In a few weeks, school bags will slip off your children’s shoulders, black pumps will be kicked to the corner, and the six weeks holidays will finally begin. How do you prepare for the holidays, whether rain or shine?
Here are a few of our favourite tips for keeping your kids entertained during the summer!
1. Balancing work with entertaining children
Summer holidays are for children really. Even if you’re a teacher, there’s no such thing as a full six weeks off for anyone but the kids! You want to be able to give your children attention during the holidays, especially when they’re in a more relaxed environment. So, how can you get some quality time in with your children and keep up with work?
Set up a timetable to help you coordinate between your children and work. The timetable will be your starting platform for building in activities and the toys and equipment you’ll need for the summer. Set out these timetables in a communal space providing everyone with events to look forward to, and you can organise in advance with work to block out these times for you to be with your kids.
2. Low-cost activities for a tight budget
Be flexible and imaginative but keep to your timetable! Keep general learning, exploration, and discovery at the root of your holidays to keep costs low. Themed days for chores with princesses and pirates can make washing up more interesting. Teach a cookery or bakery lesson and give children ownership whilst getting a family meal together. Not only will you be passing on an important skill but one that will help them become successful adults.
Look at utilising your home, garden, or local park for activities. You can set up your timetable to include activities that encourage children to take notice of objects at home. Set up drawing tables so they can practice drawing household objects and write lists to help them find the objects. You can use parks and gardens to plan minibeast hunts for animals, insects, leaves and flowers too.
3. Stretching your budget over the full length of the summer
Kids get bored. In fact, the summer tends to be full of kids telling you that they’re bored. In the modern world, boredom often means electronics. Active summers are one of the healthiest and most engaging ways to spend their break. Your children might choose the sofa, but it’s by no means the enriching experience it should be.
To stretch your budget, use activities and equipment that you have at home or in your local area. Consider a game night with Twister, Kerplunk or Monopoly. These tend to be family favourites, especially if you want to keep costs low. Visiting local fairs and festivals during the summer gives the entire family some relaxed outdoor activity.
4. Struggling to think up suitable day trips
The summer holidays are a great time to get onto your local council’s website and check out what’s happening in your local area. From sports clubs, day trips and even opportunities for outdoor theatre events. Your local council will have a specialist website with activities for kids from tots to teenagers.
Take advantage of what makes your area unique, whether it’s the Yorkshire Dales or museums dedicated to the history of your city. Visit and you’ll help your kids get used to what it means to respect their local area.
And if you’re really struggling, why not consider a few days or weeks at Kids Takeover? Our rates are competitive, and we offer a whole host of activities, games and sports to cater to any child’s needs. Does your child receive free school meals? Then you can also check out our HAF programme. As an official provider, we can offer families in receipt free school meals, with a holiday programme that includes a free healthy meal.
5. Explore the chores!
One thing you can count on is that all of your household chores will increase while the kids are at home. To avoid spending all your summer when you’re not at work or entertaining cleaning the kitchen, doing loads of laundry and hoovering, consider coming up with a chore wheel.
Make a clear-cut division between clothes that can be washed regularly and those that can wait. Clothes for the home can be worn a few times and work towards larger loads of laundry. There’s no need for all the chores to fall on one person. Spread them out so kids can learn the value of being cleaner and tidier.
