When you think of Butlins, the first thing that comes to mind is entertainment. The Redcoats getting everyone excited for the day and so many things you don't know where to begin. This holiday was no exception. 

The entertainment is split into a few areas. In the Skyline you have the Skyline stage where most of the children's entertainment is held, behind that is the Castle Courtyard where you can catch wonderful puppet shows. The other end of the Skyline houses Centre Stage, where the big entertainment, tributes and shows happen. And finally there is the Character Theatre where smaller shows happen (there is a charge for these)

Having a toddler meant that we spent most of the time in the Character Theatre, Centre Stage and Skyline Stage. But we didn't scrimp on entertainment at all. In fact we saw so much of it that in all honesty we lost track by the end of the week!

The Skyline hosted most of Max's favourite shows. We spent our time either sat on the floor where the kids are encouraged to join in with the help of the Redcoats, or sat a bit further back depending on what time we turned up. Some of our favourites here were Barney, Fireman Sam and Mike the Knight. But the wake up with Billy and Bonnie sure got the blood pumping on a mid week morning! The way it is set out means that most children and parents can see the stage as it's slightly staggered in height so that the little ones don't end up on shoulders or stood on tables. Having said that it does get very busy, and for a mid week, term time break we were surprised at how many people were there. 

Centre Stage hosted some amazing shows in the evenings. From Freddie Mercury tributes to the Big Redcoat Gameshow it was a barrel of laughs most nights. We would always head down after dinner with our buggy and Max in his PJ's and a jumper. This meant that when he was tired we could get him to sleep in the buggy whilst we enjoyed a bit more of the entertainment. Having said that by the third night we were shattered and in bed by 10:00! One thing that bugged me a bit was that the tributes were never on until close to 10pm meaning that we had to stay up late to see them when we knew that Max would always be up bright and early. 

Centre Stage featured the big family show of the week. Scooby Doo. To say we are a bit Scooby nuts in this house is an understatement. We have the DVD's on repeat and are always using catchphrases that are frankly embarassing for us parents to say out loud. The show was magnificent. Max was captivated, his eyes never left the stage. It's one that we nearly saw twice in one night (if our dinner wasn't booked for the second showing!) we loved it that much. It's a credit to the whole team for capturing such an amazing show on stage. 

Finally we headed to Character Theatre. These tickets were £5 each, so pricey if you have a big family. But considering all the other shows were free, it was worth it. We saw the Big Little Adventure, which took two Redcoats across many lands to meet different characters you might well recognise in search of their missing rucksack. Max loved it, the theatre setting is perfect for introducing kids to the theatre environment at a low price whilst entertaining them with characters you all love (who doesn't love Fireman Sam!)

With so much to see at Butlins we could only just fit it all in. I know that if we go back again then we will make sure that we fully plan everything ahead of time so we don't miss out on one thing! Having said that we managed to be surprised by so many things that we stumbled upon.