So what does everyone DO with their dc in the holidays?!

[Misty9]

Especially when it's raining?! Dc are 7 and nearly 10, eldest is asd and doesn't cope well with routine change. What is everyone doing with their dc at the moment? We generally mooch about the house doing our own thing (screens) interspersed with the odd walk. Oh, and feeding the blighters every two hours! But my dad is visiting and I feel like we should be doing more exciting things - but I can't think what!

Cinema
Bowling
Crazy Golf
Out for an ice cream
Out for breakfast/lunch/dinner
Beach trip
Swimming
Friends over
Go to friends
Visit castles

Make a planner that your asd child can follow? Not sure if that will help with following a new routine.

I often wonder this too. Feel like I’m slightly failing my dc if I haven’t got some elaborate plan on the go!!

But in reality, we mooch, walk and meet for the odd coffee or ice cream outside with friends. But predominantly it’s just us.

Where we live is hideously busy in the school holidays and therefore limits our opportunities as we tend to avoid tourists!

We do a few day trips, some mornings or afternoons out or garden most days.
This holiday we’ve done
Library
Swimming
Bike rides
Local woods
Local country parks
At home the things we’ve done together are
Painted rocks
Baked cakes and bread
Watched films

The rest of the time is spent reading and screens.

Museums
Parks
Bike rides
Walks
Meet friends
Library

Mine used to go to holiday clubs on my work days, then on my day off it wasn't so bad filling the time, shopping, bowling, cinema, fun farm or whatever. Plenty of mooching time too as no after school activities like in term time.

Cooking
Crafts and painting
We always had a reading half hour after lunch
Mine liked to play in the garden for hours
Jigsaws
Old fashioned things like finding as many things as you can that will fit in a match box

We usually have a week abroad. So with prepping and unprepping, that takes 2 weeks.

I usually work a fair bit, so they're left to their own devices quite a bit. This tends to mean xbox or calling for a mate, depending on child. This is the first summer where I've not felt that I have to do anything with them. Oldest one is almost high school, so he can organise his own social life. We've done the zoo to death.

Various holiday clubs
Soft play big enough for a 9 year old to be entertained
Park with friends
Cinema morning (fir cheap showings)

Grandparents a few days

It’s not easy

Country parks
Playgrounds
Bike rides
Swimming
Bowling
Farm parks
Play dates
Museums
Soft play
Go for coffee/milkshake/cake
Climbing centre

I try and put money aside through the year for the summer holidays because things are always more expensive than I remember. We usually do 1-2 ‘big’ days out like theme parks etc, the rest of the time we try and keep it as cheap as possible by taking picnics/going to free places.
What sort of things do your kids like to do?

Does your son have a now and next board? This really helps my son understanding the changes the day ahead will be bringing.

3 dc with ASD here.

I make a planner for school holidays - literally draw it up and mark out the days they are with me and the days they are with their dad.

I then plan out my days/weeks with a balance of days out and days at home.

So far these holidays we have: been to legoland (birthday outing) and been to London to see a show (Joseph) as well as a trip to London to see the elephants in Green Park. Plus mini golf with friends, and a huge long walk plus pub lunch after with same friends.

Coming up for the rest of the holidays we have:

Local National trust visits
More mini golf
Local castle
2 more theatre trips (one London, one local)
Bowling
Play dates with friends (youngest - both going to other peoples houses plus friends coming here)
Local park has a kids trail that we might wander around
Possible trip down to the seaside (would also include eg an aquarium trip, as dc ‘need’ something to do, not just wander about)

Middle dc has really been struggling with her dad suggesting days out, because he literally decides the night before and she can’t cope with the sudden thought of a whole day out so soon. All 3 of mine seem to benefit from the planner, which I start drawing up around May each year (or as soon as I know summer dates/timings for going to their dad’s).

Not every day is set in stone - only the big trips are actually planned on specific days. Local stuff like bowling/cinema/mini golf is planned to happen, but not necessarily on set days. Eg this weekend we have relatives visiting, and we will be bowling on one day, and doing mini golf on the other, but still weather watching to see which way round would work best!

Local library often features for my eldest too - ASD with learning difficulties, so she still enjoys doing the summer reading challenge. And the time when I take her down there gives the other two some downtime to chill without constant trips/being out of the house (it’s my eldest who needs to be constantly occupied, hence many planned activities!)

Oh, and my planner also includes the necessary evils like school supply shopping, or new shoes/haircuts etc - it’s not all fun and games!

My DS is older now but he loved playing board games with his DGF, would your DF be interested in teaching your DC chess or similar?

I have fond memories of my DF (now sadly died) saying to my DS 'yes, I'll play Monopoly with you but let me read the paper first', DS would be begging for a game of something at the breakfast table!

We used to find loads of 'free' things to do, days out with picnics at local forest, we had the beach nearby so we're very lucky but it's amazing how much you can find for 'free' if you look hard enough. We also had fabulous subsidised holiday clubs run by the local council, for some reason they weren't very popular so often my DS would be the only DC with two or three play leaders .

