How To Survive The Six Week, Kids Summer Holidays

[AD] The kids summer holidays are upon us! And whilst that might fill you with dread, it certainly doesn't need to. There's a huge pressure (like a lot of parenting issues) which comes with the six weeks holidays and I'm here to lighten that load... Think of me as the Bear Grylls of the kids Summer holidays. This is your survival guide!

_{[Playing cards from Aura print]}

Surviving the kids summer holidays.

Plan your time accordingly.

Six weeks is a long time! It's 42 days, or just over 1000 hours (not that I'm counting) to find ways to entertain your kids without going totally insane. Once you've got a list of summer holiday ideas (I have inspo further on in the post don't worry) your best bet is to spread them evenly throughout the six weeks. This ensures you're not left with weeks with nothing planned towards the end of the holidays.

Understand that boredom is inevitable.

Kids get bored! It's inevitable. If you don't get hit with the whinge of boredom at least once during the summer holidays I'd be very surprised. I've already been hit with it, two weeks in. Although because my eldest doesn't quite understand tenses, she always says 'I'm so boring' instead of 'I'm bored' which makes me smile a little bit.

Expect the unexpected.

Sure, create yourself a plan, but also be prepared for the unexpected. Downpours in July. Childcare issues. The need to take on more work. You never know what's going to happen. I always think it's best to plan with 95% optimism that nothings going to get in your way. But just be prepared for that pesky 5%.

You don't need to spend a fortune.

Younger kids don't understand the value of money. They don't need you to spend a small fortune doing XY&Z. They just want you there enjoying time together. There are plenty of free activities you can do during the kids summer holidays.

Share the parenting load.

You can't do it all! It's just not possible. I bet you're already spread too thinly, right? Share the parenting load. If you've got a support network close by you should make the most of them. Not only for you to have a bit of alone time, but I'm sure your family members and friends would love spending the day with your children. It's a win for all parties.

Drop the guilt.

Mum guilt is so real! And it's usually rife at this time of year when we feel like we have to do 101 different things to keep our children entertained during the holidays. It's obviously easier said than done, but dropping the guilt is one of the best (if not THE best) thing you can do on your parenting journey.

25 Affordable activities to do during the kids summer holidays.

Picnic

If your child is anything like mine they'll love a picnic. This doesn't have to be a massively extravagant summer holiday activity. Sometimes just throwing the picnic blanket outside in the garden and having an alfresco tea will be enough. You can however drive out to the countryside, or a national trust site for a particularly boujee picnic location.

Find water

Someone told me a long time ago that if you're ever struggling with parenting, to either take your kids outside of get them in water. This again could be simply filling up the paddling pool outside or popping glow sticks in the tub and calling it a 'funky bath'. You know that's what we call it, right! You could take a walk around your local lake or take the kids to the beach. There's something about water which keeps them entertained for hours!

Make chalk art on the driveway

Instead of the usual pens and paper why don't you take your kids creative development to the streets. My eldest loves chalking on the driveway. It always prompts conversations from our neighbours too, which is lovely. They love seeing her happy.

Make a bird house

Unleash more of your little ones creativity by creating a bird house. If you're feeling particularly handy you can assist your children in making a bird house out of wood. However a cardboard structure will keep them just as occupied.

Head to the library

I've not been to the library as much in the last 20 years than I have in the last half a year. It's the perfect (free) activity to take your kids to this summer. We generally spend some time picking out books, reading a couple that catch our eye and finishing our outing in the local cafe.

Head to the zoo

Zoo's generally aren't the cheapest of summer holiday activities but you can definitely keep the costs down by searching for deals and taking your own food. We've started doing this whenever we go anywhere as the kids know no different. It doesn't have any impact on our day or experience, and it saves us money, which in this climate is very much appreciated.

Camp out

We've taken our eldest camping twice so far in these summer holidays. It's quite easy to find somewhere really affordable to stay. All you need is your tent! You could even camp out in the garden. I remember doing this a few times when I was younger and it always made for an entertaining night.

Have a water fight

Water fights are so much fun! Even as a 30+ year old woman I'll admit the fact I still love a good water fight. The most fun thing about it these days however is playing with the kids. Watching them watch us all having fun together is the best feeling.

