Mumsnet users share with Sky Cinema how they keep their children entertained during the summer holidays

[EllieMumsnet]

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Keeping your children entertained throughout the summer holidays can be a bit of a challenge, there's only so many play-dates and fun day trips a parent can bear to go on. Tell us how you keep your children entertained and what your chill-out pastimes are over the summer holidays.

Perhaps you find that arts and crafts or mini science experiments help keep your DC occupied for a while? Do you clear the kitchen table, sit down to an afternoon of LEGO building and create a world that rivals LEGO Ninjago? Maybe you're roped into tea parties with a gazillion teddies, Buzz Lightyear, Woody and the gang; or you're persuaded to act out your world-famous rendition of 'Shake it off' a la Rosita in Sing as part of a front room talent show?

"When you need some down time after a busy summer's day, Sky Cinema has tons of unmissable family movies, available on demand, ready whenever you are this summer. With over 1,000 movies to choose from including the new Lego Ninjago Movie, Cars 3, Despicable Me 3 there will always be a movie to suit any mood."

However you entertain your children during the summer holidays, post them on the thread and everyone will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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Museums
Picnics
Beach trips
Wigwam & garden games
Plus not forgetting the reliable and fabulous grandparents! lol

We have a buckt list , movie day, walk to the park, visit family, paid day out, swimming, arts and crafts day, picnic, play date And they play out a lot :)

We live by the coast so we go to the beach a lot, we also have a lovely park and duck pond nearby which we visit. There's a soft play area nearby, as well as a skate arena and a few theme parks/zoos. Sometimes though, we stay in and they play computer games for way longer than they should.

There are lots of farms that offer free days out. Cinema trips, baking days and craft days. We go on beach trips and country dog walks.

Lots of playing outside and some activity books for indoors. Try and find good deals for places to go out.

luckily we have a good sized garden and my two adore each other so occupy themselves a lot of the time. We do a lot of trips to the beach when we can and will also have a family holiday too.

We like to plan staycations, go away to nannies , lots of trips to the beach and parks

i do allocate chores that come with some monetary value and they can volunteer to do extra chores for extra pocket money

sprinkler in the garden, meeting up with friends and odeon kids club

Swimming pool is set up
Days out
Cinema
His/her tablet
Console
Holiday

By taking them and playing with them in the local park.

Open spaces and lots of games

lots of walks and places of interest and if indoors lots of crafting and drawing

Olivia loves to play in my parents garden so we have lots of giant outdoor games to play. She's also a budding Charlie Dimmock even though she's only just 5 & loves to help in the garden. She has her own area which she planted herself & her own garden tools. If the weather's not good we can bring the games indoors & she's very inventive too so loves to devise her own little games to play

if the weather is nice then we will go to the local park or beach if its raining then we like to do some baking

This is the first time I've been at home all summer with DS (previously I worked full time and he had nursery). Now he's at a nursery that closes down over half term.
And it can be hard, some days I have loads of ideas and activities but we've done them all by 10.30am....
We spend a lot of time in our local park, fortunately it's close by and pretty big so plenty of adventures to be had with a little bit of imagination!
Simple things like paddling pool, pavement chalks, bubbles, balls, skittles etc in the backyard are fun and cheap.
Hopefully by next summer I'll be able to drive so I'll be more confident in going further afield for day trips out to the beach :)

Walking the dogs, going swimming, days out to the coast, visiting the cinema and a holiday abroad etc in order to break them from tech!

A couple of weeks of holiday clubs, days out to national trust, playing in the garden and some time encouraging them to calm down and chill out!

I think its a question of introducing a variety of things. When I was on my own with my son I tried to do things that did not cost money so he could then spend money when out with his friends (like at th cinema etc). When he was younger we found many frugal ways of spending our time - searching for pebbles in the river and painting them with water based paints so they washed off when we were finished, picnics with home made sandwiches and treats, treasure finding with a map of the garden and some pirate chocolate gold coins, there are plenty of ways to use your imagination to keep them entertained, and if you make it a little competition when their friends come round with little prizes of chocolates they all seem to want to get excited about it all!

Today we have cycled to a local stream and are paddling. This morning we lazed around and played marble run!

Day trips to parks, museums, walks, picnics, cooking, art projects etc

I make my house open for all their friends with loads of stuff to make dens etc and they spend ages making tents with old blankets and sheets and then set it up for lunch in their den. They sometimes make an obstacle course with cushions, planks of wood etc.

Usually as many days out as possible, films and family games, but this year its been easy all they have wanted is their paddling pool out in the back garden and with their friends they have entertained themselves

Picnics on the park, walks in the woods

Trips to local parks and museums.
The cinema and watching films at home
Swimming
Days out
Family holiday
Visiting relatives

Grandchild now - lots of books, lots of games, lots of attention and regular trips out to the park plus occasional CBeebies.