Three children in the summer holidays

[Sarah62]

Starting to panic about the summer holidays, I’ll be on my own with the kids for 6 weeks. What can we do? They are age 8, 6 and 2. Most things the older kids want to do such as climbing, bowling, trampolining, cinema cannot be done with the 2 year old. I don’t think I could manage a beach day with all 3 of them on my own.

Unfortunately I don’t have anyone else to team up with as my friends are working throughout and sending their kids to clubs every day.

We’ve done all our local parks and national trust places to death during lockdown, similar with crafts, baking etc. Any suggestion of going to a park/national trust is usually met with groaning and whining from the older 2 which really grinds me down!

I find taking all three children out on my own very stressful. Obviously the 2 year old will need constant adult supervision, the older children would go off and play at a park for a short time but it’s stressful trying to keep an eye on all of them especially when it’s very busy.

I’m looking forward to spending more time with them but I’m absolutely dreading the holidays. What can I do???? We’ve only got a very tiny garden too. Can’t afford to put them in clubs/nursery any extra hours.

Make the most of your garden! Is it big enough for a paddling pool? My kids have always loved theirs, and we sometimes put a small slide going in. Few bath type toys for the 2 year old and water guns/squeeze bottles for the bigger ones.

Give them a plant pot, some compost and a sunflower seed each and have a competition whose can grow the biggest.

Chalking on the fence, then ‘paint’ over it with water and a paint brush.

When my two small we invested in our own little bouncy castle. It plugged in and blew up then packed away. They could bounce away at home. Best Buy ever.

Honestly your mindset is going to make the six weeks MISERABLE, you need to take each day as it comes and make the most of spending time with your children. Your negativity about it is making things ten times worse.

Every holiday I draw a calendar out (you could do week by week for the summer) and fill it in so everyone’s got a visual diary of what we are doing.
I ask them what they want to do and I also make a list of free, cheap and easy ideas.
Could you buy an annual pass for somewhere and go there once / twice a week?

I have three with the same age gap as yours, they are now 14, 11 and 7.
I agree with the above poster, a routine is essential!
When they were younger it was:
Up and breakfast, get ready etc. then play. 10-10:30 was a bit of school work - reading or maths app, nothing massive. Then snack time. After that it was housework - they could help me or find something else to do. After lunch we would go out somewhere. Whinging was ignored, took drinks and snacks, sometimes a ball or whatever, then home and tablet/tv time and dinner. The older children would choose one dinner to ‘cook’ with me each week.
Once a week we would do a ‘big’ outing. Farm, picnic, beach etc.
Before the holidays I would collect a box of new toys and games from charity shops, Gumtree, Facebay etc. which would be introduced over the holidays. We would make play dough, do cooking a couple of times, have film afternoons, home made bubble mix, tie dying t shirts.
Definitely make the most of the time that the toddler is at nursery. I think the bigger ones can cope with less attention sometimes if they know that they are guaranteed some time with you later in the week.

This might sound dull but a timetable really helps. We drew up a timetable that was roughly the same for every week day. It helps when the dc know what they’re doing and helps me to know what to do with them and have some vague control.
We had things like
Brush teeth, get dressed, make beds
Workbook/art/crafts/play doh
Make sandwiches and pack snacks
Go out to garden/park
Watch tv/film
Dinner
Reading bed

Have back up plans for rainy days.

Aren’t all restrictions being lifted in July? Will libraries be fully open for the reading challenge?

Allow the 8 and 6 year old to get really bored then they will come up with things to do.

Allow the 8 and 6 year old to get really bored then they will come up with things to do

Seems like we went to the same parenting school

@Slothbynameandnature

Allow the 8 and 6 year old to get really bored then they will come up with things to do.

Was about to say the same thing. Boredom fosters creativity and imagination.

Oh it will fly by & you'll have a wonderful time!

I have very similar age gaps & no nursery or school so this was very much the norm for me over the summer holidays (eldest couldn't manage any of the exciting places while busy over the summer).

