Following on from our School Out for Summer article, we thought we’d bring you four more ideas for child-focused fun in the run up to the big break. If you have any that you’d like to share, please do so in the comments section below!
1. Summer Camps
Summer camps are a very popular in the USA and offer your child the chance to experience new activities, make friends and generally get active outdoors. Organisations such as Camp Beaumont offer a range of activities for kids in camps all over the country and their popular Mountain Adventure Camp teaches kids how to climb and go caving.
You can book your child on the course for a few days or even a week or two, depending on how much you want to be away from them! In addition to learning practical skills, the camps encourage competition and team building and your kids can get to know other children of their own age. Not only this, it means that you don’t have to spend the entirety of the six weeks’ holiday thinking up activities!
2. Cycling
If your child hasn’t learnt how to ride a bike yet, summer’s the perfect time to get them going. Run some laps round the back garden or visit the park for a nice wide open space and let them get confident without stabilisers. There’s nothing better than seeing your child achieve this important milestone!
Even if your little ones still require their training wheels, going cycling round the park makes them feel included and if you want to take them to your favourite cycling routes you can always consider getting a child’s seat and strapping them in for the ride.
3. Gardening
Getting your children involved in the gardening is a great way to encourage outdoorsy characteristics. Ask them to help you water the plants or teach them about the various flowers and wildlife growing in your back garden.
Summer’s the perfect time to do this because everything is in bloom. Plus, you can grow fruits and vegetables! Your children will love to eat the fruits of their labour. Of course, if you don’t have a garden of your own, why not try window box gardening?
4. Child-friendly events
There are plenty of outdoor events to take your kids to this summer, including the amazing Beanotown which will attract nostalgic parents and children alike. Held at the Southbank Centre as part of its Festival of Neighbourhood, the area has been set up to celebrate 75 years of one of the nation’s most loved comics.
Kids can learn how to draw their favourite characters, quiz the editors and even make chocolate, while adults can take a trip down memory lane and look up their favourite annuals in the Beanotown Library. The town is available to visit up until September.
The Lollibop Festival is another major outdoor event which takes place at the Olympic Park in Stratford from 16-18 August. Your kids can see favourites such as Justin Fletcher, Peppa Pig, Dick and Dom, Rastamouse and the Skylanders.
Designed for kids of all ages, there are loads of activities to get involved with including cookery classes, live music, and theatrical performances.
Don’t forget theme parks too – the big players like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park usually offer two for one deals over the summer and there are also a few theme parks specifically designed for children. Visit England’s website has a good list of theme parks on their site to help you decide which one will be suitable for your young ones.
