Ideas on how to make it more exciting......

[anniebear]

(no, not that [grin ] grin]

Towards the end of last summer we bought a static caravan, only;y 50 minutes away

We often go of a weekend.

Because it takes all our money, we are having our weeks summer holiday there in July

But because we go there often, it is not exciting for DD (6 in August)

She is desperate to go down to Tenby like we did last June. But we can't afford to and would be silly to when we have a caravan !

I have tried to explain that other people go for their summer holiday and that's that, where as she is lucky as she will be able to go on holiday there and also have weekends there

But that hasn't worked lol

Any ideas how I can make the weeks stay there something for her to look forward to?

When we stay for longer and call it our holiday we do try to do some proper days out, whereas when we go for the weekend, we usually stay local

I just think its sad that she is not at all excited about going on holiday

Any idea's?

Thanks

Ds is 5 and was really upset not to be going abroad as his friends were going to spain. You are a parent and therefore it is your job to disappoint, embarrass and generally wreck your dds life by living in the real world. She is 5 and would no doubt prefer to be going on holiday to Tenby, disneyland or the moon, and she is entitled to say that(I would like to go on holiday to Hawaii but I can't afford it). She will have a good time anyway at the caravan.

yes she will have a good time

But at 5 she is not exactly going to be grateful that shes having a holiday

suppose if she didnt moan about that, there would be something else!!

is there a caravan swap club maybe that you could contact? If you are in this situation then there must be others in the same situation too surely and you could swap for the week.

Is it a very smart one? If not, she could decorate it while you're there . Just temproary surface decor, no fumes, hang fabrics etc - make a pink palace or an Indian theme (The Little Princess) with sarees.

erm, yes!!! it is pretty smart!!! lol

dont know mckenzie , but a good idea

Thanks

We're caravanning fairly close to home too. We've got friends with their children joining us for one day & we're planning to have a barbecue with some of those disposable barbecues. Would she enjoy something like that?

yes thanks

Just trying to wrok out some good days out (with all my Tesco vouchers deal things!!)

I will show the places on line ina few weeks, maybe that will do the trick also

Hope you have a good time. My dc are a bit younger & it's our very first trip away with them so their expectations are lower which helps I just mention the beach & ice creams and they get excited!

can she take a friend along with her? even just on the weekends, then she will be the kid everyone wants to know cos her parents havea cool caraavan and go on holiday aaallll the time

PinkChick , I would rather sell the caravan

It is a lovely idea, but she has a twin with SN so it all gets a bit too much and chaotic at the best of times!!!! lol

Thanks bobsyouruncle , hope you have a great time also

hmm, ok i understand..how about her choosing new bedding?, a new toy to take?, dont really know what else to suggest, sorry

Take a portable DVD player with you!

What's she into to?

Look up places of interest for kids you can drive to and chat about them.

Start her collecting things that you can collect together while away?

Start a project together you can do while away - some sort of scrap book thing?

Teach her a new skill - knitting maybe while you are away?

Buy a new fab book that is for holiday and you can read together while away?

New rollerskates to be used for first time on holiday?

Arrange for the 2 of you to have your hair cut, washed and blowdried while you are away.

Buy her new nailvarnishes and nail stickers for holiday?

we never go very far. but ds always likes it as I make sure he has some one to one time. can you do that a little trip just with her. we maange it as dh or I look after dd and theother does something with ds(now he is 15 not so easy)

how about her own camera(disposable) so she can make a scapr book like tc suggested with materials, shells whatever you have around you where you go?
or even if you have an older video camera, she can do a video diary of hol?

some brilliant idea's

Thank you so much!!

I will run them by her and see which take her fancy!!!!

Now if they brought out a Numberjacks 2 dvd I would buy that for her hols....She would be more excited about that than she would Christmas shes mad on them lol

Yes I love the idea of a holiday scrapbook. You could do a number jack based one. She has to find 1 shell 2 bits of driftwood 3 pebbles, 4 lolly sticks and so on.
You could visit the cbeebies webpage first and print off things she culd cut and stick.
Portable camera great idea to go woth scrapbook so she can take pics of 1 seagull, 2 pics of the sea, a picture of 3 shops she likes or whatever.

numberjacks to print out and colour in

we used to go to my dads static caravan we used to walk along beach collecting stones shells muscles. we used to do baking, look for stuff in second hand shops etc you can get lots games dolls cars etc
sand pictures put glue(pva works best) on paper in pattern/pic them sprinkle sand then paint it
shells make lovely jewllery
we washed ourr clothes

take some dye and do tye dying of old t-shirts with pebbles you find on beach.

Take glue and make a shell jewellry box.

Wherebaouts are you actually going byw?

If it has a beach nearby go crab hunting in rock pools. I used to love doing this.