You need a rhythm to both your weeks & days so pick one day or two that are your "adventure days" and plan those as days out. For the home days plan up, breakfast, out to park/walk/library & snack, home for lunch then story time (if your 2 won't sit for longer stories read them picture books first- the old two will probably listen too or even better begin story time with eldest reading to the younger), then garden play time /crafts/snack & it will be dinner before you know it.

Mine loved doing a playpark equipment scavenger hunt at your older ages - printed it off from somewhere & they took great joy in visiting all sorts of different playparks to get the different items ticked off. Sometimes just a really bog standard playpark but new to them was fantastic - that can be a day out if you take a picnic

There might be free orienteering courses near by check here www.britishorienteering.org.uk/pocs
The older two can have fun with map & compass (make sure you know where to go ) & wee one can do a nature scavenger hunt.

Duplo is lots of fun with water in the garden (Lego was always considered too precious)

If you have slabs get lots of chalk & let them draw plus you can make easy activity course/spy training with chalk - jump from patch to patch, spin in a circle, hop etc

IME 2 yr olds are rarely so happy as with a paintbrush & bucket of water in the garden.

Bury some cheap plastic dinosaur skeletons in your sandpit one day & let them excavate. (Older ones can make a map/grid of the area & mark where they find them) If no sandpit you can make your own excavation blocks with sand & plaster.

Find your local ducklings/signets & visit weekly to feed them & watch them grow.

When you get that huge cloudburst day in the summer Chuck them into wellies & run outside to splash - home for hot showers once they get too cold!

Maybe do nothing www.theschoolrun.com/benefits-of-boredom-for-kids

When we were kids we had a set schedule for walks and some chores. Every other day we went to library to pick up books. But rest of the time they let us get bored and just play and I remember having the best times!

Place marking as I also have 3 (one of who is a baby!)

Thanks that’s great I’ll have a think some good ideas above.

I’m surprised at some of the suggestions though. Eg do nothing at home. I agree to an extent but honestly we’ve been home doing nothing the majority of the year haha! I can’t think of anything worse than staying at home doing nothing after the last lockdown.

Do you have, or can you pick up second hand a cheap 2 man tent? The oldest 2 can go on a camping trip in the garden. Toast some marshmallows, sleep outside.

But yes we were left to our own devices a lot in the summer holidays- I remember being quite happy when school went back.

I’d say the nursery day is the day you do something geared up for the older children.
You don’t have to entertain them all day every day though. Do you have parents around that can help out? Do your dc sleep over at grandparents? If so, arrange one day a week for a sleepover. Also, what’s your dp up to over summer? Can’t he take them for odd days out?

It does depend where you are
Can the older 2 swim ? I would definately go swimming at least once a week, our local leisure centre would have a creche for the little one.
Cinema has an early morning showing (10:30) of a kids friendly film for peanuts (maybe a £).
Free museums ? obviously the big ones if in London .
Have they bikes ?, do you could the LO go in a seat.
TBH if the 8&6 year old can't swim or ride a bike I would make that a summer project of it's self. Reading challenge definately, times tables competition (google the summer slide) Agree with others you need a routine.

Here's how I managed the beach with 3 little ones.
Take a beach tent that has a door - so you can put your stuff in (reasonably safely). Hire a wind break and mallet when you arrive to give you an area. (Mine was always falling down!!)

Pick your spot - you need a beach with a toilet. The toilet needs to be close enough to the beach that you can see your stuff when you go over there. Depending on your 8 and 6 year old - you either leave them with your stuff while you go - or you take them with you.

Take a picnic of food and drink. Remember sand and food aren't a great mix - so nothing hard to eat.

Put your stuff high enough up the beach the incoming tide won't wash it away - but close enough to the water the kids can splash around.

Mine had strict instructions not to go in the water unless I was down there. Obviously it depends on the water conditions and beach as to how feasible that is - a lovely shelving beach they can splash safely, a steep slope into 6 ft of water isn't the right beach.

