Things to Do in the Summer Holidays with Your Kids

When the days are hot and long it, can be tough finding fun things to do with your kids, especially now the summer holidays are upon us.

There’s nothing worse than having your kids mope around the house moaning “I’m bored!”. You don’t want them to waste their holidays by sitting in from of the TV for hours on end.

Occasionally, we’re very lucky and get heatwaves for a few days. If this happens, here are a few things for your kids to do this over the holidays.

Get green-fingered

Kids generally love dirt and creepy-crawlies, so what better way to combine the two then with gardening?

From getting them involved with planting flowers and weeding, through to growing their own vegetables, gardening possibilities are endless. Why not allocate a part of the garden just for them to do whatever they’d like?

If you don’t have a garden then a window box is just as good.

Gardeningwithchildren.co.uk is a great place for ideas of things to do with gardening.

Beside the seaside

A classic summer day out is to head to the beach. Grab that bucket and spade and head to your nearest coastline for sandy summer fun at the seaside. 

Pack a picnic for lunch, a radio and of course plenty of sun cream to protect delicate young skin from the harmful effects of the sun.

If you go down to the woods today…

Woods and forests are places of endless fun for kids and adults alike. Take a walk to your nearest woods with your kids and encourage them to explore. They could even take a sketch book and some pencils and draw trees, leaves and plantlife.

Get them to make tree rubbings of the bark for interesting patterns. If the woods have a stream you and your kids could play the classic game of Pooh sticks.

Family is always welcome

Grandparents are special and time with them is just as treasured. Go visiting older relatives with your kids. It’s always nice to see the smiles nan and grandad give when they see their grandkids.

If your kids see their grandparents often anyways then plan a special day out altogether as a family. Go somewhere like a park, public gardens or child-friendly eatery.

Dip your toes in

Most towns and cities have swimming pools and as swimming is an important skill it’s a great way to cool down during the hot summer days.

If your child is yet to learn how to swim then look into taking them to swimming classes. Most swimming pools offer swimming lessons at all levels and ages and by the end of the summer your child could be a certified swimmer!

If your kid is already a good swimmer then a day out to a lido could be perfect. Lidos are great as you can sit by the poolside if you don’t fancy joining in the aquatic fun but still be there to keep an eye on them.

Take a look to see where your nearest lido or outdoor swimming pool is.

Get sporty

Summer is definitely a time to make the most of the great outdoors.

Grab some balls, rackets or bats and head to a local park or playing field. Take along some of your kids’ friends and hold a football or rounders game. It doesn’t really matter what sport they chose but encouraging your children to get outside and have some fun whilst exercising can only be a good thing.

Rainy days…

Let’s be honest, this is the UK and rainy days happen often so it’s always good to have a backup plan for things to do on those wet days.

A great activity to do on a rainy day is baking. Kids love the mixing and mucky mess of baking and it’s a perfect thing to do together. Make some tasty cookies and let your child decorate them with raisins or icing.