10 fabulous ways you can enjoy summer with the kids

(This is a collaborative post) The summer holidays are nearly upon us, and it can be quite daunting for any parent. Whether you need to strategically plan because of working, or whether you are worried about the endless vast days and nights where you need to copy young minds, these suggestions should have you covered. Here are 10 fabulous ways you can enjoy summer with the kids.

So let’s start planning for the summer holidays and get prepared for the best summer yet. Sometimes all you need to do to make sure you have a great time with the kids is plan in advance; that way you know what you are doing day to day, and don’t spend too long trying to get out the house.

And we all know what cabin fever can do to a kid sometimes, don’t we?

Go on holiday

One of the obvious ways to spend a big chunk of time when it comes to the summer is to go on holiday. It can be a great way to spend some time with the family outside of your normal environment and routines. Taking time away from work, or just having a more relaxed routine can be so much fun for all involved. Of course, it takes a lot of planning initially. You will need to pack clever and use things like smart luggage to help pack up everything you need. You will also need to research the location and decide whether flying is what you want to do, or whether you choose to stay in this country and have a staycation. Whichever you decide to do, you are bound to have a lot of fun doing it.

Plan for the summer holidays at home

The next thing to think about would be the time you might be spending at home. Not all of us can manage to organise and pay for big days out each day. So a plan for the summer holidays might be essential. You could put together a mini summer bucket list with ideas from yourself and get the children involved. It could be a fun way to find out some of the things that they would like to do. You can plan for arts and crafts, research rainy day activities just incase the weather doesn’t hold out, and plan for days out in the garden. Once you start to think about it, there are many different things that you can do.

Explore the local area

When was the last time that you played tourist in your local area? Probably never. All areas have some from of attraction to look at, even if you have to go into the next town or village. Local museums, different parks and trails, hiking and different countryside locations to explore. You may find that your local area could keep you busy for a number of days during the summer break. Not to mention that some of these attractions may have specific events on focused around the children.

A walk in the park and a picnic is often the best way to spend the day

Sometimes it is the simplest things that can be the most fun, and there is often no better away than to pass the time of the afternoon than in the park, enjoying a picnic and letting the children just play. They can ride around on scooters or bikes, kick the ball about or build daisy chains. Whatever they love to do. It is a cheap day out and the park is an open space where all energy can be ran off. Perfect.

Make a den outside

Making a den can be a lot of fun, and doing outside can be a real winner. You can choose to do it in the garden. Using objects like garden furniture and blankets. Or maybe take a trip in to the local woods and create a den with fallen branches and leaves. Both can be great options and could even fill to separate afternoons if you plan ahead and check the weather forecasts.

Make a den inside

If the weather isn’t the best then den making can still be done inside, and it can often be the perfect rainy day activity. Set it up on the lunge and use chairs, cushions and blankets to create the perfect hideout. Leave it enough so they can see the TV and they have the perfect place to enjoy a movie, popcorn and some treats. This could have the children quiet and occupied leaving you time to catch up with things that you need to do, or to take a well earned rest yourself.

Book some holiday clubs or camps for them to enjoy

Sometimes it isn’t possible to have your children at home the whole time. It could be that you have work to do, or that you need the chance to be able to catch up on jobs and chores you would normally do while they are in school. This is when local camps and clubs can really come in handy. Sports locations will often run camps for the week or a few days and it gives the children a chance to make some friends and enjoy playing a sport.

Swimming sessions for the family

Swimming is often an activity that you may enjoy at the weekends anyway, but doing it during the summer holidays might also be the chance to spend a morning or two together. Often swimming centres will have family fun sessions with inflatables and floats, which children can find extremely enjoyable. You could even head to a different location where they offer wave machines and water rides.

Organise play dates

There will be other parents out there in the same boat as you this summer, so why not speak to the school mums and dads before breaking up for school and organise some play dates? This could be something simple like having friends round to play in the garden, or meeting up at your local soft play centre. You will be able to enjoy adult conversation and the children can catch up with school friends.

Just go with the flow

Finally, when it comes to summer just go with the flow. Having a plan is great but you might also want to be spontaneous one day and just enjoy the chance to spend time with your little ones. They grow up way too fast.

Let’s hope this has you preparing for the summer holidays; but if you do need more ideas of what do to, why not take a look at some of the other content on the site we have covering the summer. And there is even a little sneaky something in here for you too….not just the kids!

• You can’t beat a Summer Bucket List to work out what is the best way to make memories with the kids, so why not check ours out?
• We have a massive summer themed activity book for you as well,
• If you want more inspiration for printables for the summer – we got a fabulous summer printables round-up for you to look at,
• Our usual adult and kids series of colouring pages, including a seaside colouring set, and finally
• Some summer Rose cocktails for you to take a look at. Perhaps you can sneak one in while no-one is looking?

If we don’t have enough ideas, what about these instead?

• Your Modern Family has some summer activities for toddlers,
• Lemon Lime Adventures has some more activities, but this time with a science focus, and
• Do pop on over to Homeschool Preschool for some pre-schooler books ideas as well.

Thanks as always for coming to see us, and we hope to see you again soon. If you like this and the other printables and articles on the site – do sign up to our newsletter.

See you again soon, and we hope the sun shine on you wherever you are!

Helen

Sharing is caring!