The run up to school holidays – especially the long six ones – leave me overwhelmed, as I’m sure they do a lot of parents. The dreaded cries of ‘I’m bored’ or ‘what are we doing today?’ along with the
need to think of stuff to do for forty days come to mind. There are endless Pinterest posts, Instagram,
Facebook and blog posts giving a mass of useful tips and ideas to keep the kids busy, but if I’m honest I
feel just as overwhelmed by these in that I ‘should’ be doing them all. So it got me thinking that getting
inspiration from the sources out there is fantastic but ultimately doing it your way is what’s important.
Everyone’s circumstances are different in the amount of money and time they have, not to mention their
inclination for dreaded arts and crafts (recoiling at the thought!). It’s ultimately quality over quantity on
both counts. Happy parents equal happy kids in the grand scheme of it all and it’s those feelings that
last in memories for years to come. So rather that adding to the myriad of ideas that are already out
there here are some signposts to sources that I have found useful, and I’ve categorised them so
if you are like me and want to get outdoors as much as possible and avoid the arts and crafts
indoors there’s a section to explore but if you and your family are homebodies and love being creative
I’ve covered some of this too:
Getting out and about
I love this site, you can pop in a post code for any location and it suggests a range of activities for
kids in that area.
There are places to explore all over the UK and often some locations put on theme and activity
days for the family.
These really are a godsend. It’s also great to get rewarded for the weekly shop and filling up the car.
We’ve saved so much on days out using these.
This app is great for pre purchasing tickets or experiences at often a fraction of the whole price. For
example there is an offer local soft play in my area that admits two children and provides two hot
drinks for adults for just £10.
I get so much of my ideas of things to do from Facebook events. I literally tick ‘interested’ on
everything I see so that I have a catalogue of local events to choose from when we find ourselves
with some free time.
Art and crafts
If you have a pinterest account the inspiration on there is endless but this article on Red Tricycle is also
a great starting point. My daughter also loves the cbeebies apps that give lots of ideas too.
Independent play
It’s also good to get the kids to play by themselves for intervals. I’ve stressed over having to constantly
amuse them for fear of the boredom but sometimes it’s just what they need. And it takes the pressure
off parents too. There’s lots of help on the internet for independent play by age – I have found
childhood 101 great.
Family time
If you are fortunate to have family nearby, spending time with family is not only a means of childcare
but also great for the kids and family. We are very lucky that one set of grandparents are very close
by and the other forty minutes away.
This is just my take on getting through the madness, I would love to know your thoughts and tips for
survival or share your stories about how you’re barley surviving, we’re bound to be able to get some
solutions together!
My Lifestyle Diaries 