summer holidays

mummyyummy_2

so, the summer hols are just around the corner...im really gonna try and do lots to keep my kids amused this summer, the prob is what? does any1 have any good (cheap?) ideas? what do you do/fancy doing with ur kids this summer? apart from the annual jollies, i dont really want my kids just 'going out to play' for 6 weeks. So i would like to organise to do something interesting/different/fun with mine without costing the earth, not every day but if and when poss.

Some ideas ive had: baking - summery things though like maybe making ice cream from scratch or smoothies etc
walks - to areas we've not been 100 times b4 (anyone know of any games we could play on the way or nature games we could do)
picnics (on the walks) where the kids have to 'help' make the majority of the food ...anyone know any good picnic food except sandwiches?
old fashioned games - hopscotch (where u take a stone and scratch the board into the pavement) maybe buy a new swingball for the garden, paddling pool if weather is nice enough, what else????
gutting of bedroom - sorting through old toys/books etc
books - try and encourage a book a week to be read individually & we could do read aloud too
camping POSSIBLY
fishing with dad (i will go but i will not touch worms etc....yukky!)


im struggling already.....from past experience, summer hols are so long its a minefield for fighting and arguing after the 1st couple of weeks as all the local kids get sick of each other day in, day out...

we will be away for 1 or 2 weeks and there is a local council run play session organised for 1 week during hols where kids go 10-3 and do organised activities....but the nights are so light and so long the kids just want to stay up all night

another thing, summer bedtimes....does bedtime go completely out the window during the summer hols?? or are you as strict as ever?....or maybe somewhere in between?.....i know in the past ive not had a strict holiday bedtime but thinking this year i might!!

help...........ive got 3 days to go

GreenQueen

For a picnic, cold homemade pizza is good - that could tie in with the baking

your idea about books - we had a reading challenge at our local library - think it is a national scheme, but don't know whether all libraries are involved http://www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

camping out in the garden is fun - if it's wet, blankets over chairs in the living room - can also include an indoor picnic if necessary.

Just a few ideas - what age are your children?

SammiD

I dont have many ideas as dont have kids myself, however, re picnic food I remember making 'pin wheel sandwiches' as a kid and I used to love doing them!

Slices of bread, cut the crusts off, roll the bread flat with a rolling pin, then something like cream cheese spread all over the rolled out piece of bread, wafer thin ham (or chocolate spread, marmite, jam etc etc) and then roll the piece of bread up like a swiss roll, then cut into bite size slices! Yummy and fun!

ontheroad_2

do you live near a city? if you do, you could do all the tourist things that we never tend to think about doing as residents ie museum, castle, open-top bus city tour, also check the city "whats on" web pages, there are usually childrens sections on there, maybe organised park days, teddy bear picnics etc etc.

i do have bedtime for my daughter (and niece and nephew when they are sleeping over) in the summer holidays - its later than during termtime, but by around 10pm they are in their pjs and in bed.

Counting_Pennies_2

Do you have a local animal park nearby? You can get some reasonable annual passes to get into smaller local attractions, and you can make the trip there as many times as you want through the holidays.

bonty44

I'm going to read one 'classic' book with my older 2 (8 and 5) such as Alice in Wonderland / Narnia, etc., and then at the end of the week we are going to watch the DVD
Have been buying jigsaws and games in the charity shops, stashing them to bring out one a week in the Summer holidays
Will invite one mate round for each of them a week, too (that takes us up to about 3 days a week sorted!)
Forestry Commission often run fantastic stuff.
Tesco does free sport activities
That's about it for the moment ... might get them to do a digital camera record of their holiday, etc.

EmptyPockets

I haven't read any previous replies so apologies if any of this has been said already

I don't have children, but am thinking back to summer holidays when I was young myself (only15-ish years ago :eek:) - my grandparents played a major role in bringing me up so it is doing things with them that make up my fondest memories. You didn't mention how old your children are or if they're boys/girls, so my suggestions may well be no good haha!

1. My grandparents used to take me walking through the woods, amongst the bluebells and wild flowers. My Grandma and I would pick a few flowers here and there. She would then place the flowers flat between pieces of tissue paper until we got home. Once home, they were put inbetween the pages of a very thick, heavy book, and left for a few weeks.

When we took them out they were dried flat, and we would use them in all sorts of art projects. It was great fun sticking them onto paintings and drawings

2. Picnics (free food), Board games (free fun) and country parks (free exercise) makes a perfect day for all, with the added bonus of exhausted kiddies by the time you get home

3. SCRAP-BOOKING! - Find a subject matter for each child that really interests them and encourage them to fill scrapbooks with aaalll manner of things related. Should keep them occupied for ages... well, it did me lol!

Ermmm... that's all I can remember for now :cool:

jackomdj

Craft activities.
Walks & collect things to make collages.
Visits to the garden centre with an attached pet area.
Pick your own.
Cooking....cakes, bikkies, pizza, cheese scones etc
Assuming its nice the pool will be out, children are 5 & 3 so they enjoy brushing water around as well as playing in it!
Swimming pool
Theme park (Paultons)
We will take packed lunches out for trips to the local lake.
We will have friends over/go to play with friends.

I am sure we have lots more but can't think for now.

Spendless

How old are your kids? I took my 2 aged 10 and 7 for a picnic by the canal on Sunday. Eldest took his bike and cycled along the path. We just put rugs (towels) down ate and drank our picnic and waved to all the boats that passed. Passed a couple of hours, beware where you put your rugs though I missed dog poo by centimetres.:eek:_pale_

tessie_bear

hi...might be worth visiting the local library...they do rreading quests and activities...mostly free and educational

bylromarha

Maybe one week take them to a car boot sale and give them £5 each see what they can find to amuse themselves for the week?
we have a local country park with a dedicated den making area.
Organise a groups of friends to go for a picnic once a week so kids have peers to play with and you get a rest
Showcase cinemas had free screeenings every wednesday morning last year when you submitted a book review.
We had a TV day last year - duvets downstairs, stayed in PJs, take it in turns to choose a film - they got bored by lunch time!

Will be watching with interest for inspiration from others!