School hols dreading it or can't wait? 18 July 2016 at 7:37PM in MoneySaving mums 11 replies 5.1K views

bagpuss38

Hi there.

How all you mums/dads/ grandparents feeling about school hols.
I've got a 6 year old and a ten year old.
Haven't a clue what I'm doing with them this year.
Last few years we've done all the parks, cinema,beach, painting, play dough, camping, colouring in. The list goes on.
I'm running out of things to do with them.
I have no enthusiasm this year and I don't know why.
I think knowing I have them every day 24 hrs a day for the next 6 weeks exhausts me.
We have no family or friends so I can get a break.
I'm sure once they are out of school I'll cheer up and of course I'll enjoy my babies.
Just wonder how others are feeling and what you up to?

Tigsteroonie

You do exactly the same as you did last summer, and the summer before, and the summer before Children have short memories; they develop, so e.g. their painting will be more skilled than last year, and things change, e.g. the park may have a new playzone.

I'm sure Marley is dreading it :rotfl: but I've taken week 3 off work so that I can at least give him a break. Fortunately our 6yo son is quite happy just poddling from house with toys, to garden with toys, and back again.

missbiggles1

Is there any reason you can't do things you've done other years? You don't have to keep introducing new things even for adults, much less for children.

Are there any play/sports schemes in your area?

bagpuss38

Your quite right I should visit stuff we did last year.
Play schemes are out as they are very expensive.
I'm going to go through my pictures from the last couple of years and make a plan.
Thanks guys xxx

Savvy_Sue

Do they have friends you can do swapsies with? Or even just have a friends over occasionally? I found extra bodies used to make things easier at home not more difficult.

kingfisherblue

If there is a Premier Inn near you, you could take them for breakfast one day. It's all you can eat, with a wide choice of cooked breakfast, breakfast buffet, and drinks. Two kids under 16 eat free for every paying adult (£8.99). Have a leisurely breakfast followed by a walk in a local beauty spot, maybe with a scavenger hunt. Finish with a picnic mid afternoon. Another day gone, not too expensive, and a bit different.

Scavenger hunts and other nature activities can be found on the Nature Detectives website.

Buy an all day bus or train ticket and go somewhere you haven't been before. Even a different park or a wander round another neighborhood can be exciting for children.

Halfords are holding free bike maintenance workshops.

Pets At Home have free animal workshops.

Libraries have the Summer Reading Challenge. Our libraries also have free craft sessions.

Pinterest has lots of ideas for crafts - we're trying bracelets from 2l drinks bottles. I'm hoping to try several crafts made from things that we would otherwise throw away (experimenting with what works and what doesn't, for my Rainbows and Brownies next term).

Where I live, the Ranger service has free pond dipping and other nature sessions.

My boys are older, but love car boot sales. We might do one ourselves over summer.

I'm also hoping for some help clearing out the garage.

GwylimT

Ours started on Friday, today when everyones up and ready we are going go swimming and in the afternoon we are making miniature gardens in old plastic tubs.

SailorSam

I live next door to the local Comp. So school holidays were bliss. Quiet and no litter in the garden. Now they've closed it down and moved it to a new location so it doesn't make a difference.

jjj1980

Have you used the http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/ website?


There are loads of ideas and can be searched by region, activity etc.

bossymoo

I'm looking forward to it! Recently redundant and have always had to work previously so this is our first summer of fun fun fun.

We've made a planner and started adding things already...

DS will be having a few days at football "school" so my youngest and I will have a bit of girls-time doing crafts and makeovers. My mum has booked to take her caravan out so we'll join them for a few days camping.

We will also have a couple of quiet days each week for some home-education, to keep the old grey matter ticking along, and we are planning catch-ups with friends we've not seen for a while.

Am hoping for some good weather (maybe a little cooler, lol) so we can play out lots too.

mary_hinge

I love the school holidays!! We are already 1 week in to our 6 weeks....

The little Hinges have made a holiday planner this year, it has dates of all the play dates/trips out/appointments we have arranged between now and back to school!

We are doing the "great park tour" this year and aiming to have a play, picnic and ice cream in every park with in a 5mile radius :rotfl: and there are alot

So far we have visited 4 different play parks, meeting a different set of friends at each for a play date, We've played in the stream and been net fishing for fish and bugs at the nature park and built dens in the woods near the local park!

We have a camping trip planned in august to the outdoor water park with some raft building/kayaking/crazy golf thrown in between the many hours of playing in the lake/football and on yet another park :rotfl:

We've baked sausage rolls, cookies, cakes.... to take on these picnics, having been shopping with a list for ingredients....

We have a handful of day trips out planned to the zoo, water world, cinema, theme park etc... but these are limited to 1 a week due to cost, Tesco vouchers and groupon have helped pay for these.

I think it is also important to have home days, the kids get frazzled and just want to chill in the paddling pool/water fight/ps4/lay about in their pants. Mine aren't great lovers of arts and crafts but do like playdoh, junk modeling, creating treasure hunts and painting the garden fence! (Bonus!!)