Routine for the school holidays?

[havingamadmoment]

Just wondering if you have any sort of routine for the school holidays. I have five (8,6,3,2 and 1) and during school days our routine is fab the older two go to school the younger ones stay home and we get on with bits n bobs. But when the older ones are home all day it just seems like anarchy!. On the weekends we normally have plans plus dh is here so the holidays are different.

We are stuck in the house a bit atm because of the weather so do you have any routine you stick to in the holidays? We are a house thats runs better planned but planning something to fit them all is lets say challenging.

Any suggestions?

[5kidsnobump]

Well I am in a similar position -watching to see if anyone else has any good school holiday tips! I also have 5 - they are 6.5,5.5,2.5,1.5, and 5 months!

We have only had the xmas hols and Feb half term so far since DC5 has been born, and we also ended up stuck in the house as it is very difficult for me to manage them all out and about on my own! I also found it hard keeping the older ones happy, without the younger ones destroying whatever activity they were doing I am really wondering how I'm going to manage when we get to the summer holidays

[BillComptonstrousers]

I make a big calendar to put on the kitchen wall. Block out the weekends as DH is home. Block out any prior commitments. Split the days into am/pm. One day a week I block out as a duvet day (DVDs/snacks/long bubble baths in the afternoon) one day a week I block out for a day out (farm/up to town) sometimes I can't afford to do this every week though. That leaves three days to fill, so six activities. Let the children choose. So things like park/baking/crafts etc. obviously with your 5 it may be a bit trickier, I only have three!

[5kidsnobump]

That sounds like a good idea Bill. May try that over the Easter hols - we seem to spend a lot of time thinking about what we might do, but then struggle to actually fit things into the day as it gets so busy with the day to day things of having 5 kids, and the youngest one only being a baby!