I’ll be honest—Warwick wasn’t really on my radar as a must-visit destination. The real reason we ended up there? It was the perfect halfway point to meet our friends from Somerset! With kids in tow, a 2 to 2.5-hour drive seemed reasonable for everyone.

But wow—what a hidden gem! I’m SO glad we went. Warwick turned out to be an absolute delight, and the kids had a wonderful time. (Okay, mostly Ray Ray did. My baby boy, on the other hand, is happy anywhere. At 8 months old he was very much just along for the ride!) So, if you’re looking for a family-friendly getaway, I’ve got some great recommendations. Let’s get to it!

Saturday Morning: The Road Trip Begins

We started the day with Ray Ray’s ballet class (skipping that would NOT have been an option). Once the car was fueled up and the tires checked, we hit the road!

The journey was surprisingly smooth—minimal traffic, zero tantrums, and baba napped for half of it. Even when he woke up, he was just chilling in his car seat, happily sucking on his toes. (I aspire to be this content with life.)

Midway through, we made a pit stop at some services for an “Old McDonald’s” lunch (as our little girl calls it). After refuelling our stomachs, we were back on the road, pulling into Warwick in just under three hours. Not too shabby!

Saturday Afternoon: A Play Village Like No Other

One of the big reasons we chose Warwick was that it’s close to my sister-in-law’s family—aka, the kids’ cousins! We met them at The Children’s Play Village, and let me tell you, I was blown away.

Imagine a mini town built just for kids—a café, a theatre, a fire station, a post office, a hair salon, a school... and more. Our daughter was in her absolute element, running from one place to the next, dressing up as a dragon (because, why not?), and living her best life. Just when we thought things couldn’t get more fun, an elephant appeared out of nowhere and started dancing with the kids. As you do.

The whole place was immaculate, and the staff really made it special. There were two entertainers who interacted with the kids, keeping them engaged the entire time. I was SO impressed.

And for us grown-ups? A lovely little bar area and some seriously good-looking food. We didn’t eat since we had dinner reservations later, but my sister-in-law swears by their breakfast menu.

The best part? The price! I was shocked when I checked the confirmation email—less than £16 for all four of us! (£10.50 for Ray Ray, £2.50 per adult, and our baby boy was free.) For a two-hour session, that’s an absolute steal.

If you ever find yourself in Warwick with little ones, this is a must-visit! Link below 👇 ❤️

🔗 The Children's Play Village - Making Time for Imaginative Play

Saturday Evening: A Cozy Hotel & A Fun Dinner Out

After all that fun, it was time to check into our hotel—Chesford Grange—before heading into Warwick for dinner with our friends, Amy and James, and their little boy.

**The hotel? Absolutely brilliant.** The décor was lovely, the service was great, and J (my husband) decided to treat us to **two** interconnecting rooms. This was a real game-changer! Having our own space to unwind once the kids were asleep felt like a real luxury. *Ray Ray* was SO excited about having her own "big girl room" and was even willing to share with her little brother. (Progress!)

💡 Money-saving tip: We found that booking through Booking.com was cheaper than going directly through the hotel. However, you can’t book interconnecting rooms online—so call the hotel first to check availability, book via Booking.com, then call back to request linked rooms!

After check-in, we drove 10 minutes into Warwick town to meet our friends for dinner at **The Tilted Wig**. It was such a lovely evening—the food was delicious, the staff were super friendly, and they were great with the kids.

Now, let’s not pretend eating out with kids is ever truly "relaxing." We had our fair share of chaotic moments—including baby boy having a massive poo explosion (like, EVERYWHERE 💀). And of course, conversations were constantly interrupted by feeding, entertaining, and general toddler antics. But… when you have kids… it’s all part of the fun. Whilst I enjoy a kid-free dinner as much as the next person, we also love bringing the kids along… and I think it is good for them to socialise with us.

By **8:40 pm**, we called it a night (way past bedtime!) and headed back to the hotel. Thankfully, getting the kids to sleep was quick—baba was out like a light, and after a round of **Pizza Pizza** in bed and a chapter of *Mary Poppins*, *Ray Ray* wasn’t far behind.

J and I then curled up with a glass of wine, some chocolates, and Bridesmaids on the TV. The perfect end to a wonderful day. ❤️

Sunday Morning: Breakfast & A Splash in the Pool

We were all up bright and early by 7:30 am, so we got ready and headed down for breakfast. A buffet-style breakfast- hot food, toast, cereals, pastries, fruit, and yoghurt. Everything was delicious!

After breakfast, we took advantage of the hotel’s swimming pool. Ray Ray had missed her usual Saturday swim class, so this was a great bonus. We splashed around for about 40 minutes before showering, packing up, and checking out.

Sunday Afternoon: A Magical Day at Warwick Castle

Next up? **Warwick Castle**—just a **10-minute drive away**. As soon as we got out the car, *Ray Ray* spotted **Zog’s orange wings** through the trees and practically jumped out of her skin in excitement. Our first stop was a quick toilet trip for the girls- Dad was on coffee duty! 👌

Warwick was full of beautiful old buildings!🤩

Once we entered Warwick Castle and our little girl had gotten over how ‘ENORMOUS’ the castle was, we headed over to the Horrible Histories Maze. I thought it was really well done and lots of fun. Then, we explored the castle itself—loads of history, and the inside was absolutely stunning.

For lunch, we grabbed a Yorkshire pudding wrap (£10, but huge and packed with pulled pork, roast potatoes, stuffing, and apple sauce). Very yummy and we thought not bad value for what is essentially a theme park!

After lunch, we hit the **Zog Playground** ☝️, where the kids enjoyed running around and spotting their favourite characters. Then came **story-time in the Princess Tower**, a climb up the **castle towers**, and the **Birds of Prey Show**, which was **really cool**. The birds swooped right over our heads—it was a great experience. (Unfortunately, the birds didn’t want to be photographed! They were far too quick for our cameras!)

We wrapped up the day with a peaceful stroll through the Peacock Garden before finally heading home.

🎟️ Tickets were £18 per person (baba was free), which I think is great value considering how much there is to do. Even more activities run in summer, like jousting shows and extra Zog events, so we might have to return! 👀

**The Journey Home: A Loud End to the Trip**

The drive back? Well… let’s just say our daughter’s VERY loud singing (on repeat, for an hour) nearly drove us insane. Baby boy also had a mid-trip meltdown, but a few lullabies eventually did the trick.

Despite the slightly chaotic journey home, it was such a special weekend. Warwick completely surprised me, and I’d highly recommend it for a fun, family-friendly trip!

✅ Where we stayed: Chesford Grange Hotel 👉 Chesford Grange | 4 Star Hotel in Kenilworth, Warwickshire
✅ Must-visit with kids: Children’s Play Village & Warwick Castle

Until next time!

💕 Love, Katie x

Our Family Weekend in Warwick: Fun, Castles & Chaos!