Keeping your children entertained during the summer holidays

Knowing how to keep your children entertained over the six week summer break can potentially be a daunting experience. Attached is a summer holiday planner, specifically designed for Guernsey which aims to keep costs down to a minimum. The aim of the planner is to try and keep everyone happy and take some of the stress out of it.

Here are some top tips:

1. Plan out activities and agree some rules for the holidays. As soon as the holidays begin, spend some time planning out with your children which activities you can do to make the holidays more fun. This will ensure that some routines are stuck to. Communicating clear expectations for behaviour (e.g. sharing, using kind words, using kind hands and feet) will ensure your children do not become out of control.
2. Don’t feel under pressure to keep your children entertained throughout the whole day. Try not to set standards so high that they are impossible to meet. It’s ok for your children not to be entertained all of the time- don’t beat yourself up about it. The more calm and relaxed you are, the more fun you will have as a family.
3. With all the excitement of activities- don’t forget to eat! This sounds obvious but children’s’ moods are particularly affected by blood sugar levels. Children can get frustrated, grumpy or lethargic very quickly if they haven’t eaten properly. This can lead to poor behaviour and irritability. School holidays may mean you want to treat your children more with sweets and junk food but remember sticking to routines for mealtimes and having healthy snacks will make your life easier.
4. Remember to socialise. It is vital for you and your child/ren to spend time with friends or relatives. Inviting others round or agreeing to meet up with friends will change the dynamics and provide a welcome break.
5. Try not to forget about routines and chores. Having your child/ren at home all day, it is easy to forget about daily routines. There will still be jobs that need doing around the house and keeping up to date with them will help you to feel in control. It is even better if you can get the kids involved by setting them small tasks to complete and making it fun.
6. Do something out of the ordinary. Create a campsite in your garden, paint a wall, get games out you’ve not used for a while. The novelty of doing something different (no matter how small) can really uplift moods and can be a welcome distraction when children are becoming restless or bored.

Most importantly of all…have fun! It’s easy to forget how entertaining children can be and how much enjoyment you can have together. Make some magic memories and moments together.