book a break and join us as we celebrate 70 years of ‘creating happiness for all ages’.

Explore Norfolk’s great outdoors

The weather may be variable in February, but as the Swedish say, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing. Crisp, sunny days with big blue skies overhead are made for wrapping up and exploring Norfolk’s coast and country.

Hunstanton Beach sits alongside Searles Leisure Resort, so you are literally footsteps from the sands and carefree hours spent beach combing and rock pooling with the kids. Walk the strip from Searles to the striped cliffs at the other end of town and challenge little ones to see how many starfish and crabs they can spot in the water. Discover some salty treasures along the way – ammonites and shark teeth are regularly washed up by the tide. You might even glimpse some of The Wash’s 3,000 residents as the grey seals have just finished pupping and often bob along the water’s edge. Please be careful and warn children not to approach or disturb any pups or their mothers that they come across while walking along the coastline.

Instead, get the kids up close to nature at Snettisham Park where the ewes are lambing and there are always hungry mouths to feed with a bottle – you may be surprised at how loudly they demand their milk! Deer safaris start at the park on Saturday 17 February and young children can even enjoy a pony ride around the paddock – both must be pre-booked, so plan a visit during your stay.

A woodland walk never fails to lift spirits and the Sandringham Estate is a short drive west from Searles. With two way-marked trails to follow, the Woodland Play Area with its miniature Appleton Water Tower, swings and slide is a great incentive to encourage little legs to complete a healthy walk.

On another day, head east along the coast road to Holkham where there is plenty of half term fun during its Wellies and WONDER Week. Grab a spotter sheet and have fun playing I-spy in the park, try to find a Golden Welly for a chance to win tickets to Holkham’s family Easter event, and make a bird feeder to take home at the Stables Courtyard.

Pensthorpe Nature Reserve at Fakenham is an easy, 30-minute drive away and its half term Poo Trail is bound to appeal to the inner kid in all of us. Follow the trails – little ones around the WildRootz outdoor play area – and learn all you ever wanted to know about animal poo, before tucking into a tasty poo-themed treat at the café.

All the fun of the fair

Bright lights and thrilling rides are the order of the day at the 818th King’s Lynn Mart, which is officially opened by the town’s Lord Mayor at midday on Wednesday 14 February and runs daily until 24 February.

This historic event dates back to the 19th century when local man Frederick Savage displayed his fairground attractions to his peers in the town’s Tuesday Marketplace and it is traditionally the first funfair in the showmen’s calendar and the start of the travelling season.

Arriving bumper to bumper with half term break, on Monday 19 February, most rides – except the dodgems, cars and Booster, a pendulum ride, not for the faint-hearted! – are reduced to £1.50, making a great family day out easier on the pocket.

Keeping on theme, King’s Lynn’s True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum on North Street is holding a funfair themed Family Activity Day on Wednesday 21 February from 10.30am-12pm and between 1-3pm with craft activities and classic games – try your hand at hooking a duck, toppling the skittles and have a go at the lucky dip.

King’s Lynn is steeped in history and it is brought to life in a free Stories of Lynn app which you can download from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Follow the walking tour which includes a visit to The Old Gaol House and The Treasury where King John’s sword and cup are on display – his jewels are said to be lost at sea in The Wash.

While you’re in town, pop into Lynn Museum, which also has a fairground exhibit as part of its collections, and find out more about the area’s Hanseatic history. The museum is home to ‘Seahenge’, a pre-historic ceremonial monument which was discovered at Holme Beach in 1998 and rehoused at the museum in 2008. The museum is also currently running an exhibit, Meet Our Nearest Neighbour, all about the moon.

What shall we do today?

Don’t worry if the weather is less than stellar – turn wet days into a wonder with a splash in our indoor pool or an hour at Sidney’s Indoor Play Zone on site.

Or turn right on the promenade and walk to Hunstanton’s Sea Life where you can see clown fish, rays, sea turtles and sharks, along with rescued seals which the centre nurses back to health. The centre’s resident penguins and otters are top entertainers too! Sea Life Hunstanton is a cashless attraction, so it’s important to book tickets ahead.

Once you’ve finished ogling the aquatics, continue along the promenade to Hunstanton Pier and treat them to a game at the bowling alley on the top floor of the Hunstanton Family Entertainment Centre. A full-size, six-lane alley, see who can score the most strikes to earn the title of King Pin – the ice creams are on them!

Rain or shine, a half term break at Searles is a brilliant way to keep the kids busy and entertained, so come on, what are you waiting for, book your stay today.