Any tips for making the holidays easier?

[Zippydoodah]

I've got a nearly 13 year old who had a mother of all meltdowns over homework. She has form for this but hasn't had one for a while so I am feeling quite shook up.

I've also got an 8 year old who wants to be stuck in the house 24/7 and won't even come out to the shop for a pint of milk without having a hissy fit.

The not quite 13 year old gets bored very easily so staying at home is a nightmare for her. She has problems with friendship at school, so consequently, she plays with the local kids who are a lot younger and can't go out/far alone.

She is also buzzing and restless, keeps calling me, runs up and downstairs, is in & out of the kitchen. The kids coming in are NOISY and are starting to annoy me by kicking balls at the windows, fence and getting food or make up or paint or something all over the floor.

I do want a bit of a life now and be able to do my own thing. Is that even possible yet? I thought it would be.

Have you planned any days out? The big age gap is harder as they would be into different things, however a day out could be what's needed, the beech, cinema / pizza, up town shopping trip?
It seems she's crying out for a bit of company and stimulation.
What does the 8 yo do while at home?

I remember being a bit of a cow at 12/13, equally I remember my mum never took me anywhere during the holidays or never planning a day out.
She sounds a bit lonely and she's maybe picking up on the fact that your irritated by having her hanging around.
I'm not having a go, I've 2 under 5 and at times I dream of them being grown up

She does get taken out. We went out Monday and yesterday. Today was a day at home because we had a doctor's appointment slap bang in the middle of the day so it was difficult to fit much in but she did pop to the neighbour's and they popped back so it wasn't as if she was alone. I needed a quiet day today, too, after 2 busy days.

She is the sort of child who requires constant stimulation. I like it when I like it but have an almost primeval need for downtime. I've tried to fight it but I have never succeeded. It's in my make up. My son is like me. He's happy to potter but likes company when he likes it but would happily spend quite a bit of time alone, which is a pain when we have someone who always wants to be out.

Also, my mum never took us anywhere in the summer. We lived 3 miles from town and she didn't drive but we used to play in the street with the local kids. There wasn't much money around then and most days out to theme parks and the like were a massive treat every now and then and we only did this when my dad was home. I don't have a particularly high income and I reduce my hours in the holidays so I do have to be careful with the longer ones. Unfortunately, we do live in a rich area so her school mates quite often make trips into town and spend more money than I would on myself. I don't even try to keep up. A lot of this is exposed on Social Media too so it's a different world.