Inspiration needed please, what are we going to DO all summer?

[GabrielleChanel]

the holiday we had booked looks like it's not going to go ahead. (No outgoing flight running) while I was nervous of travelling it was the only thing in the diary.

Have 4Dc age 6-12
Wtf am I going to do with them all summer
I have no ideas of fun things to do

Do you have a garden ?

I don't have a garden. And I don't have a clue beyond taking them out for a bike ride or walk. But as we're trying to avoid public transport it's going to get very monotonous.

Yes we have a garden.
Taking them all out for a bike ride is stressfull since lockdown ended - country lanes etc nearby and people drive toooo quickly.
@Snigletted glad you feel the same way.
Know we are lucky to have a garden but just feel like all we can offer is screentime - it's like I have forgotten how to do all of this.

God knows! I’ve exhausted every single craft and local outdoor activity. I normally love the summer holidays but I just can’t think what to do that we haven’t done to death the last 3 months

I'm all out of inspiration apart from these STEM challenges by the Smallpeice Trust.
I'm hoping that this thread fills up with lots of things we can do at home easily because the 6 weeks are looking very long from here.

Surely the 4 of them are old enough to entertain themselves most of the time? They're not too far apart in age, so surely they can play together and come up with their own ideas?
And then every now and again, take them for a day out.

Yes they are all completely old enough to entertain themselves and have been (mostly) uncomplaining about everything all through lockdown
I just feel bad for them and me frankly that the one highlight of this whole year is now also not happening.

We have literally had event after event cancelled 😔
I know I am not alone in this, many others In same boat and I don't mean to whinge. And I am grateful we haven't been personally affected by corona.
Just previous list of stuff I would normally do (have made bucket style lists for last 9ish years) don't really work this year

One summer I did a playground challenge of finding 10 different playgrounds to go to.

Some attractions are opening up again, zoos, museums, farms.

Would having some longer term/bigger project be helpful to give some structure and purpose to things, a sense of achievement? So could they work together to build a go-kart, or an assault course in the garden, or put on a play including writing it, doing some basic costume making and set design, that sort of thing. Even if it's a project for a week, or something they spend a few hours on every week, it's a longer term kind of thing.

There's a summer holidays blue Peter badge challenge.

www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/six-badges-of-summer

We had to pull our summer holiday abroad this year as not viable, got some of the money back.

We've booked a week and a half self-catering in England - is there somewhere not to busy you could book if you are getting money back?

Or day trips - we've done a safari park as just stay in car and buy tickets online. Did a drive round past Bath and Stonehenge, just a change of scenery helps.

My DS did an alpaca walk, anything like that around? Zoos are starting to reopen. Some boat hire is available by us.

Netflix and Disney Channel help if not got those already. Some other kids go running, mine won't go near it. We are avoiding beaches but if you have one not too busy you could try. Open water swimming is open by us though not taking kids other than special sessions.

Good luck finding things.

Could you book a holiday in the UK (assuming you are in the UK)?

Could you have a UK holiday? Centre Parcs and Bluestone are reopening. Or camping. Day trips around your area to places you’ve never been before.

Lots of good ideas.

Can you spend some of the holiday budget on something for the garden.

We have bought a climbing frame swing set. Should last years.

Other friend with older kids got a lazy spa. Kids never been out it.

Trampoline.

Swing ball.

We would normally go abroad for a couple of weeks, but can't face it this year.

For a few weeks I was resigned to not going away at all, but recently decided we needed something to break the monotony!

We've got teenagers and have booked a week in a cottage at an English seaside town.

When they were younger we had many happy holidays camping. Try and get away somewhere if you can. It will help to break up the holiday.

I hope loads of people come up with good ideas; also ones that don't involve a car!

I think we may do some family hopping - I am pulling together a few things we can do. Just feels really MEH that's all.

Give them some old blankets, older ones can help the younger ones make a den. Do you grow fruit and veg ? If not now is the time to start, kids love this. Shoe boxes with mixed craft things in, each child takes a name out of a hat, they collect their shoe box and they go to a different part of the garden to make the person whose name they have a gift. They have to use x amount of things and are not allowed to visit each other until everyone is finished.
Baker Ross has loads of craft things for ages 3+ with instructions.
I bought about 10 polystyrene gliders from there one year (also do birds and dinosaurs I believe) they were very cheap. Kids make the plane etc and then fly them. I had a group of 7 (aged 3-10) do this they played with them all afternoon.
Paper mache money boxes, toys, ornaments these all take a couple of days by the time they are dry.
Tie dye t shirts one afternoon and they will be ready the next day.
I have a few art and craft books going spare (free) also stickers and paper bits. (I am moving and won't be using them any more. if anyone wants to PM me and have one.

It’s a combination of lots of places not being open or open fully, and having down all the walks and stuff locally to death over the past 3 months that make the summer holidays just seem boring as hell!

We are members of national trust but went somewhere the other day having booked online but all the play areas in the woods where shut off so all we could do was a big loop of the grounds.

We have booked a few days away camping. Just to get out the house and away from screens!

Other than that I am out of ideas, we have done loads of crafts, woodwork, Board games, films etc it’s all a bit samey now!

Camping? Back garden even but find a smaller site where they can run through woods and build campfires.

Are you near any nice outdoor places? Quiet beaches? Woodland? Making fires and cooking stuff is a good idea with this age group. Foraging, Making dens.

Think back to your own childhood - were you ever bored? Yes! Just tell them they are reliving your 80s/90s childhood of boredom and it’s a necessary part of growing up

I do know how you feel but if you think back there was definitely times when you didn’t have an outing/holiday/soft play etc wasn’t there? I bet you have good memories that were created in spite of that so allow your kids the freedom to create some of their own special memories.

Following for ideas
No idea here either
And I'm unwell with long term covid (over 4 months now) so need verrrry low energy options.

My DS loves a chip walk. Walk to a chippy, eat chips in park, walk home.

Last year we made a park review sheet eg range of equipment, cleanliness etc and went around rating the local parks.

Make their own board game or marble run.

Plan a meal, go to the shop, buy ingredients, make a menu, cook, serve the meal.

Get out!
Just get bags ready and go where the weather takes you. We had a great day today by just getting dressed and washed and shoving a load of stuff into bags. Arguments, hunger, 'i'm too tired' etc all included!

We have a few cheaper things planned to look forward to. I ended up somewhere that my youngest loved, that we'd never even been to before.
I want to make the most of my days off this summer.