Summer Holiday Activities
July 30, 2013
Schools across the country are now out for summer, giving children a full six weeks off before the start of the new term in September. If you’re already facing an everyday ‘I’m bored’ from your kids, read on and find out how you can keep them entertained for less. These are all aimed at children of different ages so there should be something for everyone and many of them can be adapted based on age.
1) Embrace your local area
Do some history with your children into what key events have happened in your local area, whether it’s producing a particular item during the industrial age or being home to a famous celebrity. You can then take them on a tour to see the spots where the action happened so they can really get a feel for it. Most towns are steeped in history and you can often find information on royal visits, buildings designed by famous architects or a famous person that grew up nearby.
2) Go treasure hunting
Set up a treasure hunt either in your very own back garden or between gardens of various friends. All of the kids can be involved, following clues with the hope of a reward in the form of the magical treasure. This can be something as simple as chocolate and sweets. To add some further fun you can also get everyone involved to dress as a pirate, with a prize for the best costume and pirate impression – this is your very own roleplay of the Disney classic, Pirates of the Caribbean. You’ll find heaps of templates available to download online for everything from scavenger bags to treasure hunt scrolls.
3) Get snapping
Pick a topic, such as bugs, animals or buildings, and then make your very own collage or photo album or what you find. For example, you can go bug hunting in your garden or the local park, using online reference sheets that can be downloaded to then identify what you find. Take photos with a digital camera and your children will love the close-up experience with them. When you get home, do some further identification and then print out the best ones. It’s a great little project that can be carried on throughout the 6 weeks and you may end up with a budding photographer on your hands, or the next David Attenborough.
Use the opportunity for a summer clear-out and sort through old toys and games, as well as your stuff collecting dust in a cupboard. The incentive here is that any money earned can be used to buy a new toy for the summer so you’re killing two birds with one stone. Once you’ve decided what can be sold you should either get it on eBay or head to your local car boot sale. To make it worthwhile in fees and time you’ll need to find over £30 worth of things to get rid off
2) Fancy dress with a difference
Hold a small party and get the other parents involved – it’s fancy dress with a difference as all costumes can only be made out of paper. This cuts the cost out of having to go out and buy materials or a full costume from your local store and really will focus on creativity. Pirate hats can be made from folded paper for example, a sword from paper glued together or rolled up – colouring pens can then be used to decorate and to add those all important details. The children will love it as they’re all on a level playing field and you’ll see some interesting costumes – guaranteed!
3) Holiday wall planners
Use the time to create a summer holiday planner on paper with your kids. This will then give them a visual idea of what they’ll be doing each week and can be used for the rest of the holidays to help prevent a daily ‘I’m bored, what are we doing’. You can then refer to the activity planner, which should have options for both wet and dry days. Don’t worry if you’re thinking about how to fill in every day, this can be left down to the kids to decide what they’ll be doing with their time, with a little input with you. It’s a great way for children to start to understand they also need to entertain themselves and it will help to open up the imagination further. Any holidays should be added, together with specific dates you have activities booked as it also acts as a countdown essentially.
Outdoor activity ideas for the Summer holidays
1) Embrace your local area
Do some history with your children into what key events have happened in your local area, whether it’s producing a particular item during the industrial age or being home to a famous celebrity. You can then take them on a tour to see the spots where the action happened so they can really get a feel for it. Most towns are steeped in history and you can often find information on royal visits, buildings designed by famous architects or a famous person that grew up nearby.
2) Go treasure hunting
Set up a treasure hunt either in your very own back garden or between gardens of various friends. All of the kids can be involved, following clues with the hope of a reward in the form of the magical treasure. This can be something as simple as chocolate and sweets. To add some further fun you can also get everyone involved to dress as a pirate, with a prize for the best costume and pirate impression – this is your very own roleplay of the Disney classic, Pirates of the Caribbean. You’ll find heaps of templates available to download online for everything from scavenger bags to treasure hunt scrolls.
3) Get snapping
Pick a topic, such as bugs, animals or buildings, and then make your very own collage or photo album or what you find. For example, you can go bug hunting in your garden or the local park, using online reference sheets that can be downloaded to then identify what you find. Take photos with a digital camera and your children will love the close-up experience with them. When you get home, do some further identification and then print out the best ones. It’s a great little project that can be carried on throughout the 6 weeks and you may end up with a budding photographer on your hands, or the next David Attenborough.
Indoor activity ideas for the Summer holidays
1) Make some moneyUse the opportunity for a summer clear-out and sort through old toys and games, as well as your stuff collecting dust in a cupboard. The incentive here is that any money earned can be used to buy a new toy for the summer so you’re killing two birds with one stone. Once you’ve decided what can be sold you should either get it on eBay or head to your local car boot sale. To make it worthwhile in fees and time you’ll need to find over £30 worth of things to get rid off
2) Fancy dress with a difference
Hold a small party and get the other parents involved – it’s fancy dress with a difference as all costumes can only be made out of paper. This cuts the cost out of having to go out and buy materials or a full costume from your local store and really will focus on creativity. Pirate hats can be made from folded paper for example, a sword from paper glued together or rolled up – colouring pens can then be used to decorate and to add those all important details. The children will love it as they’re all on a level playing field and you’ll see some interesting costumes – guaranteed!
3) Holiday wall planners
Use the time to create a summer holiday planner on paper with your kids. This will then give them a visual idea of what they’ll be doing each week and can be used for the rest of the holidays to help prevent a daily ‘I’m bored, what are we doing’. You can then refer to the activity planner, which should have options for both wet and dry days. Don’t worry if you’re thinking about how to fill in every day, this can be left down to the kids to decide what they’ll be doing with their time, with a little input with you. It’s a great way for children to start to understand they also need to entertain themselves and it will help to open up the imagination further. Any holidays should be added, together with specific dates you have activities booked as it also acts as a countdown essentially.
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