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

[Legacy]

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!

I do make use of the speacial events that the free museums put on and the NT properties do a lot of kids activities too.

A bit of both really.

We are going to the Roald Dahl museum tomo (and afterwards we walk up to Roald Dahl's grave) so that way we are doing something "educational" but also getting fresh air and exercise.

We are going to see Kung Fu Panda 3 on Thursday-doubt that counts as educational but it should be good fun!

Next week we are doing a chocolate workshop in Covent Garden followed by the London Transport Museum.

We are also booked in on a local "Field Studies Day"-not too sure what that will entail???

As well as the above there will be loads of tv watching, playing on the computer, homework, mooching about the house, reading, eating the mountains of Easter chocolate and the DC also have to get new shoes/trainers/wellies/plimsoles dreading how much all of that will set me back-might need to re-mortgage the house and haircuts too.

2009 ZOMBIE THREAD

How did I not see that TalkinPeace

However, I guess it is all still relevant to today.

A mix 'down days' of just entertaining themselves are important, eldest will do 3 forest school days and a couple of play dates, and I have just had an op so reliant on help this half term so we are defiantly doing less

Neither.

We try to relax and have fun together as a family, and hopefully not kill each other

Neither.

we try to go out and do something active or fun.

Everything is educational. When they get older it's harder to get them up in time to do anything. Boredom is an under-rated skill.
I love holidays. We try to do something but allow lots and lots of time to chill.

Yesterday was Marwell Zoo
today is revision
tomorrow is appointments and shopping
Friday is travelling
next week is shed loads of revision

Tennis this week and next week plus sleepovers,working on a dairy farm and some revision.My cunning plan of getting exercise every day ( 2.5 hrs) should mean they have no energy to fight.But one has demoted the other from leader on 'clash of clans' and there was outright war and tears for some time.
I now have a headache.
Does anyone want my 4?

Surely most people do a bit of a mixture? Ours do quite a bit of hanging out at home, playing computer games, reading, watching the odd film. And we go out - but largely on walks to nice places. We have a dog, so we have to go for walks anyway, and we live in a rural area with amazing scenery.

I wouldn't consider the time at home as 'being cooped up' or bored looking after of the dc. But neither would I consider going out and about to be deliberately 'educational'. Most people I know do the same sort of stuff, although some are constantly taking their dc to theme parks/soft play/cinema/kids' farms etc but we rarely do those things because they are expensive!

I mix it up. Am a teacher and for a couple of days like to a avoid places with groups of kids!
DS and I will walk the dog, visit museums, go to a sculpture park, read books, watch movies, visit friends ....
As ever his father (sbxh) is too busy to see him at all!
It will be wonderful.