Hemel Hempstead, 13 January 2026 – A team of mini–Chief Fun Officers (CFOs) burst into a Travel Agents this January, armed with clipboards, big opinions and even bigger ideas about what makes a great family holiday. Their mission? To help fun-starved adults break the cycle of boredom and rediscover the joy of saying “yes”.
The takeover lands just as families across the UK begin planning their year of breaks - a moment that should feel exciting but often doesn’t. New research from Butlin’s reveals that half of parents (48%) admit feeling bored on holiday, with one in six (16%) saying boredom sets in after just a few days.
Much of this, parents say, comes down to the moments where the entertainment dips - bad weather (40%), not enough to do (32%), and long spells of waiting around (32%) quickly drain the joy from a break. It’s little surprise, then, that January - the UK’s busiest booking month - comes with a pressure to “get the holiday right” before boredom can strike.
To help, the children – all under eight – stepped behind the counter of the Butlin’s Holiday Booking Shop in Bognor Regis for a day in charge. As the Home of Entertainment, Butlin’s knows how to keep families smiling, but invited its new CFOs in as playful “fun advisors” to ensure the fun-o-meter stays fully topped up throughout 2026.
Born experts with PhDs in play and Masters in mischief, kids see the world through an unfiltered lens of joy, going straight to the bits that matter: entertainment, energy, exploring together and saying “yes”.
Armed with cheeky confidence and comical quips, the pocket-sized CFOs put the booking team through their paces with a playful Q&A. Rather than ‘training’ the adults, they shared fun-first tips based entirely on instinct; offering light-hearted, brutally honest guidance on what really counts when planning a family break.
Their ideas included diving into a chocolate-filled swimming pool and having 24/7 disco parties, to eating unlimited ice cream and ‘seeing real dinosaurs’, revealing a simple truth: kids are instinctively imaginative when it comes to fun.
A running theme in their feedback was things get boring when grown-ups have to say ‘no’ to activities, echoing what parents themselves admit. The research found that while quality time (67%) and making sure everyone has fun (43%) are top priorities, many still find holiday planning itself becomes a chore.
Parents’ go-to activities from joint family experiences (24%) to waterparks (17%), to live shows (17%); all map directly onto the entertainment that comes included in a Butlin’s break. Unsurprisingly, the CFOs were quick to agree, saying they’d take every opportunity to go swimming – a total of ‘ten thousand and fifty one’ times - and adding there should be ‘no bedtime’.
While adults worry about weather forecasts, timetables and expectations, kids instinctively focus on the things that actually make a holiday memorable: playing, exploring and saying “yes”.
To unpack why kids make such natural CFO’s and why adults often lose the spontaneity that makes holidays joyful, Butlin’s has partnered with clinical psychologist and author Dr Martha Deiros Collado. She explains: “Children are hardwired to put fun first, approaching holidays with curiosity, imagination and a simple “why not?” attitude. As we get older, holidays can become over-planned and over-managed. In trying to organise fun, adults often accidentally drain it of energy which is why boredom can creep in. Children instinctively do the opposite, heading straight for excitement, shared experiences and whatever feels joyful in the moment.
“Holidays work best when pressure lifts and play has room to breathe. That’s why Butlin’s works so well – families are surrounded by variety, entertainment and shared moments – adults can stop managing the fun and start joining in. When connection comes first, boredom rarely gets a look in.”
Mike Godolphin, Entertainment Director at Butlin’s, said: “Kids don’t overcomplicate holidays, they just want the fun bits. Our Chief Fun Officers made that clear. From whizzing down waterslides to dancing and singing along to live shows, they showed us that the magic lives in the unfiltered, unscripted moments adults often overlook.
“At Butlin’s, that’s exactly what we champion: big acts, big entertainment and so much included in the price, all under one roof. Whatever the weather is doing outside, the fun keeps going.”
Butlin’s gives families the freedom to say “yes” more often - yes to swimming before unpacking, yes to another show, yes to squeezing every drop of fun out of a break, and yes to swapping boring for Butlin’s.
Butlin’s offer Terms & Conditions can be found here (see Section 12): https://www.butlins.com/terms-and-conditions
T&Cs - Earlybird offer: 25% off 2026 family breaks
25% off Early Bird Savings is a per booking discount and is already applied to displayed selling prices. The discount is valid between 22.12.25 and 15.01.26 and applies to new bookings only for 2026 Family breaks excluding 2-night breaks.
