Yay! It's school holidays!
Oh my goodness, it's nearly Christmas. And being nearly Christmas also means that it's nearly the summer school holidays.
Normally this isn't such an issue. We plan some beach visits, a few trips to the park, set up a splash pool and I call it done.
However, my children are getting old enough to want to do regular activities, and summer is also the busiest time of the year in my business. This means I need to actually plan ahead a little bit.
The hardest bit about planning summer activities is often the age gap between children. Something my 9yo is going to find fun, will bore the 3yo to pieces. And my 6yo would be happiest doing something neither of his sisters enjoy, like riding his bike in endless circles, or carefully deconstructing electronic devices with a screwdriver and some idea about "fixing things".
I've got a few plans for the summer holidays, and I'm happy to share them, so you can join me in the exhausting job of entertaining school age children who are used to having friends to play with regularly.
School Holiday Activities:
Flying Kites
I've bought my children kites for Christmas, and I plan to have them flying kites, a lot. Kites are a great idea because smaller children enjoy watching, or holding onto the string (while you hold the reel, of course), and older children can be convinced to run around in circles trying to get the kite into their air on their own.
Now, your mileage may vary with kites. I'm lucky enough to have space to fly kites on my own property, but you may have to go to a park. Be careful - kites are like child magnets, and you'll find your children are the most popular kids at the park when there's a kite involved.
Fishing
Children LOVE to fish. Well, my children anyway. My brother lives near a stretch of beach which is excellent for fishing, so we will take them down to the beach to fish quite regularly I think.
If you're living inland, or fishing isn't really your thing, you can make your own game of pretend fishing, using fish made out of cardboard, some paperclips, and a magnet on a string, tied to a stick. Hours of fun. Especially if you make them draw and cut out the fish themselves.
Movie Afternoons
Some days, it's just too warm to go outside, or run around. This is where movie afternoons come into play. Pick a child friendly movie, make some popcorn, and prepare for some silence.
Popcorn can be easily prepared in a brown paper bag in the microwave, if you're like me and can never be bothered making it. 1/4 c of kernels in a brown paper bag, microwaved on high for 1 minute. Ta Da! You're the best parent ever. Well done you.
School Holiday Workshops
Where I am, there’s not so much in the way of workshops during school holidays, but you can check out your local area for school holiday activities and workshops that your kids may be interested in, such as like arts and crafts, horseriding, sport activities and cooking classes.
School holidays can be a long exhausting slog, or they can be a wonderful break from the regular school routine. (Sometimes both of those things in the same day, depending on how grumpy and hot your children are)
What kinds of things do you have planned for the summer holidays this year?
Veronica Foale
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