12 Things to Know About Wales for Kids

Wales is a beautiful country with a fascinating culture and history, which is why we’re proud to have not one but two holiday parks in North Wales. Our North Welsh parks are among the most popular for families, thanks to the stunning natural scenery that the Welsh coast has to offer, as well as the abundance of child-friendly amenities on our parks. 

Whether you’re taking a half term, Easter, or summer break at our Welsh parks, this is the perfect opportunity to educate your children outside of the classroom. From fascinating facts about Wales to unique traditions, a trip to Wales provides children with a cultural experience like no other.

To get your little ones excited about their upcoming Welsh holiday, why not share with them the following fun facts?

Wales has the longest British place name.

The longest British place name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which has a whopping 58 letters in total. This means “St Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of St Tysilio of the red cave.” Understandably, it’s often shortened to Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.

Over 10 million sheep inhabit Wales.

In fact, the number of sheep in Wales outnumbers the number of people in Wales by a colossal seven million, as the population is only three million.

It’s home to the world’s fastest zip wire.

Zip World Velocity in North Wales boasts a zip wire that allows you to travel over 100mph, making it the fastest globally.

The longest-running Punch and Judy show takes place in Llandudno. 

Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show starring Mr Punch and his wife, Judy. For 150 years, the show has taken place by the Victorian pier of Llandudno on weekends and school holidays between Easter and September.

The national flag became official in 1959.

We’re all familiar with the Red Dragon or “Y Ddriag Goch” on the Welsh flag, but did you know that this didn’t become the official flag of Wales until 1959? Despite this, Wales has been associated with dragons for hundreds of years, with some historians claiming the Welsh flag is actually the oldest national flag still being used. In fact, it’s believed that the Red Dragon was used by King Arthur.

It has more castles per km2 than any other European country.

There are upwards of 600 castles in Wales, making the country more castle-dense than any other European nation. Some of the most impressive castles in North Wales include Caernarfon and Conwy.

Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales.

At 1,085 metres (3,560 feet) above sea level, Snowdon is the tallest peak in Wales. It’s also taller than Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England. In order to reach Snowdon’s summit, six walking routes can be taken.

Roald Dahl was born in Cardiff. 

Roald Dahl’s books have been a firm favourite of children across the globe for almost 80 years, and the author was born in Cardiff in 1916.

The leek is the original national emblem of Wales. 

You may have heard that the daffodil is the national emblem of Wales, and you wouldn’t be far wrong in thinking so. Initially, though, the national emblem of Wales was solely the leek or “Cenhinen”. The Welsh name, however, was regularly confused with another Welsh word, “Cehinen Pedr”, meaning daffodil. As a result, both the leek and daffodil are now considered the national emblems of Wales.

Cardiff only became the capital in 1955.

It’s pretty common knowledge that the capital city of Wales is Cardiff, but this has only been the case since 1955. Consequently, Cardiff is one of the youngest capitals in Europe. What’s more, Wales is also home to the smallest city in the UK, St David’s, which has a population of roughly 2000.

There are two official languages of Wales.

The two official languages of Wales are Welsh and English, with Welsh being a Celtic language that’s spoken by upwards of 20% of the population. In fact, Welsh is the mother tongue of many natives of North Wales.

Cymru is Welsh for Wales. 

Last but not least, the Welsh word for Wales is Cymru, and the country’s motto is “Cymru am byth”, translating to “Wales forever”.

Tan y tro nesa! (Until next time!)