As the great Martha Reeves and the Vandellas said: “Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street”. While we don’t think that dancing in the street is particularly safe or sensible, dancing for joy at the warmer weather and abundance of free time is perfectly acceptable.
Some of you may already have your summer holidays planned but others may be trying to think of things to do and ways to keep everyone entertained. Perhaps you’re on a tight budget or maybe you’re a little short on time with work and life and everything else we have going on. If that’s the case, don’t fret, we’re here with some top suggestions of things you can do during your summer holiday.
Getting back to nature
Days out don’t have to cost a fortune to be memorable, why not find a free day and explore some of the local open and green spaces for a few hours? There are lots of great nature trails and woodland walks in the area that don’t have an entry fee and allow visitors to bring picnics, dogs and spend as much time as they like there. Why not let the kids pack a picnic (with your supervision of course!) and then while you’re out an about get them to make notes of the various wildlife they see? They could even collect leaves, twigs or take a camera to take photos of what they see and make a collage when they get home.
Visit the beach
This one might require some planning, but when the sky is blue, why not head to the beach? There are quite a few beaches within easy reach, you could have a little road trip, or if you fancied, a train trip and spend your day building sand castles, rock pooling or collecting shells.
Go to the museum
There are several museums in the area that offer discounted or free entry to residents. If you live in B&NES, you can apply for a Discovery Card which will give you free entry to a number of council run museums in the area, as well as some in the wider region. You can find out more: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/tourism-and-heritage/discovery-card
Spend some time together
When you have busy lives it can be difficult to find the time to just be together, this summer, why not see if you can free up sometime to just hang out. You can play board games, cards, Pictionary or charades and enjoy some bonding time.
Do a spot of backyard camping
If you have a tent lying around or some sheets handy, why not set it up in your garden and do some camping? You could even have an outdoor sleepover when it gets warmer! Even if you don’t have a garden yourself, perhaps grandparents, family members or friends do and you can turn it into a huge event.
Do some crafts
There are loads of arts and craft activities you can get involved with this summer. You could make bird feeders using pine cones and peanut butter and rolling them in birdseed. Or you could grab some items out of your recycling, such as cardboard and bottles and make rockets or houses. There are lots of house hold items you can use to create some art with the kids.
Baking, cooking and moulding!
You could use this opportunity to keep the kids learning by getting them to help you do some baking or cooking. You could have a go at making your own ice cream, baking cakes which they can then decorate or even have them help with making dinner. Let them choose what they want and then assemble the ingredients so they can learn more about what goes into their food. Easy choices include pasta dishes, pizzas or burgers. It is also easy to make your own ice lollies using fruit juice and freezer moulds, plus the idea that they get to eat their creations at the end makes them more interested in seeing the task through!
Visit your local library
While some kids might be a bit reluctant to read during their time off, others might be taking part in a reading challenge or they might just be interested in finding something fun to read over the summer. If you’re not already members of your local library, the staff inside can sort this out for you on the same day if you bring ID with you, while if you are members, why not find out some of your childhood favourites and introduce them to your children or let them pick some books to hire. Many libraries have specially designed children’s areas with toys and beanbags, so you can also try a few chapters in comfort.
Stage a scavenger hunt
You could do this around your home by creating maps and clues and having the kids go on a hunt for a prize, or you could find a local park or stately home that either host their own scavenger hunts or you could make one up as you go around getting them to look out for pieces of art, suits of armour or interesting trees.
Stage your own olympics
If you have access to a back garden you can easily set up a series of athletic themed games and competitions, from throwing and catching to paddling in a pool to jumping, running and skipping around the space. You can make it interesting by offering points and even giving out prizes at the end. It’s a great way to keep the kids active, as well as occupied and gets them out in the sunshine!
Do you have any other suggestions? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter, you can find us at @ukfamilymatters.
