How much "educational" type play do you do with your children?

[cleaninglady]

Just wondering about this as its half term and so far have done zilch with dd (5 1/2) not out of not wanting to but because ds (2 1/2) has become a right handful and is taking up most of my attention i did loads with dd when she was smaller , read lot of books, practising writing and letters etc etc but probably mainly as she was PFB it seems to have paid off as she is quite bright but the last year i havent put much effort in at all and also ds has had virtually nothing in the way of "educational" activities so I am feeling bad about this to but he is so full on he wont even sit still whilst i read a book to him!! Should I be making more effort? Or am I okay letting school do the hard work for me and Pre-school for when ds starts in september?

None.

My idea of 'educational' play is a walk in the woods or on the beach or a trip to the zoo or Botanical Gardens - pointing out plants and animals, shapes in the clouds, types of shells, picking up crabs and releasing them, watching tadpoles grow into frogs, etc.

I don't do any sit-down educational stuff with mine either. Ds1 (6) likes to read his library books by himself and sometimes chooses to write stories but that's something he likes to do for himself. Ds2 (4) learns best by looking at things around him. He likes looking at non-fiction books but isn't really interested in stories.

I make sure that ds1 does his homework, spellings etc during term-time but the holidays are a time for him to have a break IMHO.

thanks for the responses - feel better now!! i do think they get more out of experiences such as expat has mentioned but as I am new to the school thing and playground "discussions" about what level book your child is on and i dont want to let them down by not doing things that other parents are doing to help them with school !!