Family activities for the summer holidays
Although it may seem like the kids have only just gone back to school, the summer holidays are, once again, upon us. Six weeks of fun and (hopefully) sun lies ahead of us, and after the year we’ve all had, now is the perfect time to blow off some steam.
However, six weeks can seem a long time to keep the children entertained, so we’ve pulled together an activity guide to keep everyone, of all ages, busy until the Autumn term rolls around.
Get crafty
We’re always encouraging the younger generation to explore their imagination and find ways in which they can let their creativity flow. To help get you started, head to your nearest arts and crafts shop and get stuck in, literally.
Arts and crafts is a great way to allow your children to let loose and create whatever comes to mind – whether a sock puppet or finger painting masterpiece, DIY bird boxes or beetle hotels. It’s also a way in which they can continue learning with different colours, tools and textures. Good Housekeeping has compiled a list of simple and inexpensive arts and crafts ideas, including a DIY fairy garden and how to create a thumbprint family tree.
Sweet tooth
Thanks to the likes of family-favourite TV shows such as The Great British Bake Off and Masterchef, at-home baking has become increasingly popular with a huge £1.2billion increase in UK baking sales since the first Bake Off show in 2010.
If you’re planning a summer party, there’s no better occasion to get your bake on by creating a sugar masterpiece to share with your guests. There are plenty of sweet yet healthy recipes that can be found online, including these vibrant watermelon doughnuts and these fun cake pops.
Baking together is a great way of letting your little ones take charge and create a floury-mess, while you handle the heat of the oven; making sure their masterpiece is cooked to perfection.
Plenty of other child-friendly baking recipes can be found on Baking Mad and Delicious Magazine.
Bug watch
We all love spending time in the garden playing, eating and relaxing, however it can be tricky keeping the children occupied while you enjoy the occasional ray of sun. One way in which the kids can take on a project of their own is to put them on ‘bug watch’.
Children are constantly learning how important insects are to our ecosystem, so what better way for them to continue to learn than by watching them in their own back garden – it’ll also give them a great sense of pride to know they’re helping a family of ants or bumble bees thrive at home!
Encouraging bugs and insects to visit couldn’t be more simple. One idea is to give a small patch of the garden to the children where they can learn to plant bright and scented wildflowers, watch them grow and see what wildlife come to stay.
Alternatively, the whole family could create their own bug hotels and have a competition as to which one attracts the most. Give the children a list of all potential visitors and allow them to search and investigate to see which ones they can find and tick off their lists. You’ll soon find you have some true bug hunters in the family.
Ways to create your own bug house can be found here.
If you’ve got any tips for keeping the little ones busy during the summer holidays, share them with us on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels.