How To Plan Activities For School Summer Vacation
When you’re a kid, the school summer vacation seems like it goes on forever. When you’re a parent, the same is true, but for different reasons. School holidays can be tough on your work/life balance as well as your budget.
Here are some things to think about when making plans to keep your kids entertained over the summer.
Alternative Child Care
When you’re kids are too young to look after themselves, you’re going to need an alternative source of child care, especially if you’re a working parent. After all, you can’t just take 10 weeks off to look after your kids. You may have family support, but if not, it’s worth looking around for alternative child care during this time. Choose somewhere close, within budget and well-reviewed. After all, you want your kids safe and entertained.
Keep Them Learning
School summer vacations offer a much-needed break from learning. But you shouldn’t put it on the back burner for the entire time. To keep your kid’s intellectually stimulated over the summer, look for a suitable summer learning program that can help them with any areas they may be weaker on. See if you can schedule some visits or classes that can let them learn about different topics too, rather than just what they’re taught in school. It’s good to instil in them the perception that learning happens in all areas of life, not just the classroom.
Plan Low-Cost Activities
It seems like everything costs so much money these days. Most families don’t have the budget to do everything they might want to. Instead, look for activities you can do or areas you can visit that don’t cost a lot. For example, instead of having a meal in a restaurant, why not make a picnic and head out to a local beauty spot? Take some music and some sports equipment and make a day of it. A family movie night with some snacks is far cheaper than a trip to the local multiplex.
Look at local Facebook groups to get some ideas of what other people are doing to save money.
Let Them Be Bored
A lot of kids are overscheduled these days. Every minute of their day is planned out. This has a lot of positives but it’s also created a generation of kids that can’t amuse themselves. Free play or free time for older kids is very important for the imagination and building practical skills. Of course, you don’t want to leave them for too long, too often but they might just find new activities and interests that will stay with them.
Catch Up With Family And Friends
This is the perfect time of year to make some visits to family and loved ones. Whether it’s visiting locally or making a bigger trip of it, it can be great for you to spend time with people face to face. Technology makes it easier to keep in touch but there’s no substitute for one on one time.
Takeaways
The summer can seem like a huge juggling act for most families. With a little planning and creative thinking, then your kids can remain entertained and engaged throughout.
