Summer’s almost here guys! The days are getting longer and warmer, the smell of barbecue is floating on the air, and the kids are counting down to the last day of school. Summer’s a short, sweet window in the year, especially in a country as rainy as the UK, so obviously, you’ll want to make the most of it. Here are a few ideas to give your family a summer they’ll remember.
Plan a Big Adventure
A great way to start planning your summer is with one big adventure that your kids will look forward to, and remember for years to come. It will also give them a go-to topic when they go back to school in September and have to write about what they did over the holidays. Package-deal family holidays are always a winner, and there are usually some pretty great bargains on the market around this time. However, you don’t need to spend a small fortune to do something that’s a bit of a stretch for the whole household. You could try camping somewhere you’ve never been, or stay in a B&B. Even one big day of cycling or a trip to a kid-friendly museum can be enough to make a big family adventure.
Recipes, Arts and Crafts
Although you don’t have to get up early for a manic school run for a month and a bit, you are going to have to keep your kids occupied while they’re at home. If you don’t want them staring at screens for most of the summer holidays, you’re going to have to make plans for a more constructive way to pass the time. This is where recipes, arts and crafts come in. Spend a little while searching for ideas online, and you’ll quickly come up with some great ideas. Simple baking recipes like chocolate chip cookies and cornflake cakes are a blast for children, and won’t be too much of a hassle to clean up. You can even make it educational by making bird feeders, hedgehog homes, and other garden crafts. These kinds of activities will not only encourage creativity in your kids, but will also let them make some adorable little souvenirs of this year’s summer.
Set Some Family Goals
You, your kids, and probably your partner are going to have a lot of time off over the summer, which makes it a great opportunity for the whole clan to master some new skills. Your younger kids may want to learn to tie their shoes or ride a bike without stabilisers. Older kids might want to learn to swim, or get started with some other activity. Of course, there’s no reason that mum and dad can’t set their own summer goals. Maybe you want to make it through that novel you’ve been putting off for years, hit a long-running health and fitness goal, or re-discover some hobby from your youth. Working towards these goals as a family will be great for bonding, and the sense of accomplishment you’ll get from hitting them will be wonderful!