Keeping the kids entertained during school hols

[glassofwine]

Thought I'd ask you all what you plan to do to keep the LO's happy during the long break. Mine are 7, 4,3 and I've got three weeks without DH at home. We'll be meeting up with old friends some days, lots of crafts one or two days out ie. farm visits etc. I can't afford to spend loads, but wondered if anyones got any ideas to inspire me.

I've made a timetable.

Are you inland or near a beach?
Could you go on train trips with a family saver ticket its reasonable in price.
We are putting up a tent in the garden and dh is going to camp out for a couple of nights and they love to play in the tent in the day.
We pack up goodies and go for picnics in the park.
Paddling pool in the garden, couple of bags of play sand from Argos, (2.45 each) in a pile in a spot in the garden with buckets and spades keeps mine happy for ages,

whats on your timetable crackle?

Yep tent in garden can mean hours of fun.

Lots of art and crafts. Poundland has loads of cheap activity stuff.

Go out for the day to nearby NTS property, has playpark and beach so we spend ages there, I have one of those picnic bags with everything in so we just pick up rools and stuff on the way there to make up.

Kids weeks at NTS as well, 2hrs morning 2hrs afternoon, good excersise for me as I spend most of theat time walking.

TV and internet for rainy days too, DS loves all the travel and history stuff and they find loads of games and activities on line.

Obviously I am a bit sad but 8 week summer holidays require a little bit of thought or I get anxious and require wine at lunchtime. Nothing is set in stone apart from their pocket money chores which must be done whilst I have a morning tidy-up.(Mumsnetting)

I include...

Park with a picnic and bikes.
Park with picnic and swimming. (Little lido)
Beach to surf.
Beach for long play with tent.
Rockpooling.
Coastal path with picnic.
Kites.
Playdate here.
Playdate away.
Walk to Library.
County park activity session.
PGL type half day. (surfing or archery)
Museum.
Cinema.
Theatre.
Walk to swimming pool.
Lunch at Tesco then shopping.
Putting on a play complete with program.
Garden play.
Cookery session complete with menus.
Junior Olympics with scorecards.
Tennis on the municipal courts.
Badminton at sports centre.
Scrapbook making.
Going on the bus on market day.
Burning songs onto my ipod. (They love this.) Or is it ripping?
Computer play.
Watching a dvd after making popcorn.
Carboot sale.
Chalking competition on the patio.

Two boys, aged 10 and 7 who love activity but not organised sports so no football training weeks for us.

I know, I know. I'm shaking my own head reading this.

Wow, that's impressive crackle.

I can't even bear to think about the summer holidays yet even though it's approaching fast. I have booked up a fair few sessions at a playscheme, is that cheating?.

Nah I have two weeks at the NTS lined up and DD has a week at dance school. Might try to get a drama thing for another week for DS so they both have one to one time to as well as being able to do their own thing.

BTW we are on holiday already.

Blimey Crackle, can I sne dmine round to yours?

Wher are you? obviously near the coast. TBH, if I lived near the coast, I would just take them down to the beach most days. We are having a 2 week holiday as usual in Cornwall at the end of the school holiday and I cant wait for those 2 weeks as then they become self sufficient for entertainment - give them a spade and the odd ball game and they are away on the sands or cliffs all day.

We will be at the beach at least every other day. I like it more than them! It's all the other hours that freak me out. They are very good at entertaining themselves once they have a direction to go in. Once i make any of these suggestions they are out of my hair for ages.

I just wish they could do the tesco's shop by themselves.

Just sit in the cafe and send them off with the list, or even better give tham a list each and a trolley and make it like supermarket sweep, great fun

That's a cracking idea.

Crackle, am very envious of your list. I have dd aged 5 and ds 2.5, they are at very different stages plus ds still needs a nap most afternoons. Am dreading it tbh - stuck in London and I don't drive. In some ways I wish they were older.

My kids adore the beach but it's too far away!

I suppose you could do a more supervised version , but I think hiding in the cafe with a dried up scone and a weak coffee is the best option.

Wow, I'm impressed. I'm about 45 mins from beach, but have access to DM's caravan, so will plan a few breaks there, but never taken the LO's on my own. I'm a bit nervous of the beach with three and just me, but I guess this summer I'll have to overcome that one.

Any recommendations for approapriate websites for kids, mine like Cbeebies, Nick Jnr and everythinggirl.com - any others?

Don't envy those of you off already - wow that's long.

Holiday is same length we return earlier. I am lucky to have a nearly deserted beach near us, the kids actually think its theirs. Its in the NTS so most people there have paid a fortune for the privilege .

We pay about £3.90 per month bargain I think

bump

glassofwine - crayola.com is good for a few makes

Mine liked ThomastheTankEngine.com and Disney.com.

Starfell is a great site for learning to read. I also used to google 'free kids worksheets' and print them out for colouring and wordsearches etc.

Great websites, I hope I can interest my DD's - I'm getting fed up with the Polly Pocket site.

Any more holiday activities?

good thinking with the washing up bottles cat64 i had forgotton that one. me and my brother used to stay amused for ages doing that!

heres my ideas:

baking
cutting out from old catalogues/magazines
washing the teddies
make telephone from yoghurt pots and string
painting (outside to avoid disaster!)