Time flies by so fast, particularly when you’re a parent. One minute your child is fully dependant on you and the next they are moving out. While we may have the freedom to try new things as an adult, there’s nothing quite like the excitement of trying new family activities as a child.
If you are looking for ideas for the summer holiday or just pre-planning for your future children, make sure you try these activities with your little ones.
In the Great Outdoors
Getting outdoors is fantastic, the world is full of glorious sights and sounds to discover and fun to be had. Take the kids camping – caravan holidays are great fun and going full-nature in a tent is the ultimate experience. Roast marshmallows over an open campfire, stargaze long into the night – August is an amazing time for camping in the UK if you go somewhere with little to no light pollution. The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks over August 9-13 and is sure to delight (adults and children alike!). For those really warm nights, get them to drag their sleeping bags outside and sleep in the open air.
Warm days offer a fantastic opportunity to hit the beach, go paddling in the surf, build a sandcastle, fly a kite. Get them involved with nature and try your hand at fishing or crabbing – great for teaching your kids about wild animals. Not on the coast? There’s more fun to be had at the park – set a family record on the swings, climb a tree, roll down a big grassy hill, collect caterpillars together to hatch into butterflies – you could even organise a big water fight!
Cold weather on the way? That doesn’t have to stop you, every kid (big and small) should dance in the rain at least once. Once the snow starts falling, get outside and build the best snowman you can, or maybe a snow fort – you never know when the first snowballs will start to fly.
In the Comfort of Home
So, your kids aren’t the outdoors type, but that’s okay – there’s still plenty to be done inside. Get messy with arts and crafts (maybe pop a protective table-cloth down first) from collages made of feathers and sequins to dying t-shirts and even painting eggs. There’s plenty of get-stuck-in activities for you and your child to do together and make some long-lasting memories. Get your little ones involved in the kitchen, make a cake together or some home-made ice cream, this is an ample opportunity to teach them about health and wellbeing too!
If you’ve got the time, why not learn an instrument together – or get your child into lessons to learn themselves. Encourage them to put on little performances and make sure to cheer them on.
Looking for ideas for something a bit quirky? Why not have a fancy-dress day, where you both get dressed up and spend the day having fun. Make a cardboard/blanket fort, watch some favourite movies and stay up talking by torch-light.
A Great Day Out
Getting out with the kids, particularly when they are little, can be a bit tough but can be great fun when they’ve got a bit more independence. Plan a day to the Zoo to see their favourite wild animal or head out to an age-appropriate theme park. Get the kids involved in organising – what they will need to pack for a day trip and what they’d like to do before it’s time to head home. Every day is another learning opportunity, even if it’s hidden in something fun!
Why not get your kids involved in planning some activities over the Summer holiday? You could show them how to plan ahead and even use the opportunity for budgeting lessons – good money management starts at a young age! Get them to compare the cost of activities – from choosing to go visit a caravan site to travelling to a long-distance destination.
Carve some time out and make a list of what you and your kids hope to achieve this year, for every activity you complete, you can tick off the list together. We all know life can be busy, but time waits for no-one, so make sure you make the most of your time with your children before they grow up.
