Summer Holidays Activities

[alicecooper]

So I thought maybe we could use this thread to swap ideas on how to keep the kids occupied during the summer holidays. Activities that don't cost a fortune, but things that will (hopefully) stop the endless barrage of "MUMMMMM I'M BORRRRRED!" lol

So I read an article just now that had a few good ideas. One of which was to buy a large cheap sheet (like a bed sheet) and lay it out on the garden, and let the kids go mad decorating it with paints.

Anybody else got any activity tips?

 

[~RedLily~]

I will be following this. Day one of the summer holidays has been a disaster, one tantrum after the other.
I like the idea of the sheet in the garden, will definitely be trying it.

 

[aimee-lou]

My plan is to do 1 'activity' per day, be it going to the park, baking a cake or going to a soft play, attraction or swimming etc.

Today is off to a flying start. We put the paddling pool up yesterday and it's rained overnight so now the whole garden is a write off! So it's a baking day today - coconut cake! Yum!

Hopefully tomorrow it will be warming up and sunny again so we can have a paddle.

 

[shanny]

we have not broken up - but we do the one a day philosophy - and just try and chill get out forgotten toys for the rest of the day

my kids always take a while to adjust to holiday mode

best thing they love at mo is dens -- lots of sheets and chairs

also play dates with mates in the village - always good - other peoples toys/gardens etc

 

[SarahP13]

I used to nanny for a family of four kids aged 3-10years. On the first day of the summer holiday we sat and brainstormed three lists.

The first list was of free/cheap activities to do outside the house- feeding ducks, swimming, bike ride, picnic, nature walk, playground etc.

The second list was of things to do at home- play dough, den building, baking, painting, paddling pool, sand play, collage making, etc.

The third list (my favourite!) was of jobs they could help me with- making beds, emptying bins, emptying dishwasher, dusting, collecting washing & putting washing away (5 bed, 6 storey house!), making lunch etc.

The rules were that every Friday each child could pick an activity for the following week. I would then organise our days so that we could do each one- we always had a couple of play dates to work around, sometimes I combined activities eg bike ride & playground.

Then for the time we were at home they were not allowed to say they were bored until they had done everything on both list 2 & 3! And that started anew every day They soon learned not to moan at me and I got lots of help with jobs that I needed to do. They also appreciated that I had jobs to do every day and the sooner they were done the more time I had to play with them. Win win. I think having them involved with writing the lists really motivated them and helped them realise how much there was for them to do.

 

[Bernie]

My 2 girls started arguing yesturday when my eldest came out of school and got in the car I havent got a great budget on keep taking my girls out as we got married 11 days ago. So will be stalking this thread. So far today they have been in the paddling pool with my neighbours little grandaughter and they have had a brilliant few hours playing in thier together

 

[aimee-lou]

today we went to the seaside, had an ice cream, caught some crabs on the harbour and played in the nice park they have there. lovely day, not too expensive!

 

[sunshine114]

Nature detectives website is worth a look - we use it at school a lot for outdoors activities, there's loads to keep children amused outside in every season of the year

 

[Bernie]

Putting a tent up in the garden and letting the kids have a picnic in there and put some solar lights up and camp out there also an idea.

 

[RachA]

We're lucky and live close to the beach so our sunny days will consist if going to the beach lol.

I know you can buy books from The Book People that aren't too expensive that gives you ideas of what to do during the holidays. I also bough fine from Sainsbury's at the end if last summer that's a similar thing-I've put it away for any rainy days this summer.

 

[alicecooper]

my kids loved playing with water balloons the other day, but they only lasted 5 minutes!
Water pistols are great though.

 

[RachA]

my kids loved playing with water balloons the other day, but they only lasted 5 minutes!
Water pistols are great though.

In this lovely weather we are having the kids are just loving playing with water. I was watering the garden the other evening and they were playing out the front - every time they ran past they got squirted with the hose!

 

[lindseymw]

We are lucky in that we have a few really nice beaches within 10-30min drive. We went to the beach on Sunday, took our pop up tent, had a picnic and bought buckets & spades. They had an awesome time.

We also have a forest on the door step with lots of varying walks that take 20mins to the whole day. So will be spending a lot of time there.

Water pistols, cheap paddling/swimming pools filled with anything from the kitchen (pots/pans/bowls etc) seems to occupy the kids for hours.

We bought Jacob a bouncy castle in May (was £130 so not exactly a cheap option, there were cheaper ones mind you), this has been used so much it was worth the price. Quick & easy to put up and put away.

I fancy doing a day or two of Geocaching. This could be a cheap option depending where they are. It gives a 'purpose' to going for a walk.

 

[Amarna]

We live down the street from the state park and spend a lot of time there doing nature walks and swimming in the lake. The library makes for a fun, inexpensive trip out too.

Are there any u-pick farms near you? I like to take the girls blueberry and strawberry picking over the summer.

 

[shanny]

I got mine to write a list of what they wanted to do over the hols
-- I was pleasantly surprised by what they wrote- just the simple things - park swim cooking cinema

Today my oldest wanted to make lemonade and sell in the park (small village) to make money for endangered big cats

was lovely to have the time and ingredients to do this

 

[deenamathew]

Summer activities for kids, crafts, outdoor fun, travel ideas, cool-down treats, puzzle games, painting, printable coloring pages. I would like to share a link of pages which i had downloaded for my Lo. As he love to do this activity. So max of the time he will be busy in this.

I use to collect it for online and take the printout of the pages and sit along with my kid and color those. As every kids favorite could be mickey mouse so i have downloaded.

https://www.momjunction.com/articles/cutest-mickey-mouse-coloring-pages-your-toddler-will-love_0077263/