Following the success of my previous post on surviving the school holidays when you are a child minder I have decided to write a similar one for parents.
With the half term break and then the long summer school holidays fast approaching now is the time to start planning.
My mum always referred to the school holidays as a teachers rest and a mother’s pest when I was growing up.
If you can afford to go away on holiday during these times that is fantastic ( but as most holiday parks double their price this is a luxury few can afford).
Look out for art and craft activities at museums and the library which are usually on offer for a few pounds per child, or if you are really fortunate free.
Meeting up with other parents who have children of the same age as yours can be beneficial providing they get on, of course. I have a friend who has set up a Facebook page that brings parents and their children together during the holidays, this has proven to be very successful to all.
Shopping centres often put on workshops or entertainment for children. My son actually runs a workshop in his local shopping precinct which is well attended.
Sometime local attractions will offer a discount on entry for local residents rather than tourists. This happens where I live in north Devon so it is worth asking (if you don’t ask you won’t get, is my motto!).
On wet days take the children to the library for an hour or so and if they are offering activities even better.
A garden centre visit is another cheap option ( unless you also visit the cafe).
I have also written a post on arts and crafts for children on a shoestring which could be a help if we get another wet summer.
Try to enjoy the school holidays with your children, as before you know it they will have grown up and left school!
As always questions/comments are welcome and please remember to share on social media if you think others would benefit from reading this.
Until next time.
Karen
x
Great tips! We like going to the library and museums. #thesatsesh
This is a lovely post with great tips. I think I am in the minority because I love the school holidays! Always a great opportunity to spend quality time with my boys. Thank you for linking up with #Blogstravaganza 🙂
I always loved the school holidays too, Jo, even more so when I became a registered child minder, I did some people asking if I was insane when I was seen out with a group of children, thanks for your comment x
Personally, I love the school holidays. It’s so nice to not have the madness of the school run and have a few days of down time. It does the kids the world of good as well. Thanks for sharing with #TriumphantTales, hope to see you again next week.
#thesatsesh I live for these and am constantly counting down. I let J pick activities he’d like to do and also have days where I let him get bored…i think boredom is good for the soul and skill set.
We love going to garden centres – our one has a big play area but others that we’ve been to also have animals or at least a decent coffee shop. I feel so old, but I love them! #LGRTStumble
Oooh, good tips here! Thanks, I’ll have to bookmark this for the summer hols xx #coolmumclub
Some great tips here we try to meet up with friends with children in the holidays but we find slow mornings and making the most of what’s local also really helps too! Thanks for linking up to #coolmumclub with this Karen x
Nice suggestions, and I think it’s great that you highlight the fact that many families don’t have a budget large enough to cope with any travels or extravagant outings all the time. Summer holidays can be lovely on a small scale. I think it’s often the expectations that stop us from enjoying these times, if we set them too high. Maybe staying at home, playing games, cooking or baking together, growing some herbs or flowers and going for walks etc is enough? Maybe it’s even better, more relaxing, than having too many events going on? x
#thesatsesh
Great tips that also help those of us who home educate #ThatFridayLinky
I can’t wait for the summer holidays but they can drag sometimes! Great tips which remind parents they have so many options available! Thanks for linking up with #globalblogging
I must admit with three kids i do find the school holidays hard going sometimes. Luckily I have a great group of friends in my village all with kids the same age so it works really well. Great tips! #ablogginggoodtime
Fab tips. My two are in nursery but I struggle for ideas to keep them (and me) entertained sometimes. Local garden centres are a fab source of activities! Thanks for sharing with #fortheloveofBLOG
It’s a shame that holiday companies take advantage of families. I’m sure many a parent has considered home ed due to this. #coolmumclub
Some good ideas here. We have a dog, so often find somewhere different to take the dog during the school holidays. My kids like to do a mini nature hunt along the way. If the weather is good we’ll take a picnic with us too. I don’t use museums enough. Lots of them are free and much more interactive for kids than they used to be. You might like my blog post ’50 boredom busting ideas for kids too’ It’s got some ideas which you can put in a ‘Boredom jar’ that kids can pick from when they’re ‘bored’ to avoid too much screen time. https://squidgydoodle.co.uk/screentime/
I will take a look x
With half term coming up I need this! #ablogginggoodtime
Fab tips espeically as summer holidays are just around the corner X #anythinggoes
Back from #AnythingGoes and still happily home educating all year around
Love all these ideas! #anythinggoes
I’ve found that there is a lot of free or discounted stuff to do, it just takes a little digging. The library is always a great bet too #anythinggoes