Making The Most Of The Summer Holidays With Your Children, It may feel a little premature that we are starting to discuss the summer holidays, but as we are already a quarter of the way through the year, it is fair to say that time is moving at a rapid rate. Many children get an extensive break over the summer, when schools close until the autumn term begins, and for some parents, this can be a fearful time.
On the one hand, some parents, are looking forward to the chance to spend some quality time with their children. Without the rush of the school run and normal strict routines. But for others, there is the juggle of childcare while working, and equally trying to ensure that you don’t break the bank with all of the activities that you would love to do. So here are some suggestions to help you plan the summer holidays in advance and make them easier to handle.
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Organise playdates
One of the first things that you can do is to consider making the most of the time you have by organising playdates. There are two ways that you can do this. First off, if you are at home with your children, organising a playdate with a friend can take the pressure off you for a while. It gives the kids some social time with people their age, and you the chance of a warm cup of coffee and some adult conversation.
If you are working through the summer holidays, play dates can be a great alternative to camp or school clubs. You can take it in turns with fellow working parents to take some annual leave and help take care of the children. Again it gives your children friends to play with and it can be kinder on the purse when it comes to having to pay out for childcare.
Go on a sports adventure
Many parents encourage their children to take part in sports. It could be afterschool clubs, or opportunities to do it during school time. Sometimes the summer holidays mean that skills don’t get practiced, and often fitness levels can decrease.
However, there are sports clubs your children can enjoy or you could even consider organising and booking them onto one of the many sports tours available. You could suggest it to the school to organise, or even just get involved yourself. It is a great way to spend some time, enabling your children to do something that they love without the pressure.
Take a holiday as a family
Summer is the ideal time to enjoy a holiday with the family. Even if you stay in this country or only venture on a plane for a few hours, you are bound to get some glorious weather and the time away from the home can be very relaxing. For parents, it is a chance to just spend some quality time with their children without the worry of general household chores like washing or cooking.
You get to experience a new country, learn some new things, and help your children to explore. It can be some of the best memories that you make with your family.
Plan days out
One of the best things that you can do is plan some days out. While you may not be able to go to huge attractions every day because of the cost, planning one for every other week can be a little kinder to your budget. Sometimes during the holidays, attractions put on discount codes and offers, so it will definitely be worth looking out for those online or in the press.
A summer bucket list
Now might be the ideal time to take some time out with your children and come up with a summer bucket list. You could include things like making a den, going to the park, or trying to spot a particular animal. Catching a sunset or a sunrise or going somewhere specific. Let your children share their ideas, you may find that some of them are easier to achieve than others and it will give you plenty of ideas to fill the time.
Research free activities
Finally, make sure you take some time to do some research into the local attractions that you have close at hand. Often there are free activities being put on by local libraries or museums that can definitely be worth the trip. There can often be a lot of things that you can do locally, that won’t need to cost you too much money.
Let’s hope these suggestions help you to be better prepared for the summer holidays with your children.
