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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Some visits to the beach, zoo etc spaced out throughout the summer. I have bought garden games ie giant jenga, hula hoops, skipping ropes so when the weather is nice, the kids can play in the garden. I plan to do baking or science experiments on rainy days. I also have some play dates arranged.

There's a whole plethora of activities out there, and they don't have to cost a fortune -
Museums
Park
Movie / DVD days
Visiting family
Craft
Soft play centre
Local farm park
Reading
Meeting up with friends for play dates
Picnics in the woods
Seaside
Paddling at the local river with a picnic
Library reading challenge

And so much more besides!

Lots of small activities and a few days out in between. I try and wear them out physically too!

National trust houses are brilliant for a nice day, and baking followed by eating and a movie is good for rainy days.

Holiday club!

We do a mixture of indoor, outdoor, free and pricey.

We have membership to a huge soft play and adventure centre so we go there quite a bit. It has a built in play village ('vet', 'construction site' etc) so loads to do.

This week we are on holiday; will be going to Eden Project, riding the south coast train, visiting Cornish villages, beaches and the arcades.

We are National Trust members so we rinse that!

We love scavenger hunts too so we spend a lot of time in our local woods doing those. Pinterest is great for things like that.

Its not all about spending money. There’s lots of free workshops out there and library’s and parks which cost nothing. Also we always take our own food and drink saves a fortune. Always keep some change for an ice cream treat 😀

We are mostly working but have odd days off each week so we have four proper days out planned, staggered throughout the summer (with the last and most exciting on the Friday of the final week) so that there is something nice to look forward to not too long away but there's no pressure to keep spending money every day.
The rest of the time will be half days out to the beach, park, countryside with a picnic and some puzzle books and games, or afternoons at home helping round the house, playing with lego or watching a film.

I try to have some ‘free’ days with no planned activities, remaining in pajamas for ages. Otherwise for us number 1 is swimming in outdoor pools, park, going to visit grandads farm. We are also close to lots of beaches so that’s a good go to as well

We're currently quite into painting and hiding and finding rocks, and the loveontherocks facebook stuff.

We plan each day in a daily diary. It can be something as big as a big day out at a theme park or as little as a walk to the beach, a picnic in the park or a trip to the library.

Painting, play doh, baking, help to make their lunch/tea, park, visiting grandparents, watching a new film, drawing, stickers.

We've put tents up in the garden and a paddling pool to make it feel like a campsite, so we enjoy picnics in the garden and getting the super soakers out. Also the local borough gardens near us holding lots of events so we can go to those. We love the cinema and luckily the little one near us is only 3.50 a ticket so we can go quite a bit too :)

We're another family who maximise being out - bikes, scooters, trips to the park (we are so lucky to live close to one). My dcs need tiring out!

I think a good combination of activities keeps costs down and makes the holiday more interesting. We usually have some sort of combination of:
Family SC holiday by the sea so lots of beach time; walks; visits to local places of interest, etc.
Museum/NT property visits
Bike rides
Trips to playground
Friends round to play
Farm
Library
Crafty activities at home / baking
Watching tv
Dancing to you tube videos
Actually having a chance to play with their toys and each other

This year I have introduced chores for extra money which is going down a storm but doesn't do much for my purse! I usually try to get them to keep a holiday scrapbook but it never really happens which I find disappointing as I religiously kept holiday diaries and often got a good star for them when I went back to school. I wish I still had them!

I get my DC to make a list of the things she wants to do that day and we do most of what is on the list and do housework in between

Sunny days in the garden with a tent and paddling pool and picnic.
Baking, painting and word games.

We usually make a poster of all the things we’d each like to do during the holiday, this involves lots of colourful pens and excitement. We may not achieve it all but it’s great fun sharing ideas. Things we do range from the most simple like catching up with family, cooking a particular meal, or other baking treats, watching a favourite film with popcorn, and catching up on tv recordings. We usually plan walking days with friends and take a picnic, spend time on our allotment and doing wildlife activities. Plans are for rainy days and sunny days, so we never seem to run out of ideas of what to do.

Activities in the garden - trampoline, paddling pool, watering can, feeding the birds, slide, bouncy hopper, skipping etc. Bike rides, scootering or trips to the park/playground, gardening centre or softplay cafe. Swimming or a trip on the train to the beach.

We've been making our own short films with a free app on my phone, mainly horror/spooky themed. The whole family is getting involved making simple props and effects, acting and directing. Top tips: Keep it simple and plan it out! You don't need much if you have a good little story. For stories we get inspiration from ghost story anthologies or creepypastas online. Kids are 8 and 10. Have fun! Booo ...

We all get to choose 3 things we'd like to do - anything from visit a theme park to build a den at home. I also save up toilet roll tubes and egg cartons the rest of the year, so we have a couple of days junk modelling and painting.

Films, days out, teaching my daughter to cook and have as much fun as you can, the years will pass by too quickly.

I trawl through all of the local websites and leaflets before the start of the holidays and write down a list of all the things that there are to do. I think it's a really good idea to alternate days out with stay at home 'amuse yourself' days!

A combination of 'Play Dates' between a group of parents so that we all get a rest. I also arrange for them to go to organised leisure centre activities such as kayaking in the pool, indoor football and children friendly archery. We go swimming at the pool. There will also be a few cinema trips, and a couple of day trips to the seaside or into the countryside to observe nature and enjoy running about in the outdoors. I love to get them to help with a baking sessions then eat the results. We love trips to the library where they can choose their own books.

Mostly by buying annual passes eg National Trust, local theme park. I’ve found even the library charge for activities these days so planning in advance is crucial.