Things to Do With Your Kids in the Summer Holidays

So, this is my number one tip for dealing with the never-ending vacation: plan. Plan macro, plan micro. Just make sure you don’t leave the whole thing to chance.

Now, I realise that among you there will be plenty of people who like to be spontaneous. Get up in the morning and decide what you want to do that day. Certainly not have the entire summer planned out in minute detail. However, that’s all well and good – but I still think even a little bit of pre-thought can help. Thus, even for those who aren’t planners, I suggest at least doing a bit of asking around before the holidays and find out which of your friends/your children’s friends are going to be in town during which weeks. Time goes a lot quicker, and is a lot more fun, when there’s someone to share it with.

Now, back to the spreadsheets for the rest of us. If you will be back in your home country for a large portion of the summer, then you can cross that off. Of course that doesn’t mean to say you don’t have to plan THAT trip as well (where you will stay, who you will see, how to say no…) but I’ll save that for another post.

Next, are there any local camps your children can attend? Sports, horse-riding, sailing, even maths or computer camps? If you are from the US you are probably very familiar with this concept. As you will be if you work. But otherwise, sending your children off all day, every day might seem like a strange thing to do. However, they will be happier swimming, playing, riding or bouncing (trampoline club?) with their friends than moping around with you all day. As will you. If there aren’t any full day camps, or you/they don’t fancy this, are there any part-day alternatives? I killed a whole week one summer by enrolling my children in a swimming school. It was only a half an hour a day each but by the time we’d got there and back it was a morning gone, plus they’d done some exercise and I was happy to let the sit in front of the tv for the afternoon.

Hopefully camps will have crossed off another week or two. Next, are there any organised activity days – perhaps through the school or your partner’s work? At the local shopping centre, the park? If so, add them in!

Are you able to travel locally? Even if it means heading off for a few days with just the children, this can be an excellent way to see some more of your host country. If trips away are difficult, how about day trips? Either solo or organised tours? Have you always wanted to act the tourist and never quite got round to it? Now’s your chance.

For many people, though, travelling won’t really be an option. It may be too hot, too dangerous or just too complicated – especially if your children are still very young. So my next piece of advice is to start keeping a list of all the things you think you would enjoy doing with your children. You could check out websites with suggested activities like funathomewithkids.com or cooking sites with kid-friendly recipes. Ask friends. Look on other people’s blogs, Pinterest, wherever these sorts of things are found. Just jot anything down when you see it. Then, when you wake up, no-one’s in town to hang out with, the kids are bored of the pool/garden/local entertainment, reach for your list and ask them what they would like to do that day. I imagine you could tick off, ooooh, at least another three or four days of your holiday like this!

In the same vain, start stock-piling books, DVD’s, music, new games – whatever it is your children enjoy in plenty of time to have a good supply to bring out at a moment’s notice. And don’t EVER feel guilty about sitting them down in front of the TV for a few hours while you re-gain your sanity.

Finally, don’t forget to do what my mother did and just let your children run wild. Unsupervised play is the best thing for them – their imaginations will take over and as long as you can see and/or hear them you can get on with other things. While you might want to make sure you’ve got some sort of activity planned for most days or weeks of the holidays (depending on your temperament, your children’s temperaments and what sort of a place you live in), you should also make sure you factor in some free time. For them – and for you.

So those are my main tips to make it through the long, hot summer – I am sure you will have plenty of your own. If so, I would love to hear them!