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Original poster

In school holidays do you organise 'educational' activities or just 'look after' your kids?

63 replies

Legacy · 20/02/2009 11:52

OK - I sense this has the potential to be controversial (what isn't on MN these days?) but I'm genuinely interested...

When I look around my children's friends, it seems as if their parents fall into one style or the other i.e.

The 'Looking afters' - where parents seem to dread school holidays and muddle through, with kids left to own devices or trips shopping etc

The 'educationalists' - where the time is mapped out with a variety of nature trails; museum visits; craft activities etc.

I will admit that I'm more of the latter, as I simply can't stand having us all cooped up at home, arguing about the Wii etc.But then I have two boys, and it seems we NEED to leave the house to stay sane...

Which are you?

If you do the 'education' style thing, how do you find enough things to do? It seems to get harder with every holiday, as we seem to have exhausted all the local things now!

OP posts:
PrimulaVeris · 20/02/2009 18:54

This half term:

Weekend visiting grandparents (100 miles away)
2 days holiday club (cos I work)
1 day doing haircuts, shopping for new pants/t shirt/shoes/ etc. Then slobbing
1 day with friends
today - supermarket run and relucantly diving into homework mountain (them) and housework mountain (me), followed by slobbing
Weekend - hopefully mix of slobbing, bike ride

Will compare badly with competetive educationalist mums at school gate on return, methinks

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 20/02/2009 19:06

I consider school hols are for the things they don't get to do much of @ school - like lots of exercise, playing, not getting up or going to bed early, mooching about in pjs, minimal nagging from me about the state of their hair & fingernails, and stuff like playing a loooooooong game of monopoly, making banana bread, stuff we don't have time for.
Today had DS1 sortng out the BIG pile of unpaired socks that had been generating over the 6 wks since Xmas hols - he happily did it as it was a novelty

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 20/02/2009 19:08

One day I announced they could play as long on the playstation as they wanted. They were as they are usually rationed, and said they would be on all day. Interestingly after about 2 hours tey truned it off and went outside

plonker · 20/02/2009 19:14

I suppose I'm a muddlethrough-er without the dread

We are happy to go day to day and see what happens. We have met up with friends, gone to the park, gone to grandparents, gone to soft play and we have also dossed around the house playing wii.

I would hate to have everything run to a schedule in the hols. School is rigid enough, I like my girls to be able to relax and chill in the hols

superfrenchie1 · 20/02/2009 19:20

definitely think school hols are for chilling at home, playing with their toys and generally relaxing. feel a bit sorry for kids whose every minute is planned out with educational activities. kids need space to get bored - they come up with really creative stuff when they're bored

when ds was born i tried too hard to make everything educational and cultural so we spent his first 3 years in tate modern and the science museum, but these days it's all about me sitting down with a cup of tea and listening to the radio (ok - mn and facebook) while the kids lie on their tummies and play with lego... though they do get fresh air every day...

(i work FT normally so time at home with the dcs all day is a rare treat!)

superfrenchie1 · 20/02/2009 19:21

i do not sit staring at my computer all day btw! in fact i don't normally turn it on til they're asleep - honest!

chainstitch · 20/02/2009 19:22

i ignore mine. with the odd activity thrown n.

PerArduaAdNauseum · 20/02/2009 19:25

Monday and Tuesday I did stuff with my DS (age 5 and in Reception). It wasn't till Wednesday, when forced by migraine (poss induced by previous 2 days) to stay in and be very very dull, that he actually started playing with his toys (and the sofa cushions) and enjoying himself the way he used to before he started school. It was glorious to see him thinking for himself again . And he built a 'staircase' out of cushions to get 'from the spaceship down to earth where the bananas are' .

Boredom good. Boredom should be compulsory

MrsMattie · 20/02/2009 19:25

I think half term should be about fun and relaxation, so while I'm not too bothered about 'educational' stuff, I think I am doing a bit more than just 'minding' my own kids.

We've had a day out in London, been swimming a few times, to the park/playground/library loads, made cakes and had a fair few treats (doughnuts, hot choc in the park, ice cream etc). We've had friends over and visited friends, too. We've had a pyjama day and watched DVDs (well, I've MN-ed loads and Actually Started Reading A Book ). It's been nice.

Does it have to be one or the other?

Dottoressa · 20/02/2009 22:54

It's a mixture for us - though nothing very educational (as their school is so full-on and academic, I feel they need time to bum around in the holidays).

We do a lot of hanging around making things out of cardboard, but also go out as DS (6) in particular drives me insane if he doensn't burn off enough energy. But we tend to do free things like go for very long walks (4-y-o DD hates them, bless her - I bribe her with edibles). Walking to the shops and library is good, and fills up a morning nicely. Our highlight of the week was a sock-fight: we built a wall between the DCs and me out of sofa cushions, then used every sock in the house as ammunition. They loved it!

I am also a great fan of boredom. We don't do computers (well, the DCs don't), and they get 20 minutes of TV per day while I play the piano!

christywhisty · 21/02/2009 11:49

Now I don't get much holiday I have to provide more activities for them.

This week they had a mini zoo crew day, tuesday they fended for themselves until I finished work at 3,then we went over to my mums and stayed the night, went shopping wednesday.
Thursday and Friday i booked them at the mariners base where they did bellboating,climbing,canoing and sailing. DS has gone back again this morning.

sprinklycheese · 21/02/2009 21:57

I think dossing around is educational too - they're learning to entertain themselves.

