To be dreading the summer holidays

[EmptyBoxesss]

I have a son I adore, more than anything, but I never know what to do with him. I really struggle with entertaining him! He’s 6. I take him swimming and to the park and on his bike and we do the library and crafting, but there are 12 hours in a day for 7 weeks! It’s so long I run out of ideas and I find it so hard. We will visit my family for a week but that’s 6 other weeks of the two of us and it’s so overwhelming. I’ll try and book in a couple of okay dates but I haven’t got links with many of the other mums to be honest, I’m trying to change this.

Is it just me? How do people keep their kids busy every day?

Check out your local council and local charities, the place near me does a load of stuff, mainly it is for parents with HAF codes, but I don't think they turn anyone away.

educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/12/how-we-are-providing-free-holiday-club-places-and-healthy-meals-for-children-that-need-it-most/

Our local library runs activities that are free or low cost.

Local churches run a holiday club for a week which is £10 for the week.

Lots of museums have free activities on.

I know work FT so summer is generally spent in clubs but I used to have a list of all of the above and the dates they were happening.

Does he see his dad? I work but in the summer we always take a week off together for a family holiday and then a week off each separately where we each take a turn entertaining them for the week. Then the remaining 3 weeks are a mix of holiday clubs, grandparents and them having to entertain themselves while one of us WFH.

Make a timetable with him. Routines will help both of you.
Definitely try to make some friends with the mums. Set up a WhatsApp group for the summer holidays to see if people can get together at local parks.
councils often run things for the summer. Your local library will have stuff going on too.
You can incorporate some learning and crafts into your days.
Bbcbitesize or any other free educational sites
Youtube origami and simple craft ideas
Youtube also has read aloud books for when you want to take a break but feel guilty that dc hasn’t done any reading.
Sealife aquariums and zoos have online learning stuff if your dc is interested in animals.
Do you have a garden? Set up some water play.
Let dc build a dinosaur land or jungle for any toy animals.
Find all the free places to visit in your area and take a trip.

We do similar, we do a big list at the start of the holidays and tick them off

OP I understand..I have two kids who are both ND and when they don't entertain themselves unless it's in front of a box it's relentless and exhausting

Play dates are essential!
It’s too much on your own - on play dates kids pretty much entertain themselves.

We have played every orchard toys game in the house and the karaoke machine is now out. It is only 10am on day 1 🫠

I’d much prefer a 6yo than my 3yo op, but I hear you. It’s harder in a way for you because he’s an only. Break up the day, 1 activity or outing , some creative play, screen time,

Do you live anywhere near Trevaskis Farm OP? Near Hayle? They have loads of fruit ready for picking. Your DS might like that.

I haven’t got links with many of the other mums to be honest

I think this is your biggest issue. When when we're small, we did
Some kind of activity with other kids 2/3 times a week.

Why are there no links? Has your child got friends at school? How often do you invite them back to yours to play/for dinner?

Parks, parks and more parks! I looked after children for years and they loved simple things like eating lunch at the park and going for an ice cream. It doesn’t have to be spending money all the time - I used to take them to the river to paddle and collect stones. We’d take them home and paint them. Let him paint in the garden - you can hang his works of art on the line to dry - no mess in the house.

Go to the library for books and read with him. You don’t get these years back - enjoy them without spending a fortune.

And for your own sanity meet up with other parents - they’ll appreciate adult company just as much as you while the kids play.

Check out pawprint badges
Pick out something that he enjoys. Download the PDF and order the badge if you think he'll want it. I usually do one or two per holiday. We are a scouting/guiding family though so quite like earning badges for our blankets.
I also have a National Trust membership. Mine is around £13 a month but for an adult and child it's less. Entry fee is usually around £14 an adult do I easily make it back if I do several during each school holiday. We rarely do the houses and just enjoy the grounds and the activities they put on in the holidays.
I also do something that the kids ask for each holiday- we call it park crawl. We pick three locally and go to them (we are rural so have to use the car), take lunch and snacks and be out most of the day. There is a playground app that you can download which is good for finding the obscure ones on new housing estates.

Send him to beavers. We would run day events in the summer and often they’re either free (you just provide a packed lunch) or a couple of quid for a bus etc.

I don't get the whole holidays off but I pre plan everything. I find it easier to manage what we are doing and not miss anything or do the same thing too many times. It also means we spend less money over all as everything is budgeted for including the small ice creams here and there/lunch out etc.
I split time between big days out (only one or two a summer), days at home and simpler activities (free or low cost). Try not to put two the same days next to each other otherwise DS gets bored quickly.
Look at local council activities or local area activities. Even some of our local pubs are doing activity days for children.
Facebook what is going on locally - events or local town notice board groups are good.
Look at local country parks and play areas.
Kidspass or VIP days out do offers for 1 month for £1 I think. You can get discounts off alot of places to make days out cheaper.

