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Original poster

So last two summers I’ve spent a month in a holiday destination, can’t do that this year, and now I’m feeling lost

117 replies

Redrobinbobbin · 08/03/2023 23:58

As I’ve genuinely forgotten how the hell I fill 6 weeks of summer holidays
I’ve obviously had many many summer holidays to fill in previous years
but it’s like pre covid I cant remember them !

then last two years then summer holidays have flown by as been in holiday for most of them

now I’m thinking the what fuck are we gonna do for 6 weeks
xx

OP posts:
MolkosTeenageAngst · 09/03/2023 07:28

Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:20

The 9 year old would be happy to game every day for 6 weeks but i can’t let that happen

Why? It’s the holidays. What’s the difference between spending Clubcard vouchers to sit in a cinema and sitting on a game at home for free?

lilsupersparks · 09/03/2023 07:28

Great idea for summer job for the 16 year old - a few hours in a cafe or something would be good.

There’s always loads of stuff going on round here in the summer. We are usually away all summer visiting family and going camping and I often feel bad I’ve missed stuff!

At our Town Hall there is a local paper that lists all the local activities - things like craft days at museums etc. Sometimes museums give you a whole year membership with one visit. Also if you are savvy your son could try for a Blue Peter badge and it will arrived before the summer - might get you some good places to go? Mine are always writing stories and drawing etc and found it fun to send one of their creations in and get a badge back!

if you don’t do it before the summer, perhaps it would be a nice challenge over the summer. You could do the sports one together!

i do ‘Every Day in May’ with my kids - we pick
something we want to get better at - running, sports, reading, writing, drawing and try and do it every day! I was impressed with my eldest who went on a bike ride every day last year - you could use this for the summer.

Check out what’s going on at the library. Make sure you follow local sports’ clubs. They may run taster days or camps. Make sure you know which of your son’s friends are around. Have one over for a day if they need childcare and maybe your son could sleep over or something in return.

Free ideas:

  • park marathon - visit 26 different parks in your local area (this was surprisingly fun!)
  • geocaching
  • couch to 5k
  • walk in the woods - you can try forest school type activities - take a bungee cord and a tarp and some pegs and make a shelter. Take a flask of hot chocolate. Take a potato peeler and wool and peel a stick then wrap it.
  • Library - it’s free to order kids’ books. Mine are constantly ordering all the Minecraft ones.
  • Lego challenge. Make something tiny. Make something spooky. Make a marble maze.
  • Work through all your board games and get rid of ones you don’t like.

Places to visit:

  • museum;
  • swimming (ours is free for kids in the summer actually and over 8s can get in alone. I recommend doing it with them though, it’s fun!) if he doesn’t have lessons see if they do intensive ones over the summer.
  • new sport - paddle boarding, canoeing, sailing.
  • climbing/bouldering.
  • Trampoline park
  • bowling
  • laser quest
  • local city (we are near Bristol and did a Banksy self guiding walking tour I found online but there will be similar everywhere).
  • take the train or bus somewhere.

I’d maybe figure out what you would have spend on your holiday and how much budget you have for fun activities! Mine love going to the shop in town and picking out a chocolate bar of their choice. Costs less than a fiver and it’s an easy win!

ItstheZwartbles · 09/03/2023 07:30

Does your 9 year old not have friends he can go out to play with? Thats what mine did all summer at that age, still does at 14. We do days out as well but I am not an entertainer and like to actually relax a bit when I have some time off and potter in the garden.

Original poster
Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:34

Yeah the age gap (not planned that way) and changes stages does make it trickier in some ways
so the loads summer we spent at home the eldest was only just 13

OP posts:
Original poster
Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:35

great idea about the blue Peter badge I don’t even know they’re still existed

OP posts:
Original poster
Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:36

I need to think where i can find out about what’s on in the summer then
is it a hit to early to start looking now not will thjngs be listed now

OP posts:
ilovebagpuss · 09/03/2023 07:39

I would think the 16 year old might get a part time job after GCSE's mine has so that will fill some time.
Week away in a uk cottage if finances allow.
Grab a basic couple of festival tents and sleeping bags and mats and have a few camping adventure weekends.
Trips to cities for a night in a hotel, mine like Manchester and Birmingham or Cardiff.
If you aren't at work you can do baking, daily walk, swimming all the usual stuff.

Gazelda · 09/03/2023 07:41

Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:19

is it a bit too early to start asking friends what their plans are?

As I work full time and find it tricky to ensure I get quality time off with DD during the school hols, I'd be a bit miffed if one of my friends started asking me in snowy March what plans I had in the summer as she was struggling to think of how to entertain her 2 while (apparently) not working and not able to take their usual month long trip.

Nearer the time, sure. But I've got Easter and half term to cover first.