We go for a mixture of dossing around and outings/ activities - think that's a nice balance....and I'd be bankrupt if we did outings all the time!

vess · 22/02/2009 18:38

I like educational activities - I get the chance to learn something myself!

sarah293 · 22/02/2009 18:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

roisin · 22/02/2009 18:53

I'd like to say I'm laidback and we just chill out, but I'm not! If we're just home and chilling out, then we just chill out; but if I'm 'organising' something then in all honesty it does have an educational bent to it, because I like learning along with the boys (9 and 11).

This hols we went away for a few days and 'did' 3 museums. At Easter we're going to Edinburgh Science festival/museums. And at Whit we're going to the Hay literature festival.

We also do 'character-building' hikes/walks and birdwatching trips!

And we also do themeparks at times as well.

For me it's about finding a balance and finding things that everyone can enjoy. Holidays are no fun, if someone's miserable.

I do find I have to rein in my enthusiasms a bit at times though. If it were down to me I would have them always watching educational documentaries on TV, but fortunately dh provides a little balance with things like The Simpsons, Lost, Monty Python, Black Adder, Fawlty Towers, etc.

Madsometimes · 23/02/2009 14:06

We had a fairly quiet half term. We went to the park and a local museum one day. Another day dd1 had a friend over to do homework and another trip to the park. We did the cinema one day. My dd's did two swimming sessions on another two days. However, for some days it was just at home with the wii and their toys. My children were def bored on some days but it does do them good to not be trailing around with a totally full diary all the time.

dd1 said rather accusingly to me last night that her half term was so boring and that if she had to write her news everyone would think that she was a loser. I patiently explained to her that actually it was not, and that some children would have been sat in front of the television for the entire holiday. It cannot be legoland every holiday.

Dottoressa · 23/02/2009 14:26

Mad - my DS was planning what to write in his news book this morning before school. It consisted of:

My little sister stole my chocolate

We had a sock fight

We went to the library

We pruned the clematis

Um, I think that was it. But as the rest of his class will be writing up their skiing holidays, it does at least have the benefit of being Something Different!

Lemontart · 23/02/2009 14:30

A bit of both! We took them out on the odd day trip but they also love to play with all their toys and in the street with their mates.

For most I would imagine it is about balancing practicalities with common sense. Money is also a big factor. Would love to take them to somewhere exotic for a week and learn about different cultures etc or perhaps a snowboarding holiday, canoeing across southern france perhaps, maybe a train journey across eastern Europe etc etc etc but reality is that we still have to work and money doesn?t stretch to exciting and dramatic experience every single holiday time.

bronze · 23/02/2009 14:37

I find it funny that educational things have to be so planned as it were.

I don't take them on nature trails we take the dog for a walk or go and collect kindling and discuss whats around us or pretend theres monsters in the woods.
I might not take them to petting farms but they come outside and help me sort out the chickens.
I don't have craft activities planned out but the recyling bin is regularly raided and rockets/anti burglar devices are always to be found round the house.

This halfterm they also went to the fair with DH, watched tv, went to the park and got covered in mud int he garden. I suspect they learned something from all these too.

Not sure which catergory I fall into.

Scrumplet · 25/02/2009 23:30

I'm ill at ease with the two categories, TBH. I'm not full-on educationalist in the holidays. (I think, ironically, that some of the most overtly "educational" things can be boring to kids, and the most seemingly boring or pure fun things, educational - IYSWIM.) But I'm not anti hol's either - I love them. There's a sliding scale, maybe.

DS (4) had nearly two weeks off, and we went to a science centre for young kids (my "educational" idea - and he was bored!). We went to a submarine museum, something he'd specifically asked to do, and loved it. Interestingly, I think child-led activities are often the most educational, because the child is interested and engaged. We had several days in pyjamas, playing LEGO, me reading the paper, lots of rough-and-tumbles. Did some cooking. Went to the cinema with a friends. Stayed with family for a few days, and had friends stay with us. A couple of playdates, and walks/trips to the park. I did some singing with a guitarist friend, and DS came along and was fascinated (if a bit bored at times). I had grand ideas for a crafty holiday - had a couple of projects lined up - and we didn't get around to doing them. Wish school was part-time, TBH. Love the holidays.

HMC · 25/02/2009 23:33

I tend to organise activities - but not motivated by a desire to educate, more by a desire to keep them occupied.

HMC · 25/02/2009 23:36

Just reflecting - at half term we went to a pottery workshop on Monday, the theatre on Tuesday, a plate painting workshop on Wednesday, had a friend over to play on Thursday and visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyards to see the Victory and Mary Rose on the Friday

skramble · 25/02/2009 23:37

I suppose I am in the middle, lucky to work part time that is flexable and a good MIL for when I work away in the summer.

I plan trips, but don't go all out for educational.

The kids also do drama summer schools, or dance or ski. They seem to have great fun and make new friends. But I enjoy taking them out too but also love PJ days where we slob out with DVD's and popcorn all day.

Sometimes its just for a walk, last summer DD and me spent 2 hours chucking rocks in the river, literally chucking rocks in the river, she made up a multi skill level game and had to work our way through all the levels . Love days like that.

As I said not educational just making memories. I think they will look back on the PJ days as fondly as the running about in the woods days and the dance workshop days too.

Coldtits · 25/02/2009 23:43

I'm a dog walker without a dog. I make mine traipse outside for hours and hours, or go and play in the garden. I'm surprised they don't have skin cancer.

MrsWeasley · 25/02/2009 23:54

If a local museum has an event on that we are interested in we will go along.

We have done an egyptian day, tutors, a flight workshop(this one was so cool we made loads of excellent paper aeroplanes and all flew them in the car park. Oh as well as learning how planes stay up etc) We had a lovely day at a Roald Dahl museum too.

We havent even ventured to the London museums yet.