The long summer holiday can seem endless for parents looking to keep their children entertained. With 6-7 weeks off school, finding ways to fill all that time can be challenging. Use this guide to get inspiration for fun and engaging activities to enjoy during the summer break.
Get active outdoors
The summer holidays are a great chance to spend lots of time outdoors being active. There are plenty of ways to get your kids moving while having fun at the same time.
Go to the park for a kickabout. Bring a football or frisbee and play games as a family. Pack a picnic lunch to make a day of it.
Take a hike somewhere scenic, like a National Park. Look for walking trails through forests or nature reserves. Bring a nature guidebook and make it an educational adventure by seeing who can spot the most birds, bugs, or flowers.
Cycling adventures are always fun when you have older kids. Plan a family bike ride in your local area or somewhere new. Cycle paths around rivers and canals can make for enjoyable rides. Pack snacks and stop for breaks.
Create a scavenger hunt with lists of outdoor items and see who can find them first. Pinecones, different shaped leaves, and various flowers are fun things to look for.
Get creative
Tap into your kids’ creativity with arts and crafts projects to fill the long days indoors. Encourage them to use their imagination to make masterpieces.
- Painting and drawing. Break out poster paints, crayons, coloured pencils and paper. Let them draw whatever they please. Frame their artwork afterwards.
- DIY crafts. Make your own play dough, string friendship bracelets, or create picture frames from lolly sticks. Search online for DIY kids’ craft ideas.
- Rainy day baking. For a delicious indoor activity, bake cookies, cupcakes, or other easy treats together. Let the kids help measure and mix ingredients.
Learn new skills
The summer break is the perfect time for kids to try something new. Teaching them new skills keeps their brains engaged.
Teach your younger children how to ride a bike. If your child hasn’t mastered riding a bike yet, the summer is a great time to teach them. Start with a balance bike and move up to a pedal bike with training wheels. The local park, with smooth, traffic-free pathways, is a good place to start.
Check your local area for one day classes in subjects like coding, art, drama or sport. It’s a fun way for older kids to try something new. Local libraries often have summer activity classes for kids.
Use summer downtime to teach kids recorder, ukulele, or keyboard. 30 minutes of daily practice over the holidays lets them build a foundation.
Summer camps UK are a great place for children to learn new skills and make new friends. Summer camps can be booked as day camps, 2-3 night camps, or week-long camps. There are camps all over the UK, so pick one that’s nearby and within your budget.
The summer holidays offer a real chance to bond as a family. Try out new activities together and enjoy the freedom of a more relaxed routine. Pack your days with outdoor adventures, crafting, skills building, and more to give your kids a summer full of fun.
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post