IMAGINE giant trampolines with net walls, suspended nine metres off the ground between towering trees, with other trampolines above and below you.

Add a few connecting tunnels, slides and narrow bouncy walkways, then throw in several giant balls – similar to those women might use in labour – for people to hurl at you and you might just come close to imagining what the Treetop Nets experience is like at Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre, Windermere.

It’s not often adults get to be big kids without feeling out of place but this attraction which is a UK first is the perfect excuse to let go of any inhibitions and bounce around like an inelegant fool until you run out of energy, or when your two hours are up.

We tried out Treetop Nets during a short break with our children, staying at the picturesque Holgates Silverdale Caravan Park in north Lancashire, within easy driving distance of the Lake District.

Our pad was a light, spacious, luxury two-bed holiday home, from the Chamonix range by Swift, with all the mod cons we needed, a fully-equipped kitchen and stylish, comfortable lounge with sliding glass doors on to a lovely decked terrace overlooking Morecambe Bay sands and the Lakeland fells.

After our arrival, we explored our surroundings with a woodland walk to Arnside Knott, a limestone hill 522 feet high just north of Silverdale. The climb was well worth the reward of beautiful sweeping views of the bay and beyond. We then made the most of the park’s heated swimming pool, which had fun bubble areas, a spa pool, steam and sauna rooms.

The following morning was a wet start but the Lakes Aquarium at Newby Bridge saved the day. For a relatively small attraction, it had a lot to offer and the boys thoroughly enjoyed watching the leaf-cutting ants, the playful otters, mischievous marmoset monkeys and the rays and sharks. We visited the Treetop Nets that afternoon when the sun shone down, prompting us to enjoy a lakeside amble around the visitor centre grounds afterwards.

With the promise of better weather, the next day we made the 40-minute drive to the South Lakes Safari Zoo, at Dalton-in-Furness.

To our surprise and delight, we were able to wander freely among the lemurs, kangaroos, wallabies and emus. For a small extra fee, we were able to hand feed fruit to the lemurs which my children found slightly daunting at first, as well as the giraffes where we came eye to eye with them from a raised platform.

The animal feeding was a highlight of our stay, but the zoo also features an impressive range of creatures, from Andean bears and Arctic wolves to beautiful macaws and big cats, and vultures with an aviary you could walk through if you dared.

After a very memorable day out, we dined in the Holgates’ restaurant that night, and enjoyed a very welcome, hearty meal - the perfect end to our mini holiday.

* For details of Holgates Silverdale Caravan Park, which welcomes tourers, campers and has holiday homes to hire, phone 01524 701508, or visit www.holgates.co.uk/silverdale

For details of attractions in the Lake District, visit www.golakes.co.uk