Parenting in Sussex: Family fun in the great outdoors

I thoroughly enjoyed the first of the two bank holiday weekends in May. Having an extra day to do family things was a real bonus, especially because the weather was much better than last week's forecast had suggested.

We used our extra Monday off to visit one of our favourite National Trust properties – Nymans – because an email from them promised it looked spectacular.

And it wasn’t lying. Nymans is currently awash with spring colour, with vibrant blooms flowering all over the property. Blossoms, wisteria, alliums, irises, azaleas and more were in abundance. It was stunning and made for a colourful backdrop for our family fun.

We met my parents and my brother and his family and spent a lovely few hours wandering the grounds, following the Winnie the Pooh trail, and taking in the Winnie the Pooh exhibition in the house. I promise I’m not a Nymans spokesperson, but the exhibitions in the house are always really good.

And even though the super-busy car park on arrival made me fear it would be horrendous inside, it was actually perfectly pleasant and the crowds seemed to be soaked up without issue.

Yes, I constantly go on about my love of the National Trust (my husband is forever labelling me a dork because of it) but National Trust properties are the perfect place to meet up.

There are toilets, there is car parking, there are usually activities for children and, most importantly, there is coffee. Sure, I like a countryside walk as much as the next person, but for a longer get-together it’s so helpful to have facilities like the National Trust provides.

And best of all, we got to catch up in the sunshine. As our wider family grows, I love seeing the bonds strengthening between my children and their cousins. Sure, keeping track of four children of varying ages is not for the faint of heart, but it’s another day for the memory bank.

I’m very much looking forward to another summer of family fun. Stand by for updates!