When schools end for the longer breaks, whether it’s for summer or at Christmas, there is a feeling of elation and joy mixed with a sense of trepidation – what happens now? Parents can feel worried that the next few weeks will be full of bored kids screaming and fighting or that the screen will be getting all the attention. What can parents do to ensure that their children have a fun, interesting, even educational school break? Here are some ideas.
Go Swimming
Heading out to your local pool is a great idea and an excellent way to keep kids entertained for a few hours. During the school vacations, there might even be extra events taking place there, perhaps even swimming lessons or day camps where you can book your children in and leave them to enjoy the day while you go home to work or carry out chores. Swimming is a great sport to get into because it is such a good one for the body (it works all the muscle groups and helps focus on breathing) and the mind (it requires the child to be fully in the moment so they can put any worries or concerns to one side and just be present).
Visit A Museum
Visiting a museum together is a great idea. There are so many different museums and galleries around, so check online to see which ones are the most appropriate for your child’s age group. There will always be new and exciting exhibitions and events taking place, and if there is something happening that you know your child is going to enjoy, then make a date to take them. Afterward, you can discuss what you saw and perhaps find out more about it, whatever it happened to be. This museum trip can stimulate your child’s imagination for many days to come, and they might work out their own ways of entertaining themselves by carrying out research or getting their painting supplies out to try to recreate something they saw. Or perhaps you can find online lesson plans that incorporate what you’ve just seen into some extra learning; click here to see an example.
Use The Yard
If the weather is good and you have a yard, don’t forget to use it. Get out some toys and games and spend some time outdoors. You can have big toys like a bounce house, a trampoline, a jungle gym or obstacle course, or you can have smaller toys like bikes or scooters, or even some patio chalk to draw with. Maybe you can build a den or play hide and seek or organize a treasure hunt. If you have a tent, you could set it up so that they can stay out in the sunshine for even longer. The aim is to get the kids outside breathing in the fresh air for as much time as possible.
Make A Scrapbook
Making a scrapbook is something that will keep the children (and you!) entertained for a good long while. You can give them an empty scrapbook and some craft glue and scissors as well as some old magazines, and they’re set. They just need to cut out the pictures they like and stick them in – it’s a lovely way to keep quiet and happy. Alternatively, you might let them have some old family photos and use those in the scrapbook; they might want to make a family tree or do some additional research (this is probably better for older kids).
Leave a Reply