Kids need to know they follow your instructions or you pack up and go home.

-- Mine are little older now but my plans for the holidays are always to try to have one fixed thing a week - seeing a friend or family, a day out somewhere, or swimming or something I can pre-book.
Other days - cooking - decide what you will do - go to the shops to buy the things, come home and make it. (Pizza, bread, pastry, cake....)
Have a routine of getting out to go to the park most days. (Yes parks have been done to death - so try pokemon go on the phone, a scavenger hunt, a treasure hunt, taking photos of certain things, sports day at the park..... google ideas.)
Go to the library once a week.
Do you have bikes? - Older two to ride theirs and younger one on the back of yours.

Get a chore board and get the kids to help with one or two chores each day.

Go through netflix and schedule some movies watching (younger one might not want to do this).

Look up local play association for free activities in your area. The government has given councils money to support activities this summer - keep an eye out for whats happening where you are.

Go on a bus trip - this works best if you have a car and it's a novelty. Ditto a train ride to a local town and go to their park.

I would try and divide mon-fri up on a calendar with various options. Ie Monday out somewhere, Tuesday garden with paddling pool/ painting, Wednesday friend over or one to a friend, Thursday out somewhere park/ scooters/ picnic, Friday baking day/garden again/ film

im in the same boat mine are 11,7 and 3. Im exhausted from the other lockdowns and really feel like we've done national trust, parks, walks etc to death. Mine are bored of the garden now too! I've just run out of ideas with what to do with the 3 of them. My friends children are all alot older now so nobody to meet up with either and no family close by.

go on Pinterest, there area lot of lists to answer your question, pick what's suitable.

also remember you don't have to entertain them all the time. they are kids, they will find things to do & play with.
plan one or 2 days out per week max. invite the a friend of the older ones round for one morning/afternoon.

@BunnyRuddington

Allow the 8 and 6 year old to get really bored then they will come up with things to do

Seems like we went to the same parenting school

I was one of 3 and there was no way my mum would micromanage our school holidays. If we said we were bored her response would be "fab! You can do some jobs for me"

Oh the 70s were ace ..

OP, are there no other kids on your street? When I was a child, I never saw my parents all day during the school holidays - I was out playing with the neighbours’ children.
We played football in the street, hide and seek in the park, built dens in the woods, and on wet days played board games like Cluedo and Monopoly in each other’s houses. If your older two can pal up with the local kids their age, you only have to deal with your toddler.

@Slothbynameandnature

same here. we were never bored.
and if my kids say they are bored I tell them to clean the windows. they can always immediately think of something better to do (7 here)

Have a go at Geocaching. Just download the app on your phone and away you go.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/what-is-geocaching-outdoor-adventure-for-kids

Also there is the NTs 50 things to do before you’re 11 and 3/4

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/50-things-to-do-before-youre-11--activity-list

Thanks all. I’ll definitely have a good look through all these suggestions.

I hasn’t thought of geo caching so that’s a new one for us.

Treasure trail also looks like a good idea.

And I’m definitely going to get some more chalk, in lockdown one our kids graffitied the entire street haha

Yes there are kids on the street but they don’t often play out, no idea what they do???

I think if it was just the older 2 it wouldn’t feel so daunting. It’s managingvthe different age groups that’s the tricky part.

Thanks for the beach suggestions I’ll maybe try and brave it on a sunny day. Perhaps if we arrived early before it got busy. Where we are there are no beaches with nearby toilets unfortunately and no places to hire things like deck chairs or mallets. I’m thinking it will be difficult carrying a tent, picnic, buggy, toddler, swim stuff on my own but early morning could be better whilst everyone is in a better mood haha.

I’ll try and book something in with grandparents, they might want to do one or two days out but certainly wouldn’t be interested in doing much more than that.

Good idea to break the week up, so it’s not so daunting. Perhaps one national trust day, one activity for the older ones, one day park, one day at home etc. Hopefully it will be good