If you’re at home with the kids on school holidays tomorrow, what are you doing?

[SeeYouInFive]

I’ve got things booked for almost every day except tomorrow and I’m really stuck for ideas. We live in a lovely part of the world next to loads of lovely countryside, but during lockdown we all got thoroughly sick of it and now the suggestion of a walk triggers us all into lockdown flashbacks.

We already went swimming yesterday. Last week we tie dyed everything in sight. Got a painting and crafts event thingy sorted for later this week as well as some sports stuff organised, just got a long day of trying to keep them off their iPads stretching ahead of me tomorrow and I am drawing a blank. If I don’t think of something to distract them they will literally be glued to their screens all day.

Oh, and they’re two boys - 8 and 5.

I know what you mean about the appeal of long walks wearing off!

We are meeting friends to visit a local National Trust property with an outdoor theatre performance. They are on in many places at the moment and might be worth a try.

Alternatively, a favourite easy outing for us when we are stuck us to drive to the nearest station and catch a train to a town. Have lunch, visit the local museum of pencils, penguins, tea towels etc. Find a park. Buy a rainbow rubber. Come home. It’s basically a variation on the walk theme, but different enough to feel special.

How about doing some gardening planting some new plants? Or just let them have a day off with screens we don't plan stuff for everyday of the hols it's good for them to be bored sometimes, the best games are created through boredom...

Let them have a day on the sofa with their iPads!! A pyjama day is good for the soul and if you’ve loads planned for other days what’s the harm?

Or go into the countryside collect all different types of leaves flowers bark pieces ect and do some crayon rubbings with them when you get back or create an outdoors scrapbook

I agree with pp.

Have a duvet day. Let them relax with their iPads. Watch a movie. Make popcorn. Maybe a board/card game. Order pizza for dinner.

We have nothing planned for tomorrow.
I think a day off from planned things is good. A bit of downtime.

I've been to the cinema today with my 7 year old DS. We were the only ones in there! It was great

We’ve had a day off for the past 5 daysout of 6! 🙈... I was feeling mildly guilty at the beginning of the week that my dc were glued to their ipad/pc for majority of the day. But now I don’t care 🤣🤣
Car went in for MOT 4 days ago and I still don’t have it, so using that as an excuse! To be fair it’s been inter dispersed with random runs/scoots/bike rides around the block. Filling up the paddling pool and doing cartwheels in the garden.

I am officially a shit parent in the house though and can do a much better job when out and about

I took my kids (slightly younger, 5 and 3) to a local attraction today. Their favourite part was when we were driving home and we drove past a really quiet play park that we’d never been to before, they asked if we could stop and we did. It was really tatty and run down, I probably wouldn’t have stopped it I’d seen it properly first, but the novelty factor really wowed my five year old!! So on the strength of that I’d say a random park in the middle of nowhere and an ice cream from a shop.

Tomorrow however I’m shipping them off for quality wholesome time with their grandparents so I can have a day on screens myself

Let the children cook or bake tomorrow, get them to plan their menu in the am and make their shopping list then walk to the shops not driving stopping off at a park on the way if possible. They can bake/ cook and then have a lazy day on screens relaxing for the rest of it (whilst the adults sort the chaos in the kitchen).

We are going to the theatre. But we have plenty of non - event days too.

Build a fort in the living room (them) and serve lunch in it (you).
They should be able to entertain themselves for just a day though, without iPads.

Another one who thinks a story of rest is good! My kids love it and it recharges their batteries for adventures

I want to do some gardening tomorrow so the dc are welcome to help me with that, or they can have a chill day. They will watch some screens, get the playmobil out, maybe do some crafting, and if I'm outside they're far more likely to come out and use the play stuff out there (trampoline, water/sand, climbing frame, den, swing). We're just going to potter about.

Other things I have planned for this week are: afternoon tea in a local hotel, a trip to a museum, laser tag, cinema x2 (it's cheap with a work benefit and I can have a little snooze if the film's not to my taste), trip to Poundland with £3 each to spend, a visit to Pets@Home for the free zoo, a carpet picnic with a film, and possibly some DIY which I have no doubt they'll try to 'help' me with 😁

We're going to get a take away for lunch - teenage boys, only interested when food is involved

Really boring - dentist, shoe shopping, grandma's for tea.

Almost all our summer is spent on mundanities like this when they aren't on sports camp stuff. We are not exciting people.

We're going to the beach in the morning and then having a bbq and making bubble tea (from a kit off Amazon)

Mine are 7, 5 and 3.
They want to
cycle
go to parks
buy snacks at the shop and watch a film
feed ducks
play in the garden
paint
bake
have a friend round
lunch at a supermarket cafe
picnic
paddle in a stream
ride on a double decker bus
visit museums
get the train
scooters in a local skate park
watch fish in a garden centre
draw pictures and walk to the post box to send them
go to the library
go to the woods

Activities planned for this week are:

Take breakfast to the park and eat it there, then go into play area as hopefully it will be quiet.

Go into shopping centre to spend gift voucher (from Christmas) in Toy Shop. Hopefully then spend rest of day playing with new toy.

Sounds like you all have some lovely plans!

To make it worse I just picked them up from sports camp and one of them was badly behaved today so I’m even less inclined to let them have screens tomorrow.

Just remembered our library is open and letting people come in again. Might go and kill some time there and then take them for lunch at a cafe.

Mine are 3 and 5,seeing a friend in the morning at her house, home for lunch and then park in the afternoon with some of dds school friends. We have had a very full on start to the holiday having gone away - we've been to beaches, theme park, farm, castle, boating lake, parks - today was a day off and 5 year old has had looooaaaads of screen time. I say let them have a lazy day tomorrow - every now and then doesn't hurt.

Mine are 11 and almost 10. So far I've spent the hols saving the house while they play with friends on the big green in front of our house. Public loo and drink/ice pop supplier 🙋‍♀️ 🙄🤣

In the house, not saving it. They aren't feral

So far I've spent the hols saving the house

The last week of the holidays feels just like this, tbf.