Example - my full week off this year is:
Mon - Home day - Screen time (more than normal) plus garden time (pool if the weather is nice etc). Football. We might bake as its also my birthday later in the week.
Tues - Seeing a friend not at school together. Will cycle to see them.
Wed - Big day out (Harry Potter Studios this year - I budgeted and saved over the year for this one). Picnic lunch.
Thurs - Council run free sport session and maybe swimming at the local leisure centre.
Fri - Seeing family friends who also have children. Lower cost day out at a local farm (cheap entry). Picnic lunch. We usually go to a country park on the way home too.

I do also have a day off the first week which is purely a do nothing day. Stay at home. Watch a bit of TV and potter. DS usually helps with whatever I am doing or just goes and plays by himself. Sometimes has a nap.

I agree,it's not good for children to be played with and entertained every minute of the day. So something in the morning - park, swimming, visiting family or friends , play date and then he can watch telly and play at home by himself.

I totally understand where you are coming from, I used to dread the long summer holidays when my DC’s were young.
I didn’t drive then so couldn’t go very far.
For several years we couldn’t afford a holiday away so there wasn’t even that to break the weeks up.
A lot of good ideas from other posters.
oh, and when mine were young it was long before iPads and computer games so didn’t even have that to help!!

Think like a teacher and ‘lesson plan’. Be as structured or loose with this as you want. I’m really not suggesting a full timetable or anything but something you can grasp on to for ideas. Each week come up with a theme and try to come up with related activities to the theme. Notice that most of these things won’t take the full day but it’s enough to keep things interesting while also keeping time open for him to keep himself occupied.

Example :

Outer space
M- go to the library and get books about outer space
T- make something https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/solar-system/
W- watch a sci fi movie
TH- visit a planetarium (yeah have no idea if you have one near you)
F- make ‘moon cheese’ ketokookin.com/recipe/cheese-pops/
S- stay up late and look for constellations

The next week may be ‘camping’ or something with a library trip for camping books, learning knots, making s’mores, telling ghost stories, etc.

Look for events that may be happening throughout the summer and build theme weeks around those events or just put them in the calendar so you don’t forget about them.

While you’re at it come up with a list of filler activities- park, pool, bike riding, play dates, whatever. Plug the list into something like this… https://spinthewheel.app/wheel-of-fun so you can be told what to do when you get stuck 😁

Op you don't need to prep him busy have some planned stuff and then let him be! Potter around, think, and get a bit bored.

https://www.summercampsinla.com/post/creative-summer-camp-themes-that-will-keep-kids-excited-and-engaged

In case anyone is looking for ideas for ‘themes’. Lol… some of these look harder than others.

I always used to envy those who had two or more children close in age. One doesn’t have the same guilt telling them to amuse themselves.

I agree with a PP. If I had my time again, I’d do some work in the holidays… a page of maths/some handwriting practice and reading. I think you’d probably both enjoy this if you didn’t make it too long.

And play dates are your friend here.

Given the number of replies, I can't be certain whether someone else has mentioned this already, but just in case you don't know: there is a nationwide Summer Reading Challenge for children in every public library every year during the summer holidays. This year, it's called "Story Garden".

The aim is to read, or have read to you if you cannot yet read, six books over the summer (any sort of book, whether fiction, non-fiction, audiobook, e-book, e-audiobook, graphic novel, library book or your own book). For each book read, the child gets a sticker; for six stickers, the child gets a medal and certificate.

And, in a twist this year, stickers can be earned by the child doing a reading-related activity (e.g. making a piece of artwork inspired by their book or attending a library event) as well as by reading a book.

By the way (for other parents reading this) there are no upper or lower age limits. Even babies can be read to, and secondary school pupils can participate if they wish to, though most joiners are primary age.

Have fun!

If you live near some national trust places I’d consider getting a membership. It’s really cheap and some absolutely great places to visit with lots going on over the summer holidays

OP

When I was teaching (teenagers) I used to get things from Baker Ross. They have some free crafts too

www.bakerross.co.uk/

At least it's only 7 weeks and not 9 like here in Ireland!! I think 6 weeks is more than enough. It's far too long. I find as the weeks go on it gets more enjoyable, the first few weeks are the hardest- getting into a routine. After that you get used to the laid back days , doing things at your leisure. I would plan to do something 3/4 days per week and take it easy the remaining days.

I would pay for one thing, like swimming, up front, and go a lot. One year I took my kids almost every day with a membership. The other days we went to the library. A wonder around town, maybe a bus ride. Nothing expensive. Between that, the odd playdate, walks in the woods, local parks, out on a bike. I find the time fills up really quickly. You don't have to do a different thing every day.