School’s out for summer!
The end of yet another school year is upon us (where has the time gone?!), which means that youngsters across the country are gearing up for a summer break to remember.
But, when you’re juggling a nine-to-five job with entertaining your bundle(s) of energy, sometimes the thought of those six weeks off can be a little overwhelming when planning things to do. Never fear though; we’ve spoken to some of our favourite parent bloggers and experts for their tried ‘n’ tested kids’ summer activities and craft ideas for a fun, memorable and stress-free holiday.
A geocaching adventure to inspire their inner explorer
First up on our list of fun things to do on summer holidays comes from busy mum-of-three, author and Networking Ninja, Joanne Dewberry. Do your kids feel inspired after watching an episode of Bear Grylls? Or, perhaps they can’t contain their excitement at the mention of a treasure hunt? If both answers are ‘yes’, then geocaching is a must!
A brilliant way to get children outdoors, geocaching is essentially a GPS treasure hunt where players look for hidden containers or ‘caches’ by following chosen coordinates. All you need to do is download a geocaching app, bring a pen to write in the logbook, and take a bag of small, inexpensive goodies to swap with the ones you find at each location. Then, return the cache to its hiding place, log your find on the app and choose your next!
Coax the next Picasso with bubble painting
Jupiter Hadley from family lifestyle blog, Life with Jupiter & Dann, knows first-hand that “painting is always a hit!”. If your little ones seem to take a particular liking to art, bubble painting is a summer craft for kids which is easy, cheap and fun.
The bonus is that you’ll likely have everything you need already, which includes: paint, bowls for each colour, bubble solution (or washing-up liquid), straws and paper.
1. Mix three parts of bubble solution (or liquid soap) with two parts paint and repeat this for each colour in separate bowls.
2. Pop in a straw and let them start blowing bubbles, making sure that they blow air out and not suck in!
3. Once the bowls are full of bubbles, place a piece of paper on top gently before peeling back to reveal a masterpiece.
4. Keep going and experiment with different colours until they’ve ran out of puff!
Encourage their green fingers with your own veggie patch
Sometimes, the simplest summer holiday activities are the most effective. Learning Resources hosted a Twitter chat party in collaboration with BritMums, who shared a brilliant selection of things to do with kids this summer – specifically outdoors. Some studies have found that children are twice as active outdoors than indoors, so letting them explore Mother Nature is important for their health, mental wellbeing and growth.
Growing their own plants is ideal for teaching kids about the patience and science behind caring for other living things. Let them choose whatever seeds they like – whether they opt for pretty flowers, delicious fruits or easy-to-grow vegetables. Once planted in soil, encourage them to regularly check on the seedlings, watering them until they’ve fully bloomed into adult plants.
Reveal magical rainbows with DIY scratch art
Craving more summer art ideas? Lexy Browning, craft genius behind Made By Me Craft Parties, shared her DIY scratch art tutorial; a super-simple but effective way to keep kids occupied with minimal supervision from busy parents. You’ll need:
- Card (thicker the better)
- Crayons
- Black paint
- Washing-up liquid
- Paint brush/foam roller
- Bowl
- Cocktail stick/wooden skewer
Colour in the card with crayons in different colours; dots, stripes and squiggles all work well. Combine two parts of black paint with one of washing-up liquid in a bowl, before painting the solution over the whole area evenly (stay with us!). Then, let them scratch any design into the black paint with a cocktail stick when it’s either wet or dry (dry is usually better for younger ones). Et voila – their very own colourful scratch art.
Arrange a camping trip with all the home comforts!
What could be better than a family camping trip? Well, one in the comfort of your own home! This summer holiday activity for kids is another one from Learning Resources, and is a great alternative for (sometimes) stressful trips away from home. It requires no packing, no long drives (no “are we nearly there yets?”) and no worrying about forgetting something crucial.
Grab a tent, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets and torches to transform your back garden into a camping haven for a night under the stars. Encourage their inner astronomer by stargazing on a clear night; look out for meteor showers, star constellations and the moon. Don’t forget plenty of delicious snacks too, such as marshmallows, popcorn and hot chocolate.
If the weather isn’t on your side or if you don’t have a garden, camping indoors is just as fun! Pitch your tent in the living room or set up a blanket fort for the ultimate cosy night in.
Develop their senses with around-the-house goodies
Next up, we chatted to Nichole, a primary school teacher and parenting expert from Mummy & Trainers. When it comes to summer holiday activities for toddlers and young ones in reception, thinking of things to do which stimulate their learning can be tricky when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands. But, it doesn’t have to be complex or involve expensive toys; using a few items from your cupboards is a great way to help develop their senses.
Explore water play by filling up a container with water (add a few drops of food colouring for extra excitement) and bottle tops. Then, let your child try to scoop the bottle tops out with a spoon. You could even try adding lemon, lime or orange slices to the water to encourage them to explore their sense of taste. Zesty!
Create magical wall rainbows with homemade sun-catchers
As the sun (hopefully) starts to make more of an appearance during the holidays, our next summer craft idea will celebrate the sunshine beautifully. This fun activity comes from lifestyle blogger and mum of three (five if you count the cats), Sarah from SarahLou Writes. To create your rainbow window decorations, you need: plastic or pony beads, a glue gun, a baking tray or muffin tin, invisible or cotton thread, a suction window hook and an oven.
- Get your child to arrange the coloured beads in the muffin tin (or tray) however they like.
- Once they’ve found a pattern they’re happy with, put the tray into the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit or Gas Mark 6) and leave for 20-25 minutes to melt. *We’d suggest opening the windows for extra ventilation and checking on the beads regularly to make sure the plastic doesn’t burn.
- Carefully take the melted beads out of the oven and leave them to cool down completely before popping them out.
- Using a glue gun, attach a loop of thread to the top of your sun-catcher (invisible thread is a good option if you want to make them look like they’re floating!). Attach to a window hook, suction to the window and you’re done!
We hope that our selection of kids’ summer holiday activities and crafts has left you feeling inspired with ideas to keep them occupied without fail! Visit our hub for more advice on half-term holidays, and prepare for the back-to-school return with our affordable selection of school shoes for all ages.
