It was a cold autumnal Sunday. With a mountain of items on our To Do list and a three year old demanding attention, the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine and I were feeling fraught, up-tight. In the end I left him to his work and put aside my own list to later that evening.

I took Frog to the beach and we escaped from all demands for a full day.

Who says the beach is just for summer, anyway?

We made sand pies and searched for pretty shells. We paddled in the sea – although only my three year old had the bravery to dip her painted toenails into the icy water. We ran and jumped and rolled about.

It was fun. We’ll go back again soon.

How do you escape from it all? Have you got a secret spot you like to go to?

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I make no secret of the fact I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to sharks. I love nothing more than a good shark documentary and still have my collection of shark fact books from when I was a kid (don’t judge me). So I jumped at the opportunity to take the rest of the family along for a trip to London Aquarium and see if my toddler shared my interest.

After my two year old got over the HUGE excitement of getting on not one, but three trains, her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she spotted The London Eye next to our destination.

It was a refreshing change to see the sun shining in the sky when we stepped off the train and the excitement of being in the capital was tangible – even in the usually reserved husband.

The London Aquarium is in a lovely location on the South Bank. It’s one of my favourite parts of London, with views of Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and a fun, eclectic atmosphere created by all the art and culture in such a concentrated area.

The aquarium is right next to the London Eye, about two minutes walk from Waterloo Station. I’ve battled the tube lots of times with a buggy and a wilful toddler, but this was the first time we’ve done it all together as a family and the journey to get to Waterlook couldn’t have been easier – just seven stops along the Bakerloo Line from Paddington and we were there.

We timed our arrival for the opening time of 10am and this turned out to be a smart move. Having been told how busy the aquarium gets, we were ready for long queues despite having a priority pass, but we walked straight into the building without waiting at all. If you’re thinking of going, I’d definitely recommend investing in a priority booking pass to cut the queue time and – if you really don’t want to wait at all – get there bang on 10am. By the time we left around two hours later, the queues were 90 minutes long.

Walking into The London Aquarium is like stepping into another world. Soft music plays in dimly lit, winding corridors, with exciting things to look at around each corner. As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted with your first glimpse of the aquarium’s biggest boast: the huge tank full of amazing sharks, stingrays, gazillions of fish and giant turtles. Walking across the top of the tank, you’re literally stepping on the glass above all these incredible creatures. It was lovely see my toddler get down onto her hands and knees and peer down into the depths, coming face to face with an enormous and graceful shark gliding beneath her, about a metre away.

As you follow the route of the aquarium, you’re guided into different worlds, with sea life from all parts of the planet and lots of interactive games and activities. We’ve been to an aquarium as a family before, but this trip proved far more successful, as Frog really spent time looking at all the amazing creatures and asking about them. It’s a very child-friendly place, with wide paths for buggies and lots of little portholes and nooks especially suited to inquisitive small children.

Favourites seemed to be “Jenny” the octopus, the many sharks, a giant turtle and the penguins at the end. We spent two hours with only one hint of a tantrum, when Frog tried to jump into a tank to get to know the stingrays a little better. Her fury was short-lived though, as she was diverted by the promise of another shark just around the corner.

After the visit, we wandered along the South Bank, looking at all the amazing street performers and soaking up the atmosphere.

It’s easy to forget that we’re raising a country bumpkin, despite having two parents who grew up as city dwellers. Frog’s enthusiasm for the crowds was infectious, as she lapped up the excitement of the hustle and bustle.

We had a brilliant lunch at Giraffe, about five minutes along the South Bank from the London Aquarium. We’re big fans of the chain and regularly visit our nearest Giraffe restuarant for a spot of lunch. The child-friendly atmosphere and little touches (a balloon for each child, along with a colouring sheet with crayons) makes it a really easy place to eat with kids – as do the fresh, healthy and incredibly tasty menu options.

I managed to contain my excitement at a celeb spot of Sally from Coronation Street (totally acted cool) and tucked into my Penang Chicken Noodle Salad with gusto.

We ended the day with a walk along to Borough Market, although we didn’t have time to explore my favourite corner of London properly, as we had a train to catch. It was here that we bumped into my aunt and uncle – totally unplanned – and I watched with amusement as my confused toddler thought her grandma had left her grandad and shacked up with a new man (my mum and her sister share the likeness of hair colour and glasses!).

It’s days like these which make memories. We’ll definitely be back.

***

Disclosure: We were given priority passes for The London Aquarium by Superbreak. All opinions remain my own.

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This time last year, I took my daughter to the opening night of Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. It was brilliant. Walking through the gates felt like stepping into Christmas. So I was very pleased to be invited back for the opening this year.

I ignored my tiredness and jumped on a train with my two year old. I also brought my friend and her four year old along for the ride. (A good choice as my friend Caroline Gue takes incredible photographs – all of these are hers.)

We hopped on a train from the sticks to Reading, then one from Reading to London, then another two on the Underground. Arthur (the four year old) was very excited. It was his first time in the Big City.

As we neared Hyde Park, I could almost taste Christmas. I was reminded of the year before, when my baby was still a baby. On that journey I was with my sister and we mourned the fact my toddler wasn’t walking. We didn’t know what challenges the year ahead would bring with Frog’s hypermobile joints. It’s funny how yearly markers make us reflect on how time has passed.

The bright lights of Winter Wonderland welcomed us and I put all these thoughts aside, to concentrate on my excited toddler and her friend.

The smell of cinnamon and mulled wine entered my nostrils the moment I stepped through the entrance arch. I was in Christmas. As a Christmas lover, this was my heaven.

There was an outdoor ice rink, huge big wheel (with amazing views across London), ice palace, circus, Father Christmas, gazillions of rides – many toddler friendly, stalls galore, food galore and a huge sense of anticipation. If you like Christmas this is the place to visit.

You know that toddler thing, where they’re really scared but they’re also so excited they can hardly breathe? That was what Frog was going through on this ride. Her hands were in a constant state of flux, varying from covering her ears, to her eyes, to madly waving.

There were talking reindeer, a few X Factor contestants, live bands and many places to park your backside and enjoy a festive tipple.

This is the big wheel I was telling you about…

After munching on corn-on-the-cob, chips smothered in ketchup and hot waffles drenched in runny chocolate, it was time to go home.

The verdict? Definitely worth a visit if you like the build up to Christmas. There’s LOADS to do with children. It was a bit of a sensory overload for my two year old, with all the sights, sounds and smells. This became apparent during a 25 minute exhaustion-fuelled tantrum on the way home. But I know the memories we stored that evening were worth the tired tears later.

I know, because Frog hasn’t stopped talking about it since. In fact, she loved it so much, she wants to go back next weekend.

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