A full day of fun for children at Sussex holiday resort Butlin's Bognor Regis

With two energetic children, I am always on the look-out for things that will keep them busy for the whole day. And Butlin’s is the perfect place for this.

We went along to the resort in Bognor Regis as day visitors on a Thursday, which means you can go in at 10am and stay until 8pm – and that’s exactly what we did.

Make sure you book your tickets online, this can be done up until midnight the day before your visit, as you cannot pay on the gate.

After collecting our day visit wristbands and guide to what was on, we were off and decided to head straight to Splash Bognor, which is more like a mini waterpark than a swimming pool. You do not have to book your entry to the pool and it is included in the day visit price but don’t, like me, forget £1 for the lockers!

With several pools, slides galore – including the Helter Skelter and racer slides – to flumes, rapids and a wave pool, there is plenty to do.

My children Ruby and Barney were determined to try everything and dragged me along for the ride, too. I must admit, I really enjoyed it, even the adrenaline flume I somehow found myself queuing up for!

As everyone knows, after a big swimming session, tummies are rumbling, so finding a café as we exited the changing rooms was very welcome.

After a snack, we had tickets for Gandeys Big Top Circus, which is exclusive during the summer holidays. You do need to book the circus on the day for £7.50 each but it is well worth the extra cost – not only because it includes some impressive aerial feats, nail-biting stunts and plenty of giggles, but also because it gives you a chance to sit down and conserve some much-needed energy!

Next, we took a look inside the Skyline Pavilion, a hub of activity and home to the Skyline stage and the Castle Courtyard where shows featuring Billy and Bonnie Bear and the popular Skyline Gang are performed throughout the day.

Included with your day visit ticket and also inside the Skyline Pavilion is the tots fairground and soft play. We had my niece Rosie with us, who is three, and she loved the little cars, planes and teacups rides. And, no holiday resort is complete without an amusement arcade and you’ll find the one at Butlin’s Bognor inside the Skyline Pavilion, too, with all of your favourite games and machines. Children’s tattoos and face-painting can also be found inside for an extra cost.

After days of rain, we were really lucky to have a dry afternoon to take advantage of the fairground, which is also included in your day visit ticket. With all the funfair favourites, including dodgems, the waltzers, the helter skelter and carousel, and much more, there is something for everyone. You can pay an extra £7 for the go karts and there are funfair games like hook a duck and tin can alley.

Also outside is the Aerial Adventures area for those with a head for heights. A climbing wall, high ropes and a zip wire can all be booked for some extra fun during your day trip. Charges and age restrictions apply for these activities. My two children were able to try the zip wire, which is £10 extra, and they absolutely loved it. It didn’t last very long but they came away so excited after zipping through the sky.

For those who want to add even more activities to their day, there are football academy sessions, archery and laser tag, with prices starting from £6.

On the day we were there, you could also book sand art and slimey science sessions for free if there was availability.

When it came to dinner time, there were various restaurants for us to choose from. Inside the Skyline Pavilion, there is a new quick-service restaurant area called Skyline Eats, which includes Burger King, noodle bar Chopstix, Subway and Costa Coffee. This was perfect for us as my children opted for Subway, while I chose Chopstix. Once we had eaten, we somehow still had some energy and headed back to the fairground, which reopens from 6pm until 8pm on Thursdays. We stayed until the fairground closed and then it really was time to go home.

I said I look out for activities that will keep my children entertained for the whole day and Butlin’s definitely did this. It was like trying to pack a holiday into one day!

Day visit tickets start from £26 for adults and £18 for children during the school holidays, under twos go free. Visit www.butlins.com for more details and to book tickets.