Keeping the kids entertained over the summer

Keeping the kids entertained over the summer seems easy enough at the start of the school holidays. A few weeks later and social media is full of parents worrying that their children keep complaining that they are bored. Boredom can actually lead to your children coming up with their own creative ideas for learning and play. However, on the days where you are tearing your hair out, here are some ideas to put the smiles back on your children’s faces.

Get outdoors

Getting  outdoors is good for us and boosts our mood with that wonderful Vitamin D magic. Go for a nature walk picking up items of interest and discussing them. I used to love doing this with my Dad when I was a child and learned so much. Even if you are not particularly sporty, there are fun and affordable ways to get more active whether splashing in a paddling pool or checking out the fun-filled items from  SkateHut or supermarkets.

Cook up a storm

My tween is easily bored and going through puberty which does not help his mood one bit. However, he will always respond positively to spending time in the kitchen and has ambitions to be a chef one day. We used to just bake sweet treats but these days I am showing him the joys of cooking family meals from scratch. Yesterday we made the most luscious turkey burgers for tea.. Activities like these are great for relieving boredom but also teach essential life skills.

Old favourites

Think back to what kept you entertained as a child. Was it building Lego creations or colouring in?  Increasingly as children spend more and more time on screens, they are disconnected from the old pleasures of school holidays. It doesn’t have to be that way! Might I suggest you disconnect the screens instead and indulge in the pleasures of the real world for a change. Get to the seaside to build sand castles, to skim stones and to paddle. Build a den outdoors using natural resources or make a duvet fort on rainy days.

Finally check out what is happening in your local area by visiting your library and council offices.

Happy Holidays!