If kids were in charge on holidaythey would eat dessert before mains, go treasure hunting - and have a giant water fight. A poll of 1,000 children aged 6-12 revealed their ideal getaway, which would include eating three ice creams a day, using bikes or scooters as their go-to form of transportand playing board games every night.

One in five would play hide and seek with their family, 14% would indulge in a pyjama day and 40% would spend all day in the pool. When it comes to locations, 93% of youngsters want to stay at a holiday park, with 72% of them saying they are fun places with lots of activities to keep them entertained.

The study was commissioned by Sykes Holiday Cottages, which has unveiled a competition to appoint two youngsters as its resident Directors of Fun, created to place kids at the centre of holiday planning.

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The playful job ad specifies entrants must be spontaneous, have a big imagination and bring enthusiasm to every day, and applicants can share their perfect holiday itineraries until 30th April 2026 to win the chance to make them come true.

James Shaw, spokesperson for the staycation specialist said: "It's always interesting to see what kids would do if they were in charge of the whole holiday – and it turns out it would be pretty fun for everyone else too.

"While there's plenty of excitement around things like unlimited ice cream and activities, what really stands out is how much they value simply spending time together.

"That's why we wanted to bring children back into the heart of holiday planning with this competition, recognising that their ideas of a great break are often less about packed schedules and more about being with the people around them."

Over half (51%) of the youngsters surveyed said their favourite aspect of being on holiday was spending time with family and for over a third (35%) it's meeting other kids their age.

Eight out of ten confessed they'd like to take control of a family holiday, with leading the way in order to do the activities they want (63%), instructing their relatives what to do (41%) and feeling like an adult (40%) the top three reasons.

The research via OnePoll.com also discovered 19% feel like holiday parks are a home away from home, with popular forms of entertainment such as swimming, adventure playgrounds and arcade games making it ideal accommodation.

James Shaw added: "Holidays should give families the chance to properly switch off, reconnect and enjoy shared experiences all in one place.

"What's striking is how much children value the freedom to shape their own days – whether that's choosing activities, exploring, or just having unstructured time to play.

"That's where settings like holiday parks come into their own, offering a mix of flexibility and variety that lets every family member make the most of their time away."

THE TOP 10 THINGS KIDS WOULD DO ON HOLIDAY IF THEY WERE IN CHARGE:

Eat ice cream everyday

Spend all day in the pool

Have a giant water fight

Ride bikes or scooters everywhere

Play hide and seek with my family

Go on a treasure hunt

Have a midnight feast

Eat dessert before dinner

Stay up late playing board games every night

Have a pyjama day