Fun for the summer holidays
The summer holidays can seem very long - both for parents and children - but there are lots of activities you can do with your kids, and not all of them have to cost money.
Here are just a few of our own ideas to kick-start the family fun!
Turn your kitchen into a restaurant
Create your own menu, each family member choosing a course and give everyone a job to do – too many cooks make for a fun afternoon! Help your children to design and decorate the menu, and lay the table. Then dress up and eat your gourmet dinner by candlelight
Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Pick somewhere to hold the hunt such as your garden, your street, the park. Make a list of items to find, e.g. shells, feathers, sweet wrappers, and team up adults or older children with little ones. Make sure you’ve got prizes for whoever finds the most items, the prettiest, the biggest, the smallest etc!
Organise your own mini Olympics
Invite friends to take part in a mini-Olympics. Set up an assault course in the garden and have fun with a stopwatch timing how quickly everyone can complete the course. Have skipping, Wellington boot throwing jumping or leap-frogging contests and an egg and spoon race.
Stay in at the movies
Movie nights are a fun and easy way to spend time together as a family. Take it in turns for each person to choose a movie and choose what to have for snacks – perhaps hotdogs, popcorn or special drinks.
Go camping
Put up a tent in your garden and have picnics. If you fancy a beach campsite, just add a paddling pool and sandpit. Tell each other stories by torchlight and sleep together in the tent or under the stars.
Join in!
Whenever you can, join in with whatever your kids are playing. If they are dancing to their favourite CD, stop what you’re doing and boogie. If they’re painting, join in and stick your creation to the fridge next to theirs. If they’re always on their bikes, plan a whole-family bike ride for the weekend.
Remember, family fun is for all the family, not just the youngest ones!
If you don’t have kids of your own, why not spend some time with nephews or nieces, or hang out with some siblings you haven’t seen in a while? You might even want to pay a visit to your folks and go out for a walk or a meal, just because. Whatever your family’s shape and size, have some fun together!
For more family fun ideas, why not take a look at our other articles; Free rainy day fun, and How to occupy your kids
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