It’s almost that time again.
The Summer Holidays.
Dum dum dum!
That seemingly endless six weeks that comes with the daily struggle of balancing childcare, keeping your children entertained while you are looking after them and trying not to blow all of you summer holiday cash in the first week by taking them to the cinema every day when things get a bit too much.
The best strategy I have come up with, after 15 years of practice, is to really plan your time as a whole, rather than taking it day by day. The key is to have some chunks of time scheduled out with fun activities throughout the six weeks, so that you don’t feel too guilty if it’s the third day in a row that they’ve been watching TV under a blanket instead of doing some wholesome crafts. If you’re looking for some fun activities for kids during the summer holidays, I’ve got some great ideas that I’m roping Belle into:
Camp Wilderness
If your kids like going off to camps, that’s one whole week of the holidays ticked off already. Summer camps can be great for both parents and children. The kids get some independent time away from home, have fun, meet new friends and learn useful skills, while the adults don’t have to worry about childcare or having to miss work for a week. This year Belle is going to Camp Wilderness, which is run by The Bushcraft Company, who are experts in children’s outdoor education. More time to work for me, more learning how to make fires by rubbing two sticks together for Belle.
Photo – Camp Wilderness
Kilve Court
If you don’t think that roughing it outdoors is what your children are really interested in, then you might want to consider another educational holiday that’s more geared towards a certain school subject that your child enjoys. When I was younger I went on two trips to Kilve Court, one about science and one about maths, (I didn’t have many friends), but over the summer holidays they’ve got all sorts going on – outdoor activities, creative writing, music, art and design and even a Doctor Who related course.
Festivals
Now that the kids are back from camp and you’ve caught up on work, you’re probably looking forward to want the summer holidays are really all about – quality family time away. This doesn’t have to mean a fancy foreign holiday though. Often the best family holidays I have had in the summer have actually been at festivals. These days there are loads of family centred festivals up and down the country, so you probably won’t even have to travel that far from home. This year the whole family is going to Standon Calling, which is something for everyone to look forward to.
Standon Calling has a great line up and loads of family activities including a dog show, diablo, juggle and hooping lessons and a build a grizzly bear workshop. They are also the only UK festival to have an outdoor heated swimming pool. Standon Calling will also have its own onsite fashion driven hairdressers brand Blue Tit bringing some more luxurious fun for adult whilst the kids can pony ride!
Camping holidays
If festivals aren’t really your scene but you would like a weekend getaway on a budget, consider a camping holiday. It could be somewhere you’ve never been before or somewhere closer to home. If you have pre-teens, then spending time on a simple campsite for the weekend is probably a great way to have lots of fun and some quality time together.
Belle is off to Camp Wilderness during the summer holidays – watch this space to see how she gets on! Image credit – Glastonbury from antb/shutterstock