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The holidays are upon us, and for many parents that means racking their brains to develop novel and exciting things to keep the kids from getting bored. Fortunately, we’ve just made it a whole lot easier by creating this detailed list of fun suggestions below. All you need to do is pick the idea you like the best and put it into practice so your kids will be happy and amused all holiday long. Keep reading to find out more.
Cook together
Kids nearly always love to cook with their parents, especially if you make something delicious together then they get to eat when they are done. Of course, you’ll need to supervise them when working with the oven and knives, but there are plenty of recipes like cookies, and cakes that kids can do the majority of as long as a parent is watching.
The great thing about spending time cooking with your little ones over the summer is that it doesn’t just give them a task to focus on, but can help them become interested in food and cooking, and so continue to develop these essential skills for later life.
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Take them on a picnic
Picnics have to be one of the most fun holiday activities, and you can do them pretty much anywhere from a park bench, to the beach to a local green, as long as the weather is good.
To make your holiday picnics extra special be sure to take a large blanket so everyone can sit together while eating. Also allow the kids to have a say in the kinds of food you will take, with each child picking at least one item that they love for the picnic. Remember picnic food should be grub that is easy to eat with your hands or that comes in individual portions so it’s easy to transport.
You don’t even need to invest in an expensive picnic basket or carrier for this activity. Instead, any backpack will do as long as you pack it with ice packs to keep any perishable items like meat or dairy cool.
You could even combine this activity with the one before it and spend the morning cooking and baking items to take on your picnic.
Alfresco painting
Many parents can be hesitant to let their kids run free with poster paints and brushes during the holiday, because of all the mess involved. The good news is that you can negate much of the mess entirely by taking any painting activities out of doors.
All you’ll need is some paint, brushes, paper and an easel or a flat area on which the kids can paint. If it’s a little windy you can try weighing down their paper with rocks from the garden so they don’t blow away! You might also like to invest in some bib aprons for the kids as they will protect all of their clothes!
Water painting
However, if the kids do want to paint but the weather is too hot or rainy outside, you could try water painting instead. The great thing about water painting is that it uses no paints and only water so if there is the odd spill inside, it doesn’t matter. There are several forms of water painting you can try including magic painting books, and water painting mats which can all be used indoors.
Plan a cinema outing
The film just hit differently when you go to the Cinema, and taking the kids during the holidays can be a great way to kill time and catch up on the latest Cinematic offerings like Barbie!
To make sure your movie trip goes as smoothly as possible be sure to look up the times that local cinemas are showing the movie you want to see. Then you can get there a little early which not only means you won’t go through the stress of rushing to catch the beginning of the film, but you can also treat the little ones to some yummy snacks for the movie.
Organise a toy swap
If you have ever has the pleasure of your kids telling you just how bored with their toys they are, then this next holiday idea is just for you. It’s a toy swap, which is all about getting together with your kid’s friends and parents and swapping over the toys that the little ones are no longer interested in for ones they haven’t had a chance to play with yet.
It’s a pretty easy event to arrange as well, as it can just be done in your living room, and for every toy a child brings they are allowed to take another one home. (You can assign tickets or tokens for this if you like, as each family enters). You might like to provide some simple refreshments for the parents and the kids that attend as well.
Although it is a good idea to explain the rules to everything involved before the swap, and right at the beginning of the event itself. In particular, it’s important to emphasise that where possible the kids should choose which toys they would like to swap, and what they would like to swap them for. It’s also important that all parents be made away that any toys entered into the swap have to be clean and in good condition.
A “toy swap” is a unique and fun summer activity for kids. Here’s how to organize it: Invite friends and neighbours to come over with toys (in good condition) that they no longer want, then let them draw numbers to see who gets to pick a “new” toy first.
Create a treasure hunt
Kids love nothing more than hunting for treasure or prizes and it can certainly liven up even the most boring day. Happily, organising a treasure hunt can be as easy or complicated as you choose to make it.
One of the most simple options is to hide small candy bars and bags of sweets around the house and garden like an easter egg hunt. Then the kids can spend some time looking for them, and they get to keep what they find.
Another option is to make things a bit more complicated and include clues to the whereabouts of the next prize with the current one. You’ll need a clue to start things off so your little ones can find their way to the first prize as well. Edible prizes like individually wrapped chocolate bars can work well here or you can use small prizes like erasers, pencils, colouring books and the like.
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