Ooh, a typical weekend in our house? They change all the time but let’s go for a weekend when we’re in the UK. Saturday is normally the day that Dad and Grandad do something with all of the kids, which means I get some exercise and work time. 

Their goal for the morning is to run them ragged! So that might mean trampolining, soft play, or the park in town. The morning I wrote this, they went to check out a mini circus happening at a field nearby, via a hike along a nice trail. Saturday afternoon is spent chilling in the garden, in the paddling pool — all super low-key and relaxed.

Sundays are normally for a trip further afield. So we might go to Westonbirt Arboretum, The Rococo Gardens, Pitville Park, or a farm park — anywhere the kids can run around, get messy and play. Bonus points if there's a spot for Mum and Dad to grab a coffee too.

We love Beechenhurst in the Forest of Dean. There's a mile-long trail there that Forestry England often themes around characters like the Gruffalo or Superworm. The kids are always asking to go back. It ticks three boxes: there's a great playground once the trail's done, an amazing place for them to run wild in nature, and a café for snacks (the cafe hot chocolate is a highlight).

As a second bet, we can also cycle to Frampton Green along quiet roads – it’s an hour to get there. There’s a pub at the green and the village shop does great ice cream. We did that trip lots when the kids were smaller and we could tow them or have them in bike seats. Now we’re in a transition phase where the kids are learning to ride their own bikes so it’s not as easy…but we’ll get back the the green one days soon.

One word: Scroggin! This is what the Kiwis call trail mix. It's a load of nuts mixed with chunks of dark chocolate or M&Ms (though those don't fare so well on a hot day), maybe some gummies thrown in too. 

On a trip, the kids get a handful of Scroggin’ and pick out the bits they want. We always make sure there are salted nuts in there too, so it's this salty-sweet mix of goodness. Honestly, it's Scroggin power all the way for the win.

That would be our first big adventure as a family of five, when the twins were two and our eldest was four… a cycling tour of the Netherlands. 

We got on the overnight ferry at Harwich in the east of England then started cycling at the Hook of Holland. We spent two weeks cycling 200 miles in a loop along the coast and back down to the ferry port via Amsterdam.

We have so many funny stories from that trip, and beautiful shared memories too — like the night we spent in a safari tent that was absolutely freezing, and no one slept a wink, partly from the cold and partly because there was a party going on until 2am.

All the kids talk about is waking up that morning, me making everyone hot milk and wrapping them in duvets (including Dad, like he was a giant baby) and then walking down to the bottom of the misty campsite to feed the horses.

There were also so many fantastic playgrounds on that trip. We basically spent our days cycling, stopping at a playground, cycling some more, doing another playground stop, buying big loads of food from supermarkets and having picnics on the side of the trail. It was intense on the logistics but dreamy as an experience. I can't wait to do it again when the kids are older and riding their own bikes.

That kids don't need a specific activity, or a grown-up telling them what to do. They can play for hours, just being left free to explore at their own pace and make up their own games if they're in a group. And that takes time.

What goes along with that is that, actually, a lot of the time, a lower-stimulation environment is way better for them. Nature does that beautifully. It's stimulating enough, but it doesn't overload their little nervous systems.

"Mum lets me be my wonderful self and explore and learn in my own way. She keeps me safe but is also really good fun!"

I hope they'd say this. But I know they'd also add: "Mum is also grumpy when she's tired or hasn't had her morning coffee. And she forgets things. A lot."