FROM the moment we pull up to our caravan the kids are in heaven. It’s the first proper break we’ve had in over a year and they’re eagerly exploring every nook and cranny of the clean and modern Deluxe unit.

I’m not sure what they’re looking for exactly, but they’re having plenty of fun doing it. They’re having so much fun in fact that they’re not happy about my suggestion of a walk to the nearby beach at Thornwick Bay...until we get there that is.

I’m convinced that at least one of my kids will be a geologist when they grow up, as their love of pebbles and rocks borders on obsessive. So after moaning about having to go to the beach we end up staying here for three hours, in temperatures that are unseasonably frigid, thanks to a cold snap.

Still Harrison and Ella don’t seem to notice the temperature. I don’t think they even notice the stunning limestones cliffs hugging each side of the bay, or the thousands of seabirds busy bringing fish to their chicks. They’re are far too immersed in pebble collecting.

As seasoned veterans of Haven holidays, the evening feels strange. Usually the kids would spend a small fortune in the arcades then we’d head to watch a show and let them dance in the entertainment venues. We’d also have the obligatory photographs with the Seaside Squad - Haven’s version of Disney characters, and remarkably popular.

But since we’re here before indoor venues are allowed to re-open we find our nightlife restricted to sitting inside a marquee, with a heater at each table to warm guests against the unseasonable temperatures. The food is lovely, but I’ll be glad when we’re out of this stage in the roadmap.

The following day we return to the beach while the tide is out and dangle our crab lines into one of the many rock pools that forms at low tide. To our left a family are pulling one crab after another while we’re having no success. When the other family had finally had enough of pulling them from their pool we decide to try it ourselves. Again no luck, until we discover that bacon bits are much better than chicken breast as bait.

Later we walk along the cliffs for 20 minutes to my favourite spot on the East Coast - North Landing on Flamborough Head. With the tide out we’re able to explore some of the caves, between making sandcastles. \we hunt for pieces of shipwreck among the rocks and find two rusty panels.

We could easily stay here all day but we have Junior Segways sessions booked at 2pm and a pool session at 3.45pm. At exactly 1m20 Ella is just tall enough, and from the moment she mounts the board she’s hooked. The session is supposed to last for 30 minutes but ends up being 40. It’s well worth the £12.

All Havens have an Activity Barn, which is where many of the activities take place. Ella has always adored the arts and crafts sessions that run in the barns, but it’s still early May and indoor activities are still restricted. Most of the outdoor activities are running though, like den building, football coaching, bike hire, bush crafts and more.

One indoor activity that is open is the swimming pool. However the waterslides are closed (they re-opened on May 17) so we aren’t able to try those. Likewise the water activities that both our kids have grown to love in Haven over the last few years are also unavailable until we’re further along the roadmap out of lockdown. Harrison has been desperate to give the underwater scooters a go, now that he’s finally old enough to, but he understands the reasons he’d have to wait unto the next time we visit.

They’re just happy to be in the water, splashing around as though life is relatively normal again.

* Haven Thornwick Bay on Flamborough Head has three swimming pools, water slides and a large entertainment complex. We stayed in a Deluxe, three bedroom, dog-friendly, caravan. May half-term ‘Stay and Play’ holidays, that include entertainment, start at £549 while two night breaks start at £269.