Amsterdam Tui City Break: Clogs, cheese, windmills and stroopwafels - we found the perfect trip for families

As the school holidays drew to an end, we were ready for a break. A pair of energetic 13 year olds and two adventurous, but not so full of energy, adults don't often want to do the same things but we definitely needed something different to lying on a beach.

So we picked Amsterdam for just two nights, with a packed itinerary of things to appeal to different ages and interests, all coordinated in one space ... on my phone. Let's be clear. There was an awful lot of debate about which activities would keep us all happy. The boys ruthlessly ruled out clog decorating, even though I quite fancied it. And I won on a trip to the famous windmill village, with everyone else persuaded by the promise of cheese and chocolate tasting.

We flew from Birmingham to Amsterdam early on Monday and had a very busy time before flying out on Wednesday afternoon. We had definitely 'done' Amsterdam even in such a short space of time.

The highlight of our weekend was a wonderfully sticky stroopwafel making workshop. The workshop’s location also happily led us to the Albert Cuyp Market which is crammed full of stalls overflowing with delightful treats, Dutch specialities and more tourist tat than you can imagine. It is a great place to lose yourself for an hour or so and soak up the busy atmosphere, armed with a Dutch coffee and stroopwafel, obviously.

Fortunately for us, you don't need to have any cooking skills to make delicious stroopwafels here. Basically, weigh out the ingredients, add water, do a lot of kneading or squeezing and chuck it into a very hot waffle maker before adding lots of extra sweet caramel and even sweeter toppings. What could be better? We made one to take away and one ... well, it disappeared before we could even take off our aprons. A lip smacking success all round.

Our expedition the following day was to Zaanse Schans, better known as the windmill village. We had a very entertaining talk about the history and methods of making cheese. There was plenty to taste too, soured slightly by the present ban on taking dairy back to the UK.

We are all now experts in the many different kinds of clogs and their long heritage. We have even witnessed a clog being made in just a couple of minutes. We weren’t actually tempted to take a pair home but we did have fun taking obligatory photos of ourselves in the giant clogs dotted around Amsterdam and treated ourselves to chocolates in the shape of this most famous wooden shoe.

There was no mistaking our hotel because we were staying in a national monument. The Hoxton Lloyd has a long history, much of which can be brought back to life with vivid imaginations and a teenage sense of humour. It has been everything from a wartime refuge to a prison, arts centre and abandoned eyesore. It now nods proudly to its history with very modern comforts.

Our room had separate sections with bunk beds for the kids and, alongside the adults' king bed, a very Retro phone and old school radio to reflect its past. Around every corner of the Hoxton are nice touches showing off its arty side through unusual paintings and glorious stained glass windows.

There is a supermarket just across the road plus lots of cafes and restaurants within a minute's walk. It is a lovely mix of residents and tourists. We enjoyed a cocktail or two alongside the canal as the sun went down.

On both mornings we opted for breakfast outside. The hotel boasts a pretty courtyard and we enjoyed feasting while normal city life went on around us - crocodiles of school kids on trips, busy basketball courts and commuters making their ways back and forth.

If the boys had taken complete control of our weekend, we would have spent most of it on Amsterdam's many hire bikes. Cycling is a way of life there and they whizz past you in their hundreds. Take heed, it is easy to wander into a cycle lane accidentally thinking it is part of the pavement - and then you will most certainly know about it. Getting about is easy in Amsterdam even if you don’t fancy two wheels. We hopped on and off the tram without any problems and also ended up with very impressive step-counts each day.

Ours was a flying visit to Amsterdam and one none of us will ever forget. It is easy to be put off city breaks when you have children of any age but it is a hugely growing market and for good reason. Our teenagers were whizzing through the Tui app as we waited at the airport to leave, already wanting to plan our next trip and making sure that they were in charge of the experiences.

Tui is broadening its appeal beyond the traditional holiday and wants travellers to imagine it as a global department store. Everything is under one roof but different floors will appeal to different folk and you can have confidence in everything a big brand creates.

We picked our destination city together, the kids selected one experience while us oldies chose the other and we personalised our adventure so it suited our family. I have little patience for bargain hunting or scrolling so it was ideal for me to be able to pick reasonably priced flights, hotel and experiences in one go. This sort of weekend away is seeing a huge surge in interest from the under 30s but it couldn't have been better for us either.

That doesn't mean cutting down on options - picking from 3,000 hotels in 62 cities is more than enough for any busy mum! And you don't have to stick to the path well travelled. Tallin, Riga, Salzburg, Hamburg, Gdansk and Helsinki are the latest additions to be added to the city break portfolio. Try one of those and watch how thrilled the kids are to tell everyone that they've been somewhere completely different.

Most of all we loved being together, discovering somewhere new and the memories we made to share with everyone waiting back home. There's more to holidays than lying on the beach and there's a world on our doorstep which has been made very easy to explore. Now, where to next?