IT'S the perfect way to keep the kids happy - take them on a holiday to France with a sports package as exciting as anything Sky can offer says JOHN McJANNET.

And if they, and you, have been inspired by watching the World Cup, Keycamp's football coaching programme offers the perfect chance to hone your skills. Who knows? You could have raised the next Rooney or Ronaldo.

Our holiday park, in the Vendée region of France, had about as many sporting events as you would find at the Olympics, from archery to horse-riding and kayaking.

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But best of all was Keycamp's new feature and the highlight of our trip - Soccer Station.

Four fully qualified FA football coaches worked flat out running two training sessions a day.

They showed youngsters how to keep fit and develop their skills and also organised matches, including a weekly tournament.

Our five-year-old, Edward, joined the action for two-and-a-half hours a day and I swear he emerged a considerably better player for the experience. Watch this space! It was also a great way for him and his brothers to make friends with the other 40 or so children, girls and boys, attending every day.

Coaching sessions, held on an area the size of a soccer pitch, cost only a few quid, and around £20 for the entire week.

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This summer Keycamp is running four Soccer Stations at campsites dotted around France - La Garangeoire, where we stayed, Château des Ormes in Brittany, Château de Drancourt in Picardy and St Avit Loisirs in the Dordogne.
La Garangeoire lies just south of Brittany in the Vendée region, which claims to enjoy as much sunshine as the Riviera.

This spot also has the advantage of being just a few miles from the coast and its lovely beaches. Set off in the other direction and a short drive will take you into the stunning Loire Valley. We stayed in a spacious three-bedroom mobile home, far from how you'd imagine camping.

But there are also Keycamp tents available if you're on a tight budget.

While mums and dads can relax at their pitch, the kids can get on with their sporting activities.

With a swimming pool, a lake, tennis courts, wellmarked cycle routes and, of course, the football zone, there was plenty for them to do, leaving us in peace.

We spent most of our evenings at the site's two bars, where drinks cost roughly the same as your local pub.

At the restaurant, a family meal for five - two adults and three young children - cost us just over £60, including a bottle of wine. That's a bargain especially as holiday parks take advantage of the fact you're relatively "trapped".

There was a takeaway with pizzas, burgers and chicken and chips available at affordable prices.

And there was also a wellstocked shop selling your favourite newspaper, the Daily Star. In the early evening there was entertainment laid on for free including live music, family quizzes, kids' discos and magic shows.

One night I found myself on stage, being forced to lock arms with a traditional Brittany dance group and drink wine from one of their sweat-stained wooden clogs.

Away from the camp, we enjoyed a day out at the nearby Chateau Aventuriers at Avrillé. Built in 1555, this historic building has been beautifully preserved and the deer park was ideal for a picnic.

There was also a nature trail snaking through woods and lakes, with mazes and building-block challenges inspired by the world's great explorers.

Our kids loved it and with admission at £9 for adults and £6.80 for children it was excellent value.

We also spent a day at picture-postcard fishing village St Gilles-Croix-deVie, just a few miles from the campsite. We walked along its sandy beach, watched the fishermen land their catch at the harbour and then strolled into the old town for lunch at at Les Oceanides on the Quai Riviere.

Grilled sardines followed by mussels and chips cost £10 each, with children's dishes £5 each.

Then we hit shopping street Avenue de la Plage, where you can buy anything from designer sunglasses to ice cream.

Further afield (a 90-minute drive from the campsite) was La Rochelle - the most famous town in the Vendée.

There can be a lot of traffic around this ex-coastal fortress but once there it's a pedestrianised dream.

The main attraction is the Vieux Port, the old harbour, where our youngsters had a great time scampering around the ancient fortifications including sea walls and towers.

Boat trips costing around £25 for a family ticket can be taken to Fort Boyard.

But our favourite town was Les Sables d'Olonne, the Blackpool of Vendée.

It boasts a two-mile-long golden sandy beach backing on to a sweeping promenade full of shops, ice cream parlours and bars.

Our youngsters joined a kids' club for two hours for £4 each, playing organised games of go-karting and rounders on the sand. There were also courses available in surfing, dinghy sailing and diving, with prices from £30 for a half-day.

Like Blackpool, the town is also famed for its nightlife, with two casinos and nightclubs near the waterfront area of Le Remblai.

Even in the afternoon this area of narrow, twisting streets was buzzing.

We popped into the Bar Des Sports on the Rue Principale where we feasted on pizza. And the kids watched some football on TV, picking up some tips for their next training session.

FACT FILE
KEYCAMP offers self-catering holidays for 2010 to more than 100 top parcs across 11 European countries, including Greece, Denmark, Belgium and Germany, plus the USA and nine parcs in the UK.

Each has a choice of stylish mobile home, chalet, apartment, Supertent and even treehouse accommodation.

A seven-night break in September for a family of two adults and up to four children, staying in a threebedroom Villagrand mobile home at La Garangeoire, costs from £359, including return Dover to Calais ferry crossings.

Fly-drive packages can be arranged via Keycamp at a supplement. For the latest deals, or to make a booking, visit keycamp.co.uk or call 0844 406 0319.

Keycamp's Soccer Station is also available at Château des Ormes in Brittany, Château de Drancourt in Picardy and St Avit Loisirs in the Dordogne.