Top 5 Activities that Kids Will Love this Summer

Whether you love them or hate them, the Summer holidays are here!

Suddenly, your kids are home every day for the following 5-6 weeks minimum, and they will need something to keep them busy so the boredom doesn’t set in and drive everyone nuts!

It’s a tall order. Sunny days aren’t always guaranteed; rainy days are, at least for some of the time, and activities must last more than 5 minutes without breaking the bank!

Well, prepare to be inspired! Read on for the Top 5 Activities That Kids Will Love This Summer! 

Camping

There’s nothing like a bit of camping to ignite the spirit of adventure - even if it’s only a couple of nights no further than a tent in your back garden. Perhaps you’d like to give wild camping a go or prefer the convenience of a dedicated campsite.

Whichever you choose, Involve the kids in packing what you need, planning and cooking meals, setting up the tent, and making it comfortable.

Depending on where you camp, it’s the ideal opportunity to indulge in some nature watching, bird spotting or fishing.

Try foraging for your food.

Take advantage of the dark for stargazing and identifying constellations.

Take your bikes and go cycling, hiking or open-water swimming.

Organise outdoor games and competitions.

Camping is what you make it, so make it whatever you and your kids want!

Gardening

Gardening is one of those activities which, if your child enjoys it, can occupy summer holiday hours and all year round. There is always something happening in the garden.

Plant fruit and vegetables for year-round harvesting.

Create a herb garden from scratch.

Grow plants and flowers in the garden to attract birds, bees and other insects, and learn to identify them. Add (maybe make?) bee houses, bird baths, feeders and hedgehog hideouts for the different wildlife that visit.

Craft some wind chimes or a fairy door as decorative features.

Grow some pumpkins for Halloween carving.

The garden is an endless source of activities and resources for kids.

Crafting Projects

Crafting is defined as making something, often decorative, by hand. The list of activities is endless but includes knitting, sewing, woodwork, metalwork, candlemaking, origami, painting, drawing, etc.

Crafting activities can be as big or as small as you want. Take it indoors or outdoors. Make it individual, or work as a group.

A crafting project will involve many activities working towards a bigger picture, hopefully sustaining your child’s interest for longer and providing opportunities for further play afterwards.

For example, your child may want to re-enact a favourite pirate/princess/pony film or book you have watched or read together, or with friends.

Taking the pirate as an example, your child (and their friends) craft and make together what they need to recreate the experience out of materials they find; an egg box, painted and decorated, can be a treasure chest filled with painted cardboard coins; use a large box to create a pirate ship; paint a skull and crossbones on a piece of cloth for a flag etc.

Plan ahead, collect the equipment, and customise the experience.

Adults should be prepared for a bit of mess but consider it a worthy payoff for a few hours of activity!

Baking and Cookery

This is an activity that’s great for rainy days or rest days.

There are many creative and easy recipes for kids to make and bake with their adult carers, for example, bread and cakes, biscuits, puddings and pizza, among many more.

Create a cookery project. Invite some of your kids' friends for tea or a rainy day party, then plan and prepare a three-course meal.

Have a pizza party! There’s nothing more fun than topping and cooking your very own pizza.

Use icing and sprinkles to decorate cakes and biscuits to a theme.

The bonus is that adults can be happy knowing they are teaching their children skills for life at the same time.

Go to the Beach

With all that baking and cooking experience behind you, you’re well-equipped to pack up a prize-winning picnic of home-cooked goodies, grab your swimsuits, towels, buckets and spades, fishing nets - and anything else you might need - and head off the beach for a day of fun, seaside activities.

If it’s sunny, then great! Swimsuits and goggles are the order of the day. However, with some planning, there is so much more to the beach than the sun and a swim.

If swimming’s not your thing, have a go at body-boarding, paddle-boarding, or kayaking.

Why not try rock pooling? Kids are fascinated by the richness of the wildlife they find in rockpools.

Make collections of shells and pretty stones.

Build elaborate sandcastles, dig for water, or draw pictures in the sand with a stick.

Play cricket, frisbee or volleyball on the beach. Run some races or create a golf course.

Have fun, but above all, be safe, and remember to pack your sunscreen!

Carve some time out of your busy days for some advance planning, and you can create the summer of your dreams, rather than your nightmares, with your kids.

Photo by Benjamin Manley on Unsplash