Meeting friends, local museums, history trails, library reading scheme etc etc. Agree with another PP about old fashioned activities, I used to be a Cub Leader so I quite enjoyed planning activities . And I always fitted in some sort of 'fun' educational stuff ... . Nothing wrong with doing a few chores, sorting out their rooms, decluttering, a bit of weeding etc. That reminds me I need to encourage my 20 year old to have a good sort out of his room!

1 week at outdoor activities holiday club
1 week intensive swimming course
1 week in Cornwall, body boarding etc
Playdates
Swimming
Cinema
Soft play
Picnic and park
Scoot to the shops
Inflatable assault course Centre
Loads of screen time
DH works from home so I sneak out to the gym most days for me time.
He's having a few days off too so we will take then out as a family, pub lunch etc.
Not keen on theme parks these days, we had annual passes when they were younger but I'm too lazy to queue up all day!
I sit on my bed and read or get things done around the house when they are occupied. DCs are 10 and 7 so more independent now.

@ElfDragon did you enjoy Joseph? I'm taking DD in 3 weeks

@ElfDragon that's impressive organising! He does have a now and next at school but I'm pretty crap at planning, which doesn't help I have made a planner for this holidays, but slightly stupidly I haven't printed off July so it starts in August...! Similarly, they're at their dad's half the time so that's on there but not much else so far.

What do they like to do? Well, eldest is either on a screen or acting out said screen content. He really doesn't get involved in anything else. Youngest is pretty creative and will occupy herself for hours with minimal input, or happily engage in baking etc. She'll happily play on the beach for example, while her brother moans about when are we going home/getting food/having a screen. It's wearing. Swimming is a no, and most other activities are outside based, which the rain puts a dampener on. I've given up with big day trips out as ds behaviour will often make it more hassle than it's worth.

I think part of the issue at the moment is having my dad visiting as I feel stressed just by his presence!

I will get more organised with the planner when they're back from their dad's next...

We went to Joseph at the weekend too (DD and I, DS has SNs and doesn't like theatre). It was brilliant, cheesy, fun, we have seen it several times and just love it, it was so good to be back in a packed theatre with hundreds of other happy people.

Waveafterwave - Joseph was fabulous! Really good fun (even my youngest, who tries to deny he is a musicals fan, said it was good) - great atmosphere, lots of people having the time of their lives.

Planning is key, I think.

Luckily, mine can all manage eg a theatre trip (I realise not all can, or want to!).

A few years ago, my planner had each week being roughly the same stuff, so eg one kids club cinema trip, one bowling trip, one NT place, one day at the playground, one day at home baking/crafts etc. I researched, and we went to a different ‘new’ playground each week in surrounding towns, and took a picnic lunch. It was ‘new’, but in reality quite similar as all playgrounds have familiar equipment.

I’ve also had success with Treasure Trails - either a new way to explore a familiar place, or a totally new place to explore - keeps the dc occupied, and gives us a couple of hours of doing something.

Firstly, I’d be limiting screen time for the eldest, especially if it his affecting his behaviour. One hour a day. There’s lots of research on ASD and screen time about.

Other than that, keep key routine the same. Get up time, meal times, bed time. Be consistent with those routines.

Things we do including:
Walking
Days at the beach or river
Visiting different parks
Swimming
Cinema
Splash park
Sculpture trails
Train to the city
Outdoor theatre
Camping
Boardgames
Reading hour
And day trips. There are loads of great places to visit for day trips.

Walk and picnic
Bike rides
Visiting friends
Shopping/Out for lunch
Local park/playgrounds
Treasure hunt in forest (our local forest lays trails)
Swimming
Geocaching
Cinema

@JulesCobb oh believe me, I've tried every which way with screentime for ds but no matter what, he won't engage with anything else as a family and day trips as a lone adult are draining. I've said 8-10 is free time to both, so that's screens for him...

This is a list of ideas

Art classes
Shopping trips
Camping
Hiking
Football as a family in a park
Picnics
Movies
Theater
Reading lessons
Beach trips
Museum days
Science kits etc
Art and craft workshops and supplies
Walks into town and so on
Bowling as a family
Singing
Treasure hunts
Story telling (ask your local library)
Restaurants
Cafes
Family events
Train trip somewhere new
Garden center
Theme parks
Mini crazy golf
Table tennis
Real tennis
Play dates
Obstacle course
A castle
Church or cathedral
Climbing wall
Activity center (ask around)
Baking
Zoos
Pumpkin patch

Mine have done a few half day camps so that breaks the weeks up.

We do some reading and then out somewhere for an hour. I am decluttering so they get Minecraft for an hour. Football in the evenings.

Mine have been at the childminders most this week as been working. Today youngest is doing a summer gymnastics class and her swimming lessons go all year so she has later too. Eldest is going skateboarding tonight with a friend as they do a girls night once a month.
Tomorrow we are going to the zoo as have an annual pass.
Might go to the library at some point this weekend to sign up for summer reading challenge.

I feel I've ran out of ideas. The things that used to be special and fun in the holidays aren't anymore, as they've been done to death to keep us sane during lockdown - a film night, a nice walk, games night - used to be just things we had time for in the holidays but we've done them eleventy billion times already this year!