Whether it’s the fast approaching Christmas holidays or another break from school, it can be hard going. As much as children might pretend they like school they generally benefit from the schedule and structure of a school day. Not only that but it gives them plenty to do and a chance to see their friends, so it really isn’t all bad. It is when the school holidays come around that children can get easily distracted and excitable, which can make it hard to get through!
However, like it or not your children get plenty of school holiday each year, so you need to be prepared.
Spend Time With Other Children
Children get bored easily so you need to make sure you do what you can t keep them happy. Try to arrange regular play date with children that they usually play with at school. That way they don’t miss their friends too much. On top of that they have plenty of fun and this makes the school holidays much more enjoyable for everyone. If you are visiting relatives then try to plan this for time when other young family members will be there. That way they can entertain themselves and the adults will have a much more stress-free time.
The Great Outdoors
Rather than being stuck inside the house all day, try to get children out and about. Even if the weather is bad – just wrap up warm and get out there. Children need fresh air to grow and to feel good. If you are all stuck out in the house under each other’s feet, everyone will soon get bored and fed up. Plan a day outside, even if just for a few hours. You can be sure that everyone will feel better for it.
A Little Education
Just because they are not in school doesn’t mean that you can forget education altogether. You can use the school holidays to complement their education. This will mean that they do much better when they do go back. There are loads of educational games you can download onto your laptop and smart phones so get some of these for you to all play. Not only will they keep your children entertained but they can teach them new skills too.
Getting Crafty
It is also a good idea to try and keep them busy with new ideas too. Try to look up things that you can make together. Children love getting crafty especially if they get something useful at the end of it. So you can perhaps cook dinner together or make Christmas presents for the family. There are loads of crafty projects suitable for young children so look these up online, and you’ll find plenty to keep everyone happy.
Have Fun
Remember though that this is the school holidays and therefore it is their chance to wind down. It is important to keep them busy and happy, but they need time to rest and relax too. Plan games that will keep them happy just for the sake of playing. You can also plan DVD days and fun sleepovers.
You can even download some games onto your laptop for them to play with. There are a whole host of games that you can be downloaded. This is great because it means that when they get bored you can simply delete it and put a new one on for them. So whether they’re looking for different racing games, roleplay games, puzzle solving or anything else you can be confident that they will be something for them. Just make sure you supervise their play and that you do them downloading and not them.
Day Trips
One thing that worries parents is the cost of activities during the holidays. However don’t assume that all you need to worry about is expensive trips out and spending lots of money. If you look up local museums and other attractions you’ll find that many of these cost less than you think and some are even free! You can easily plan an affordable day out around these, especially if you are organised and take packed lunches with you.
Keeping a Schedule
One thing that children relish from when it comes to school is the schedule that they keep while they are there. There is nothing wrong with a few late nights during the holidays but it is important to keep these as a treat. If you let children stay up too late every single night, then you’ll find it much harder to get them back into a decent sleep schedule when school starts up again. Not only that but if your child gets tired then, they are far more likely to get grouchy and bored during the day. The last thing you want is for them to spend their school holidays in a bad mood.
Burning Off Energy
Children get bored because they have energy to burn and no way to burn it. Give them something to do every day that is going to help them burn off their energy. This could be something as simple as an hour at the park or taking them swimming at the local leisure centre. It could also be a day out somewhere with loads of walking. Anything that gets them moving and burning energy is a definite bonus.
Keeping Things Varied
If you can come up with an activity that your children like then great, however you do have to make sure that you keep things varied. If you keep repeating the same activity over and over again then they’ll become quickly bored, and that is no good for anyone. Rather than let this happen, just try to keep things as interesting and varied as possible.
The school holidays are a great way to spend time as a family. Plan out your days in advance and speak to your children about the things they would most like to do. That way you all have fun and spend some valuable time together.
Speak Your Mind