Playing cards

Playing cards is a great activity for the kids. I remember many an evening playing cards with my family. It used to be a nightly event during the summer holidays, finishing with 'the championship of the world' game on the very last night.

Custom playing cards would be an amazing way to commemorate your kids summer holidays. Aura print have a brilliant service where you can either upload your own designs (another great activity to do with the kids), or you can send them a brief, and they'll do all the hard work for you in creating a perfectly personalised deck of cards. The quality is excellent and I'm sure you'll get numerous summers enjoyment from them.

_{[Custom playing cards from Aura print]}

Go to the beach

Beach days are the best days! Head down to your nearest with a bucket and spade (and a spare pair of clothes of course) for a day of fun! Ice-creams are mandatory!

Visit a museum or art gallery

The majority of museums and art galleries are free, so why not make the most and grab a bargain day out with the kids. Depending on how into art or different subjects your kids are you could research specific museums. Science museums or history museums may be good options.

Get crafty

Crafting is something I secretly hate (because of the mess) but love at the same time because it keeps my girls entertained for such a long time. Perhaps give your kids a specific project to complete. You could ask them to craft their favourite cartoon character. This will get their cogs ticking as well as creative juices flowing.

Kids eat for free

There are so many different eateries offering free meals for children during the kids summer holidays. It's definitely worth a google to see if any of your favourites are on the list.

Find a PYO farm

I'm currently looking into pick your own farms to take my two to next week. I took my eldest strawberry picking at Farmer Copleys in Castleford the summer before covid hit. Since we've relocated I need to find an alternative to take them both to.

Go to the farm

Both my girls love a visit to the farm. I find petting farms to be the most entertaining for my two. My eldest can't resist stroking the bunnies, guinea pigs and little chicks.

Make pizza faces

Doesn't food taste so much better when it's in the shape of something? It definitely does if you're a kid. Pizza faces work really well as you can make facial features from pretty much anything. Involving the kids in meal preparation is a sure fire way of getting them to eat their meals too.

Hunt for bugs

Bug hunting kits can be easily picked up from your nearest garden centre or via a quick Amazon search. We've bug hunted in the back garden and whilst out on walks. Both have proven successful and entertained my eldest for hours. The kit we have comes with its own little backpack, which my daughter just loves wearing.

Build a den

Depending on how adventurous you are you could build a den outside in the woods. However I've found den building at home to be just as successful. Simply throwing a couple of sheets over the dining room chairs opens up a whole wonder of creative play opportunities.

Get baking

I'll be honest and say I'm not the best baker! But baking equipment and ingredients are something the majority of us have sitting in our cupboards waiting to be used. If you're looking for something a little different to cakes, you could always try your hand at baking cookies.

Have your own sports day

Before breaking up for the kids summer holidays my eldest took part in her school sports day. She had a blast and so did I. This prompted me to create my very own sports day, from the comfort of our garden. Her favourite 'sport' is the egg and spoon race, so we've been doing lots of that over here as well as hula hooping and running races.

Explore walled gardens

We love a walled garden! I think they're the perfect place to visit not only for adult enjoyment, but they're great places for letting the kids run wild and still being able to see them. My local one, Kirkleatham Walled Gardens are brilliant for this.

Paint rocks

If you've got a tub full of craft supplies asking to be played with, why not go rock hunting and transform them into little pieces of art. Once decorated you could leave them in random places for others to see and hopefully make them smile.

Make ice-lollies

Ice lolly making kits can be really easily picked up. You may even find them whilst doing your weekly supermarket shop. You could make sorbet style lollies or even fro-yo's for the little ones.

Face paints

Last week we visited a fun day which was put on in our local park. Part of the day included face painting and ever since my little girl has been hooked! We're face painting everyday at the moment. Everything from rainbows to cats to dragons. Let your little ones imagination run wild. Even if you're not the most artsy person, I'm sure your children will love it!

Make a hanging basket

Kids love getting hands on and a great activity for this is creating a hanging basket. Not only is it creative, but it's messy too! Something which kids seem to love. The bonus is, is that you get a fabulous garden display at the end of it... And entertained kids!

How are you feeling about the kids summer holidays? I hope this post has put your mind at ease! Do let me know in the comments what you'll be getting up to during the summer? Will you be thriving or surviving?