To wonder what you’re actually doing in the holidays?

[Mumanddone]

We’ve just got back from a lovely sunny country and I feel genuinely disheartened at the weather. DS2 has ususally been screen free but I’m finding myself turning on the TV more and more just for something to do. Can’t do our usual summer activities as it’s pissing it down constantly and I just feel like I’m at a loss. What are you doing?

Working!
The weather has got me down though so have just booked a holiday at end of month

Working. My DS who is 15 will be having long lies and playing his games all day, he does talk to his friends through it to.

We’re just risking it now; putting on coats and getting on with it between the showers apart from today admittedly. My DC don’t care about the rain and I take a cloth to the park to dry off the stuff.
Having survived a winter of lockdown with two young DC in freezing cold rainy parks and my only socialising being on freezing walks this is ok compared to that.
Play dates and museums too

It’s grim. Watching a lot of football and cricket on TV here. Just bought a new board game. DS13 has been hitting the skate park whenever there’s a break in the weather, DD15 seems to be hibernating. Did a trip to London to Science Museum on the weekend and even that was a bit uninspiring.

I’m wondering too. We’re lucky in that I’m currently a SAHM and we can afford to do a fair few indoor activities (so far we’ve done lots of swimming, library, pottery painting, cinema, local theatre summer show and a museum). But there are surprisingly few kids anywhere we go. I’m guessing that lots of families are away on holiday (we haven’t had ours yet) and others are in holiday childcare while parents work, but the lack of children around is quite noticeable and the lousy weather may well be playing a part!

This morning we are going to play table tennis at the leisure centre, and this afternoon we are going bowling. Tomorrow we are going for a premier inn breakfast with some friends (kids eat free with a paying adult) and to a local country park. Friday we are going to the cinema.

Weather looks to be improving here next week thank god. We have spent a fair amount of time inside and that usually means tv/iPads. There’s only so much baking/board games/lego etc mine will tolerate. They much prefer to do activities out of the house.

Working, DD is at holiday club. I have first and last week of the holidays off work, but the rest is a mix of different holiday clubs.

It's grim isn't it. I'm so sick of seeing rain.
It's forecast rain all day here so it'll be another day indoors, the weathers set to improve next week I really hope it does

Primary aged DD has had a few day camps so far - last week was forest school which was entirely outdoors and worked out fine in the end - a few showers but they set up base camp with shelter and it wasn't too rainy in the end. This week it's a drama camp which is all indoors, the rain has been heavy and it's been horrible walking her there but at least she's dry there. Preschooler is with me and we have lots of indoor options - soft play, children's centres, museums. Will have DD with me from next week and we'll be hitting the museums, galleries, booking theatre shows and leisure centres. We're in London so we could probably do a museum every day for the rest of the holidays.

But there are surprisingly few kids anywhere we go. I’m guessing that lots of families are away on holiday (we haven’t had ours yet) and others are in holiday childcare while parents work, but the lack of children around is quite noticeable

I've noticed this too. Lots of kids are away, others (like mine) are in summer camps while their parents work. What has changed around here is that primary children who get free school meals now get free places in the summer camps, so the children who would usually be populating the playground aren't. The whole place comes alive about 5:45pm!

We're lucky that grandparents all take a turn taking the kids out so I don't need to think of an activity every single day. Youngest went to the theatre with Grandad yesterday. Monday they both went to the seaside with their other grandad. Teen has been to the gym a lot and round other people's houses. We will take a turn having his mates over next week.

Today we're going to have a lego day then my toddler niece is coming to play and have cake later on for my birthday. We have a big garden with loads of play equipment which is unuseable today as the rain is so heavy.

Tomorrow we're meeting friends at a NT site no matter what the weather is like.

Glad I booked our fortnight holiday for the end of the holidays so at least we have sun to look forward to.

I’m past little children years but it’s not actually cold so I would have been out and about with a Kagoul on. I grew up rurally on the coast so the issue was always DH who would not be liking it. He grew up as I joke in That London and we had very different childhoods. Mine was a bit like Lord of the Flies :)

We did do some activities like indoor play centres but I just ran mine around outside, we live in a town but have fields, canals and forest about 15 mins away

I'm catching up with all the jobs I don't get done during term time, lying on my bed looking at the garden (in the rain), reading and sitting in the garden when i can.

My daughter has spent most of it so far cooking and working.

So far, not very much as my car gave up literally the day the summer holidays started! The weather would have slowed things down a bit but being car-less in a village with rubbish public transport played more of a part.

Just sorted a car, so we will be able to go and do more again, have plans to go on a waterfall walk we like today or tomorrow, and have swimming and climbing walls planned. A trip to my parents for a few days towards the end of the month, and hopefully a few days here and there in Snowdonia if it drys up at all!

We've done:

Summer Reading Challenge
Blue Peter Sports Badge 2023 (Surfing)
Forest Schools Activity Sessions
Theatre
Cinema
Swimming at the pool
Sleepovers
Cup Camp
Grandparent Outings
Baking
Coding
Cub badge work
Brownies badge work
Nature Reserve Activity Session
Water Sports Adventure Day
Waterpark Activity Session

for DC aged 10 and 8.

We never cancel anything due to weather. Just put waterproofs or wetsuits on and go anyway.

The weather is making some outdoor activity less appealing - while you can go for a walk and stomp in puddles, if it's been pissing down all day the park or an adventure playground isn't very fun as all the equipment is wet. And the garden isn't much fun to hang out in wearing a coat in August.

Sadly a time where throwing money at the situation to do indoor activities is a help, and not everyone can afford that. But young kids really benefit from being able to do some physical exercise at soft play/a leisure centre/an activity.

Today, DD is having a lazy day with probably more screen time than is good for her whilst I work from home and there'll be a few more days like this over the remainder of the holidays.

On the days I'm in the office she goes to holiday club which luckily she enjoys and they do a range of activities. She's carried on with weekly swimming lessons.

So far my plans for walks and bike rides on days off have generally been rained off but if the weather improves we'll do a few of these. I've done a few indoor days out like the trampoline Park but as a single parent on a very average wage the budget for stuff like this is limited. We have got a short break booked in the Peak District.

Otherwise I'm looking at Facebook and similar for any free/cheap things that might be happening locally.

Yeah working first four weekend here!

Kids have:

wk1 - holiday with dad/ my ex
wks 2 and 3 - holiday clubs for dc2/ working on local projects for teen dc1. (During dad’s time still)
wk4 - my parents (at their instigation as I’d booked holiday club but then cancelled) - all week for dc2, part week for dc1
wks 5 and 6 - I’m off work - mixture of holiday with me (mid section of both weeks, 7 days in total), chilling at home, then things like dentist, opticians, new shoes, try to fit in some play dates for dc2 as well!

First four weeks not weekend

The weather is grim and I'm counting down the days 2 weeks today and they go back! I've no money left as we've had to do indoor activities as weather is shit! I usually put paddling pool out go to park/ beach with kids but it's posted down constant bar one day. Working 3 nights in a row from tonight so juggling no sleep and watching kids is going to be fun!

*pissing down