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

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

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

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

as mush fresh air and activity as possible

Making things, playing games, days outside - to parks, beach etc. Try to limit time on computers. Also activity type books too.

My daughter is easily entertained thankfully. She's happy playing games on her tablet, watching blurays on the playstation or playing with all her toys.

take them out as much as possible

Who's DC?

I always try to get them out as much as possible- plenty of fresh air and outdoor pursuits so cycle rides, picnics, rural life centres, outdoor games, treasure hunts etc.

In this heat splash parks, swimming pools, paddling pools, and hose spraying are all winners! Days out to parks, woods, National Trust places, organised play in the parks run by children's centre, baking, library visits, crafts, cinema, theatre plus down time at home to relax :)

We have one major day out per week like the zoo or a theme park and the rest of the time we have picnics at the beach or in the park

craft items , my youngest is 4 and loves making and painting so that will be the main activities, along with nature spotting if the weather stays nice

We go on lots of picnics in the local area, and once a week have a trip to the cinema kids club where the prices are a lot more affordable and the films are current.
Also lots of crafts and DVD evenings.
We try to limit screen time and so far so good.

Blackberry picking, local parks, films, checking local facebook groups for free/ cheap events. We are planning to do loads of the local walking trails and the local library is doing arts and crafts.

We spend as much time outside as possible, in the garden or the park.

We are lucky enough to live on the coast so the beach is our playground for the summer......even when the weather turns we tend to wrap up and hunt for shells and stones that we can paint and use in craft projects

Trips out ie beach

I try to get mine outside as much as possible. I feel it helps with their mood and makes them sleep better :)
When we are on holiday we are always walking everywhere and spend lots of time on the beach! We are off to Cornwall in a week and cannot wait :)

I get DD to write a list of everything that she wants to do in the holidays. As a full time worker she does spend a lot of time at holiday club, but we’ve a theatre trip planned and then lots of outdoors stuff to do - walks, riding, trip to beach etc. If it’s raining too much then we use our local library or do crafts.

We're lucky to live near the coast so lots of days with picnics, digging in the sand and pledging in the sea. Scooting along the promenade to get an ice cream, exploring in the woods, local farms and museums. Then when it all gets too much a film or billing train tracks or Lego at home!

we keep our son involoved in the garden. We plant lots of fruit and veg so he loves to watch them grow.Watering the plants,planting and digging up the veg when ready.

The weather is helping this summer. Lots of time in the garden with cheap garden games, getting them involved in the gardening as well with their own little veg plot. We always plan a few day trips, our annual holiday abroad, bbq's in the garden of an evening, and a few cheap treat meals out.

We used to do as many free things as possible.... Eg library, museum, park, picnics, playdates etc. With the odd treat thrown in such as a trip to the cinema or swimming. I’m glad they’re older now and amuse themselves!

We spend as much time outdoors as possible, in the garden playing games, playing with water pistols etc. We've got a paddling pool this summer which is a godsend as it's been so hot, and it's great for keeping them entertained! Also gets rid of some of their energy when they are playing.

We plan days out and go to the places they want to go to e.g. zoo, museums etc. They also visit the park on a regular basis.

We're lucky, our town has a large free paddling pool and park which our DD absolutely loves, so that covers a few days when the weather is nice, then it is day trips to a lovely beach (with no arcades or funfair) for sandcastle building.

We make a summer list of all the things to do and places they want to go and try to tick off as many as we can throughout the summer. It's a great when you've no ideas and can just go to the list and its also good for the kids to look back and see everything they did!

Its so hard. lots of lists of things they that can / have to do. lots of variety. and things htey can do on their own. Make the most of free activity days at places like the local library.