Maldon Promenade Splash Park, Park Dr, Maldon, Essex CM9

Kids. Aren't they great? Just when you think you've cracked it another phase comes along to pull the rug from under you. We are currently experiencing sleep issues. After 3 years of an almost clockwork child, who pretty much went to bed at the same minute each night, he has turned into a complete fiend when it comes to bedtime. It happened when the clocks changed and has been a nightmare ever since. He won't go to sleep without me laying next to him. So tonight, like all other nights for the last few weeks, I have spent the last hour wrestling a 3 year old to sleep. And tonight I was supposed to be at my friends 40th birthday. (Perhaps it's for the best though, my liver will be less pickled if I stay in. Again). I don't know what to do about it and with no helpful Grandparents to offer advice/take him away and only a handful of local friends I am finding myself on a  very lonely road again. I have no idea how to tackle this phase.

So my new daily challenge seems to have changed from 'How to keep a small child alive' to 'How to knacker a small child out'. 3 hours of Soft Play didn't even touch the sides on Tuesday and a day at the park on Wednesday did nothing. So on Thursday I upped my game, I brought out the big guns and took him to Maldon Splash Park.

Maldon is about 15 miles from Colchester towards London. It's a medium sized Town and like a lot of places round here has some beautiful old buildings and a very pleasant High Street. Its also home to the famous Maldon Salt. But the juicy bonus of Maldon is the amazing outdoor play area they have for children which runs alongside the Blackwater Estuary.

The Blackwater Estuary

Maldon Splashpark

It costs £2 for 25 minutes in the water fountains but as it wasn't busy when we were there we were told we could stay as long as we like! Great knackering out opportunities thought I. Alas, the small boss informed me the water was cold so we only stayed here 15 minutes... (Make sure to take spare clothes and a towel if you go).

However, all was not lost as behind the water fountains lies a huge wooden Galleon for clambering all over and sliding down. Great.

Then we found these little beach huts by a Tree House, Zip Wire and another sandpit.

By this point I knew I was winning the fight. The child asked if he could go home. Yay!  Maldon had beaten him! But then as we left the Splash Park, we found another Park. And the child found a second wind. We then spent another 90 minutes here, but as it was so beautiful I didn't mind.

This little park was a 'Sensory Park'. Lots of lovely, smelly flowers, little rides to climb on, noisy things to play with but also a maze, a wildflower garden, a pond and a little vegetable patch. All parks should have areas like this, it was wonderful.

So we really had a great day, and I would definitely recommend it. And as for the sleep issue. It definitely did the trick and wore him out. However, he was so tired he slept all the way home, woke up as bright as a button as we got home and didn't sleep for hours that night :(