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Can’t travel this summer? Here’s how to plan Summer Holiday Fun for Kids
The summer holidays are fast approaching, and parents and children alike are looking forward to making the best of it. However, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, many of us have delayed our summer plans until 2022, since travelling abroad seems to be a stressful and unlikely scenario at the moment.
Eager to replace schooling hours with unlimited playtime, the summer could seem longer than usual for kids, and boredom is unavoidable. For all the parents balancing work and family obligations, this is a source of concern when it comes to keeping their children entertained on their longest holiday break.
To pull them out of monotony and avoid them spending too much time on common distractions - such as watching TV and playing video games - here is a stream of activities that can help keep them busy and entertained, while stimulating their imagination and nurturing their skills. Richard Evans, education expert and founder of The Profs agency, shares his suggestions on how to perk your children's interest and plan summer holiday fun for kids.
1. Plan a garden festival for your kids
Bring the kids' festival atmosphere to your garden with a good old British summer fête that everybody enjoys. Make sure you include fair games - tug of war, hoopla, and can knock-down, to name a few – to keep everyone entertained. Help your children burn off their super high energy with traditional races like sack-races or egg-and-spoon runs. The competitive element will not only stimulate them but nurture their skills too. Serve cakes, and have a lemonade stand for a complete festival package. And if you add a BBQ in the picture, it can be a fun, relaxing day for adults, as well.
2. Grow your own vegetables together
Teach your children how to be responsible by looking after the vegetables you are planting together in your back garden. Encourage them to document the whole process throughout the summer and keep a photo journal of your own produce. This will not only give them something to look forward to but also stir their curiosity on how to prepare their meals from their own crops.
It is also a fun way for them to learn more about sustainable living, the art of horticulture and encourage them to adopt a healthier diet. It will also give them a sense of accomplishment during the harvest time and even raise their interest in Geography studies.
3. Discover the night sky
Stargazing is a fantastic way to bond with your children and teach them a thing or two about Astronomy. Even if you don’t have a telescope at hand, it can still be a learning experience for kids and a fun night to remember. Schedule it on a clear sky night, bring some chairs, blankets, and hot chocolate to keep them warm, and let them discover the deep-sky treasures on their own. To make things easier, you could even download an astronomy app to help them identify celestial objects in the sky.
4. Create your DIY garden waterpark
With the travelling restrictions in place, a tour of the Spanish aquatic parks doesn’t sound likely this summer, but this shouldn’t hold you back from getting your kids excited about an enjoyable water-themed party in your back garden. Some eco-friendly water bombs, an improvised slip-and-slide from a long plastic sheet soaped up in shampoo, and a water guns race would provide hours of fun on the hottest days. The children will most definitely appreciate the activity with their friends and seek to replicate the water thrills all summer long.
5. Organise a chalk gallery exhibition in your back garden
Turn your garden into an art exhibition for your kids by organising a summer chalk mural day on your brick walls. It is a fun activity to experience that will stimulate their creativity, as well as providing them with hours of entertainment. To spice things up, each drawing class could have a different theme for them to portray. At the end, become members of the ‘art jury’, praising and awarding your children for their art. And don't worry about the mess, a rainy day or a hose shower will wash everything off easily!
6. Make your own sushi together
Whilst we can’t explore ultramodern Tokyo or the ancient Samurai temples just yet, we can delve into the delicious sushi Japan offers. Learn how to cook sushi rice to perfection and then roll and fold Temaki (the classic open hand roll), Hosomak (traditional rice wrapped in nori) and Uramaki (otherwise known as the inside out roll). A professional sushi chef will host a 90-minute class, and guide you through every step to make enough sushi for two people. All ingredients are provided, and there are even vegan options available! Simply gather your family and expand your cooking skills together.
7. Setup a murder mystery party
Turn your kids into detectives with an outdoor murder mystery party! Restrictions allow 30 people to meet up outside, so gather your children's friends and give them a good challenge. You can either purchase a ready-made detective game for kids or come up with your own. Handle them a printed script to play-act from so they learn how to impersonate a character, hide evidence in your garden so they get a grasp on how to gather clues, adjust the plot to their age to cultivate their problem-solving skills while solving the mystery. The action could unfold at an afternoon tea party, so both kids and parents would be welcome.
This piece was brought to you by the experts at https://www.theprofs.co.uk/