Original poster
Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:48

I think it’s the age gap thing making it trickier 😰😰wasn’t planned that way 😢but guess gotta make the best of it

teenager going to be doing a couple of weeks work at dads work

OP posts:
ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 09/03/2023 07:49

Hollyhead · 09/03/2023 06:27

I never understand this need to ‘fill’ holidays. Have a few days out, the rest of a time is an opportunity to chill out at home. I don’t remember the summer holidays being filled up with stuff for me in the 90s, but it’s when I learnt to entertain myself!

This.

Just set limits on the screens. Personally i wouldn't allow a nine year old to game at all.

Books, projects, hiking, learn another language, learn to cook/bake, volunteer somewhere, etc - fill the time with an interesting goal or mission. Constant entertainment turns the mind to mush.

Original poster
Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:50

“Constant entertainment turns the mind to mush“
what would you class as constant entertainment ? Gaming ?

OP posts:
ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 09/03/2023 07:54

Gaming, theme parks, screens, and other artificial passive activities.

Have them learn/do something useful. Do you have a garden? Perhaps they could update part of it and learn about horticulture or building a bench or whatnot.

Let them start a pet sitting business or something like that.

maddy68 · 09/03/2023 07:54

I live in a holiday destination. Tourists piss me off frankly the restaurants are all full , takes ages to walk down the main street and it's really hot.

Hope that makes you feel a bit better

gogohmm · 09/03/2023 07:56

One of the cheaper options is to go to france inland, there's incredibly cheap hotels still, we were paying £40 a night including breakfast last year, most had triples for not much more, explore the interior a few different places and do activities like river canoes (seems popular there) lake swimming, hiking. A combination of google and booking.com found them. Buy food in supermarkets for picnic lunches (carry a cool box powered by the car, plus bread knife, chopping board, cutlery, can opener etc) bring cans from the U.K. if they are a fan, cheaper here, for evenings we found set menus for around €15

Original poster
Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 07:59

maddy68 · 09/03/2023 07:54

I live in a holiday destination. Tourists piss me off frankly the restaurants are all full , takes ages to walk down the main street and it's really hot.

Hope that makes you feel a bit better

Why would that make me feel better?

OP posts:
Original poster
Redrobinbobbin · 09/03/2023 08:00

we do have a garden but I’m not sure if trust them with other peoples pets

OP posts:
SNWannabe · 09/03/2023 08:04

I am finding it hard to sympathise when I can’t actually get any Annual leave over the summer at all as I’m new to my job and it is all booked up already 😔

It does sound a bit like you have a tendency to micro manage- like wanting to ask your friends what their plans are for summer! So perhaps this is a wee wake up call for you to reflect on this, and become more comfortable going with the flow and seeing what happens in life.

WashableVelvet · 09/03/2023 08:05

How about a few days’ cycling holiday, or day hikes/rides? Physical exhaustion for free is a great thing 😄 and these are some of our best days with our (currently younger) kids as well as my best memories as a teen with my parents.

AuntieMarys · 09/03/2023 08:06

Surely the 16 year old will be hanging out with friends/ doing own thing?

bert3400 · 09/03/2023 08:07

If you are looking for sunshine abroad, you could hire a motorhome in your country of choice and drive to various locations around the country. I live in Spain and there are several Motorhome companies that hire them out fully equipped. They may even park it at your chosen campsite if you are not confident at driving it ?

tealgate · 09/03/2023 08:10

Get the 16 year old to do NCS. That'll keep them occupied and useful for a few weeks

Musicsoundsbetter22 · 09/03/2023 08:11

I grew up in the 80s/90s. Too poor for holidays for majority of it. We spent most of ours in the garden, paddling pool, hoses and so on or in rubbish weather inside playing with our toys/watching tv. So then when old enough on our bikes with friends to the park or each others houses etc.

Time at home just to relax and be isn’t a bad thing either. Limit the gaming time sure . Depends on the nine year old and their attitude/interests but board games, jigsaws, craft, baking, movie afternoon with snacks. Time playing with their older aged toys or Lego or whatever they have that’s not a screen.

DuvetDownn · 09/03/2023 08:11

I used to have the Merlin pass and do a big day out at leastonce a week, meet a friend with DC at least once a week, do something like bowling or morning cinema once per week and stay in the other day.
I used to buy my DC a new game for their console at the start of the holidays plus new craft stuff and that helped.

bert3400 · 09/03/2023 08:12

@maddy68

I also live in a very popular destination. Our population in the winter is 30k in the summer months that increases to 150k ...yes it's annoying but if we didn't get tourist our economy would be desimated. The tourists keep restaurants and bars open for us locals throughout the quietest times of the year, when we get our great town to ourselves.

Stepuptowardsinfinity · 09/03/2023 08:16

Perhaps your 16 year old could get a summer job? Just a thought. Might teach them some responsibility and that summers aren't just swanning off for a month with mummy?