Boredom-Busting Summer Holiday Activities

It’s that time of year again and we can’t quite believe it. Six long weeks off school and maybe even some sunshine, if we’re lucky! Yes, the summer break is upon us, and if you’re worried about how to keep the kids entertained then look no further. We’ve rounded up a few summer activities and suggestions to keep the little ones busy.

A bit of planning is good, but don’t feel that you need to map out every part of the day – it’s the holidays, after all! This is a time for fun, play and creativity. And remember, the best days always include a bit of spontaneity.

One of the more effective ways to engage kids in a summer holiday activity is to present it as a theme or, for older kids, as a challenge. So we’ve divided the activities below into themes. Don’t forget sunglasses, hats and sun cream for the outdoor activities! And maybe a raincoat and umbrella…

The seaside

Sandcastles, sea and fish ‘n’ chips! The seaside is a great place for kids. Some of the best memories we have as kids come from day trips to the coast, where we’re all desperate to be the first one to cry, “I can see the sea”. But you needn’t limit the fun to days out and long drives. You can create your very own ‘seaside’ at home and give the kids seaside related tasks.

• Create a mini treasure hunt: Hide seaside themed objects around the garden/house such as a shell, a pebble a feather or a toy starfish and set the kids a task to find all the objects.
• Paint pebble weights.
• Make ice lollies with fruit juice
• Play pirates: With pirate props, if desired!

Sports & Outdoor Activities

Outdoors or indoors, the list of sports is endless. Whether swimming, running, cycling or skipping, anything that gets them up and active is great for keeping their minds and bodies content. The park is a great place to go, but for those who need a little more encouragement it could be useful to combine exercise with another task.

• Go for a ‘nature walk’: Go for a hike/walk as a group and set a challenge to spot a particular breed of bird or a type of animal. Get them foraging for berries (be sure to find out which are safe beforehand) or identifying different types of trees.
• Outdoor yoga: There are plenty of tutorial videos online to guide you through it. Yoga is also a useful mindfulness/therapy technique. You can find out more about mindfulness and our mental health performance here.
• Swimming: Parks, lidos and even splashing around in a paddling pool can provide hours of entertainment.
• Geocaching: The hobby that’s taken the world by storm, geocaching invites people to go out and find hidden boxes with goodies in them. Its free to play, and with over 2 million geocaches hidden around the world they’ll never run out of containers to find!

Nature

Children love to explore the world around them – and there’s so much for them to see! Especially if you live near a park or wooded area.

• Sow some seeds: Summer is the perfect time for gardening, and what better way to keep yours in check than to hire some little helpers! Growing easy veg and flowers such as cress, carrots and sunflowers will give them something to be responsible for as well as a sense of accomplishment. And you can eat the results!
• Go camping: Who says you have to travel to go camping? If you have access to a house with an outdoor space, you can put up a tent and create your own fun without ever having to leave!
• Make a den: Set this up inside or outside depending on what materials you have available.
• Collect and identify insects.

Crafts & Baking

A craft or baking session is great for a rainy or lazy day, and you can pick up supplies at a relatively low cost. Get messy and get stuck in – this is always popular with the little ones!

• Put together a summer ‘to do’ list: Encourage them to set some goals for the summer and what they’d most like to do.
• Make a scrapbook: Get some scissors, glue, colouring pencils and anything else you can think of and have some fun! This is a great activity for the end of the holiday, so that the kids can show off what they’ve accomplished over summer.
• Bake and decorate a cake/cupcakes: Coloured icing is always fun to use!

We hope that’s provided you with some inspiration for the summer! Have a great holiday.

Love Becky & the One Day team x