8 Ways to have Fun during the Summer Holidays!

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Summer holidays, can be a stressful time. So, how can you keep the children busy (and happy!) without spending a fortune!

Simple Summer Holiday Ideas

Keeping things simple during the summer holidays is not a bad thing! Grab the face paints and eco glitter and have a festival in your garden. If you’ve space put up a tent, or make a den with sheets a chairs! You could even decorate your tent with pom poms and paper flowers- or even daisy chains! Then turn on your favourite songs and enjoy!

Splash about!

Eva from Captain Bobcat Blog suggests getting the paddling pool out;

Paddling pools and splash pads are great, you can kill quite a few hours there!

We love splashing about, and if you don’t have a paddling pool – improvise! An old baby bath or even a plastic storage box can be hours of fun to splash about in. (Do remember to always supervise children near water!)

Use that National Trust Membership!

We took out a membership when we were on holiday as it meant it was cheaper than the day visits to two places we wanted to see. If you already have a membership, grab a picnic and head off to a local property! Also remember to investigate your local garden centres as many offer special events or Maria from Suburban Mum reminded me that some even have a soft play area!

Get Outdoors with the family!

My children love going on walks, but I know some hate it! So, make walks fun by either planning where you’ll go – perhaps you will walk to a picnic spot? Or maybe write a simple scavenger hunt list? Shel from The Willow Tree suggest Geo-Caching;

” Download the app for free and go on a search to hunt for hidden treasure! It may be a little time capsule or a box with a message in. You can even leave a message for the next person!  “

Go camping!

If you have a tent lurking in the shed, what’s stopping you from taking it away for the weekend? Use a site like pitchup.com to find a campsite pack up your basics and take a weekend away! Can’t afford the pitch fees but have a garden? Pitch your tent in the garden! No tent? Check out camping pods, not quite as cheap as pitch fees but still a cheap option for a night away. Or for that matter – why not camp in your garden? Turn it into glamping holiday experience by adding bunting, and a hammock too!

Kids Summer Courses!

One of my fondest memories of my own summer holidays as a child was going on a ballet course for a week. I loved having an intensive dance week, and making new friends! Emma from Fashion Mommy suggests keeping your eye out on local events, especially sports clubs;

“Most football clubs run weekly soccer camps over the Summer. My son does WBA one, and it costs £60 for 5 days, which is basically cheaper than childcare. For that he gets qualified coaching, a certificate and trophy at the end of the week and loads of fun. Perfect for boys and girls and totally enjoyable.”

 

Bake Off!

Rainy afternoon? Get baking! Maybe organise a bake off with other families? Or perfect your favourite cake? If you aren’t keen on baking, keep it simple! Cornflake cakes and flap jacks are easy to make and require minimal equipment. One of our favourite recipes is Vegan Biscuits, as they’re so simple and tasty too! But we also like those ready to bake cake mix packs too!

Kids crafts

So one of our favourite summer holidays activities is to get crafting. Perfect to keep everyone busy! The best thing is we can take the paints and glue outside – which minimises the mess!

If you’re not into complicated craft projects, grab an old roll of wall paper and roll it out on the kitchen floor or in the garden. It’s perfect to draw or paint on! Gathering leaves and sticks allows children to create nature art too, ideal if you have a child who loves to “collect” things while you are out and about!