How to Survive the School Summer Holidays
As much as it is lovely to spend lots of time with the kids, when it comes to the long summer break, you can be left feeling a little… well frazzled, to be honest. From being asked from the moment you open your eyes in the morning, “Mum, what are we doing today?” through to the constant demands for snacks, the summer holidays can be a little bit trying at times, to say the least!
While there’s much to be said for not having the daily struggle of the school run, sometimes the lack of routine over the school holidays can leave kids both bored and in need of extra stimulation. Don’t panic, though, those long summer evenings and lazy days are the perfect way to make special memories that you will treasure forever. Whether you are on a tight budget or fancy splashing the cash, there are lots of ways to keep the kids entertained over the school holidays come rain or shine.
If you are lucky enough to be getting some time off over the school summer holidays to spend with the kids but need a bit of inspiration, then check out these ideas that will hopefully help to make the summer holidays a whole lot less stressful for you and loads of fun for the little ones.
Make a School Summer Holidays Plan
Making a plan may not sound like fun, but it really can be – promise! Making a plan, or a kind of school summer holidays bucket list is a great way to tear the kids away from their tablets for a little while and is a great chance to spend some time having fun together. The aim of your summer holiday plan is to think about all the things you would love to do over the school holidays and then put them all together.
You can make your plan however you wish, but kids may find it more fun to get hands-on and let their creativity run wild. You could make it in the same way as you would put together a mood board for an interior design project. Get a large sheet of paper and cut out pictures from magazines, drawing pictures and writing down the things that you want to do, it is an excellent opportunity for everyone to join in whether they are cutting, sticking, drawing or colouring. Stick in pictures of ice creams, buckets and spades, fairground rides, picnics, or draw pictures of family members you want to visit, whatever it is, get it all down on your paper.
Once you’ve created your plan, you may want to tick off the things that you have done throughout the summer, or you may want to stick it up on the wall as a fun piece of inspiring art that the whole family created together.
Photo by Vicko Mozara on Unsplash
Travel
If you are planning to head abroad for your summer holiday, then it’s advisable to get everything sorted out early to prevent lots of stress later on. Don’t forget that travelling over the school summer holidays can get horrendously expensive, so you may need to spend more on your holiday than you would at other times of the year. Guarantor loans or borrowing money elsewhere may be an option to pay for your holiday, but you should always research thoroughly before borrowing money from any source to ensure that it is affordable and the right choice for you. If you are travelling abroad, don’t forget to get your passports sorted out well in advance as well to prevent that horrible anxious wait for the postman to deliver it a few days before you go on holiday.
Days Out During School Summer Holidays
With kids in tow, days out can get pretty expensive. Luckily there are loads of ways to save money when heading off for a day out with the kids. If you are planning a trip by train then look out for the special offers that many train companies run over the summer holidays, these usually feature heavily discounted travel for families with children. Kids love the excitement of getting on the train and heading off for an adventure, so incorporating a train ride into your day out is sure to be a big hit with the kids!
Train travel to London is often one of the discounted destinations for rail tickets over the school holidays. A trip to the capital always makes for a great day out, and if you want to keep costs down during your visit why not head to the awesome free attractions such as the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, or wander around and take in the sites of the city’s landmarks?
There are so many amazing places to visit for kids across the UK, from castles to beaches, theme parks to national parks; you really won’t be short of places to take the kids for a fun day out this summer.
Childcare
Of course, while the kids may have weeks and weeks of freedom to enjoy, parents aren’t always so lucky. If you need to work over the summer holidays, the chances are that you are going to need some childcare. You may have family that can help with this, but if not there are some great clubs out there for the children to take part in. School holiday clubs can be a big confidence builder for kids and are an excellent way for them to learn new skills and make new friends.
Some schools have holiday clubs running on the school grounds which are operated by an external provider, and many nurseries run holiday clubs for older children over the summer break too. If you are struggling to find holiday childcare, check out your local leisure centre as they often have all day activity sessions running for kids, such as dance or football sessions.
When booking your holiday club the most important things to do are to book your kids in early to reserve their place and ensure that the club is reputable, ie it is insured, the staff have the appropriate qualifications and police checks. You may also want to ask for examples of the kinds of activities that the children take part in at the club, because if your child isn’t keen, you may end up with a daily battle on your hands to get them to go.
Image Credit Pixabay
Rainy Days
It may be British summer time, but of course, that doesn’t mean that six weeks of sunshine are guaranteed while the kids are off. No sun shouldn’t mean no fun, and with some ideas already up your sleeve, a rainy day can be just as much fun as a sunny one. Here’s a little inspiration to get you rainy day ready:
Stock up on arts and crafts materials so that they are ready and waiting at home before the school summer holidays. Arts and crafts supplies are a handy go-to activity to keep the kids amused. A great way to encourage the kids to be creative is to suggest that they make a scrapbook of memories of their summer. The scrapbook could then be brought to life by sticking in train tickets, photos, writing about the places that they have visited etc.
