Summer holidays: how to cope
The summer holidays are in full swing, with children all over the country enjoying their last month of freedom before they go back to school. But how do you keep them entertained?
There are plenty of activities for kids that will keep them occupied without breaking the bank – and without the need to resort to electronic entertainment such as consoles and the television. Here are our top four suggestions for how to keep the kids entertained this summer…
1. Make the most of free days out. Wherever you live, there will be somewhere nearby that can keep your kids entertained and active without you having to spend a penny. Take them to the local park to play football, use the playground or fly a kite, or enjoy a trip to the beach with a packed lunch and a bucket and spade!
Go on a bike ride with older children, or take a nature walk to see what wildlife you can uncover. And don’t forget to check online or in your local paper to find out about free kids’ events in your area this summer.
2. Get creative. Painting and colouring are perfect ways to keep the kids entertained and quiet, but why not try something new? Introduce them to origami and fold your creations together, or encourage them to create and film a ‘movie’ for the whole family to watch. Alternatively, buy some air-drying clay and make pots and other clay items that they can decorate and give as gifts.
3. Enjoy the garden. If you have the good fortune to be enjoying a sunny day, encourage your kids to join you in the garden by giving them responsibilities of their own. If you have a small patch of the garden you can give to them, take them to buy seeds and teach them how to look after the plants that they grow. Growing something edible is always a hit, as they can enjoy the fruits of their labours afterwards!
If they’re not keen on the idea of gardening, motivate them to spend time outside by giving them tasks to do to earn pocket money: pulling up weeds, picking fruit or watering plants, for example.
4. Cook together. Baking is a traditional summer holiday activity for kids, and making biscuits, cakes, sweets and more together is always a treat, if a little messy!
Why not take this a step further, and get your kids involved in cooking healthy family meals? Sit down together to look through cookery books, and come up with a menu that you can serve to the rest of the family. You can even play restaurant for the night, encouraging your kids to create physical menus for the rest of the family, lay the table, and help you with elements of the meal’s preparation that are suitable for their age.
When it comes to summer activities for kids, there really is no need to break the bank. Simply keep activities varied and interesting for a hassle-free summer.
If you're thinking of buying something recommended by us, please go via the links on our pages. When you do this we may earn a fee which supports our editorially independent, family business.