Tell npower your top tips and ideas for enjoying the summer school holidays - you could win a £300 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

The team at npower would love to hear about your top tips and ideas for enjoying the summer holidays.

npower say "We know that the summer holidays can often be stressful and finding activities to keep your children busy can be a challenge so we’d love to hear your hints and tips for a fun-filled stress-free summer. We can’t wait to hear your great creative ideas for getting through those 6 weeks come rain or shine."

With 6 weeks or more off in the summer, finding ways to keep your DCs entertained can sometimes be a challenge. So, what are your top tips for planning summer holiday activities? Do you like to do some research and advanced planning? Or do you prefer to be spontaneous? Does the weather affect your plans at all? What top tips do you have for having fun whatever the weather?

Please note, your comments may be used - anonymously of course - by npower on their social media channels, website and possibly elsewhere, Please only post if you're happy with this.

Everyone who posts on the thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher!

Standard Insight T&Cs apply.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

[emilecomps]

Plan plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, and lots of trips out but spontaeneously pick which ones we are doing each day depending on the weather and kids moods etc.

[ilovemovies]

We do lots of different activities each day, including reading, games, and playing outside. I also try to fit in a lot of days out!

[Gilla01]

Make sure you have ideas for wet days too. Collect colouring books, things to make, etc. Teach them to knit or crochet. Make cakes, and, depending on age, teach simple meals that they can make themselves - starting, perhaps, with Beans on Toast.

If you have a 'picker-upper' we bought ours at Aldi, ours love tidying small things away using it.

[barbsbarbs]

My summer holidays with the kids is to make the most of the freedom, weather and being together. This means we will go for long nature walks, feed the duck picnics with a colour theme, do art projects and sports days in the garden with other parents and friends. All these things hardly cost a thing and the kids love it!!!!!

[fruitgum94]

We love going for walks with grandmas dog, going swimming, visiting our family in wales, going to the zoo, visiting the childrens centre and painting and drawing at home :)

[finleypop]

Check out what's going on locally & keep a list with what's om each day. I have found wildlife walks, sporting days, crafting days & lots more & most are free or very cheap.

The other thing which I always forget is to stock up on snacks. I forget how much my son eats when he is at school!

[Ganne]

Buy an annual pass for English Heritage or CADW (in Wales) and let the kids roam over old castles and learn at the same time

[ChocolateCake1]

I look for lots of suitable baking recipes and stock up on staples like flour, sugar, butter, coco powder and decorations then if it rains one day I'm ready to keep the children occupied happily baking in the kitchen.

[KandSWh]

Lots of time outside in the garden - sandpit and paddling pool out!

[jt75]

Check out your local council website to see what free activities are available.

[Yasmin91xx]

Google as many local activities as possible or just get all the family and kids in one place and have the paddling pool and games out in the garden. And take them on holiday for a week

[gamerwidow]

We have had a couple of big days out to theme parks and the theatre but I find what my DD likes best is not the big trips out but when I spend time playing with her and let her direct the activity whether its drawing or playing make believe etc.

[PhilTB54]

Picnic lunches . DVDs, Treasure hunts woks for me.

[oliveoyl72]

Have a look on your local council website - they usually have a lot of different activities running during school holidays, often free.

[LuckyBluie]

Our favourites our bike riding, dog walking, swimming, beach days, arts & crafts, baking and recently my son has been enjoying getting into coding on rainy days

[janeyf1]

When the weather is good, we like to make a picnic and walk to the local parks and see the ducks. At weekends we visit the New Forest or go to the South Downs. When the weather is bad we enjoy indoor games and colouring in

[nolene15]

Community youth groups are always great but never last the entire summer, so when they are finished in the club we like to go biking, wadding in the local splash and play area we love to picnic on the beach or the park we have a fishing contest (always put back what you take out)we watch the local boating clubs practice and race each other,visit the local animal farms it doesnt matter if it's raining don your welly's and raincoat and splash away

[Sallyannlloydjones]

To join in local wildlife events and to enjoy the wonders of nature

[roggy45]

Just relax and enjoy your kiddies. Time really does go so fast so make the most of every moment whether you are doing the dishes together or painting a masterpiece.

[KittyKat88]

I try to do a mixture of activities - play dates with friends, plus trips to the park or softplay (weather depending) and always have a selection of activity books, colouring and painting equipment and also try some new things to inspire, challenge and educate my DDs; such as science-based experiments/projects.

[hannonle]

A boredom jar with ideas of things to do if you're bored.

Lots of playing in the garden and outdoor activities like bike riding.

Time to chill out and relax indoors - maybe a reading goal or something, or just time to be a kid and play games/computers etc.

As long as there's a good mix then everyone should be happy :)

[katieskatie82]

we have cheap days out by visiting local beaches and nature parks and if its raining we do arts and crafts in the house.

[melonpanini]

We do the local library summer reading challenge every year. My daughter loves it. I also send my daughter to a summer activity camp for a few days each week during the summer holidays, it keeps her occupied and she makes loads of new friends.

[rennie1811]

we take part in the local library summer reading challenge which the kids love we also have lots of day trips to the local park and this summer we have started our own little veg garden which the kids have really enjoyed making and looking after each day

[Tkw2014]

Planning ahead, sure start groups, play dates and days out too!