Summer holidays are right around the corner, and depending on past experience, you’re either incredibly excited to spend some quality time with your little ones or terrified of the mischief and bad behaviour that may ensue as a direct result of boredom.
Either way, if you’re looking for fun holiday activities for kids at home to keep them busy and entertained, we’ve come to the rescue with today’s article. Keeping the little ones satisfied during the summer holidays can often be a challenge, but thankfully, with a little planning and ingenuity, you’ll find that there are numerous activities that the youngins can enjoy, right in the comfort of your own home.
Today, we share five exciting activities to keep the kids entertained this upcoming summer holidays. Ready to say goodbye to tantrums and hello to tranquillity? Simply read on to find out more!
1. The Art Of Journaling
If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, chances are you owned your very own diary, journal or scrapbook. Back in the day, diaries were synonymous with the lives of kids and teenagers, and an integral part of growing up in a world with little to no technology. However, with smartphones and tablets now taking up a bulk of kids’ time around the world, less and less children are engaging in the wonderful art of putting pen to paper. For a real breath of fresh air this upcoming scorching season, we recommend encouraging your little ones to keep a Summer diary or scrapbook. Inspire and motivate your kids by spurring them to jot down Summer activities, thoughts, feelings and photographs in a scrapbook or journal, and be sure to review the contents together at the end of every week to encourage healthy discussion.
As an added bonus, keeping a diary offers a wide number of benefits, including building confidence in writing, creativity and self-expression. Journaling can also help your child manage stress as they grow through often difficult teen years into adulthood. Most importantly, journaling is a great way to make meaningful use of time, especially when the holidays roll around.
Top Tip: Not sure where to start? Dive into the art of journaling with kids by purchasing a 2023 diary to help your little ones create small, achievable goals and resolutions for the new year.
2. Kids Crochet (Amigurumi)
If you have a child who simply loves stuffed animals and toys, we guarantee that they’ll fall in love with crochet. Simply put, crochet is a handicraft in which yarn is made up into a textured fabric by means of a hooked needle. It is a fantastic hobby for children, tweens and teens, and can be introduced as young as the age of 5. To start off, you will need to gather some basic supplies from your local craft store — a set of crochet hooks, yarn in different colours and a beginner’s guidebook to get kids started on basic stitches. For beginners, the best introduction to crochet is learning to stitch a granny square before advancing into more complex patterns. Thankfully, there are hundreds of blogs and Youtube videos dedicated to learning crochet, with some guides specifically intended for children.
Once your child has mastered the simple basics, you can consider introducing them to amigurumi. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures and 3D toys. Making amigurumi is relatively easy and can be learned in a few days, allowing your kids to create stuffed toys and animals from scratch. Moreover, crochet will help to sharpen your child’s motor skills and is a great way to keep fidgety hands busy and away from mischief, which is always a good thing!
3. Junior Masterchef At Home
Not only is cooking/baking a simple activity you can do with your kids in the comfort of your own home, but it’s also incredibly fun and will keep your kids entertained for a good chunk of time. Involve the kids in the process from the beginning — allow them to choose from a selection of recipes that you have ingredients for, or let them pick a recipe from one of your many cookbooks. You could even make a fun event out of the process — cook up some pancakes with your little ones and allow them to create ‘pancake faces’ with a variety of toppings ranging from chocolate chips, berries, nuts, icing, sprinkles and more.
Aside from imparting the knowledge of baking and cooking yummy treats, getting involved in the kitchen is a great way of helping young kids learn and practise some basic maths concepts and build language skills. Research has also found that if you want picky kids to eat more healthy vegetables, they need to play with their food – and learn to cook. So, this upcoming Summer holidays, be sure to get the kids involved in the kitchen and interested in how their food gets to the table. When you’re done with all the fun, your child will have fresh, delicious dishes and treats to reward them for all their hard work!
Explore the 10 benefits of cooking with kids in this article.
4. Sunny Summer Gardening
If you have a backyard or small balcony at home, nothing beats spending some time in the garden with your little ones. Summer is the perfect time to start planting your favourite fruits and veggies, and gardening is a great educational activity for kids of all ages. Some of the benefits of gardening with children include improved motor skills, sensory exploration, instilling basic responsibility and most importantly, an in-depth understanding of where their food comes from. You can start off by dedicating a small patch in the garden to the kids — plant colourful flowers, herbs, lettuce — anything that grows quickly and will give them the satisfaction of having produced something.
Some fast-growing crops include red radishes, baby carrots, cucumbers, green beans and spinach. You can start these from seed, or simply head to your local nursery or hardware store to purchase seedlings that can be directly planted into the ground or in containers/raised garden beds. Even if your kids are too small to fully grasp the idea of gardening, you can just give them a small spade, put on their old clothes, and let them loose in the garden.
5. Camping In Your Own Backyard
If you’re looking to give your kids the experience of camping without having to head out into the unknown, look no further than your own backyard. Even if you can’t make it to a nearby camping ground, at the end of the day, it’s the experience kids often love more than the location. Take full advantage of the warm weather this upcoming Summer Holidays by setting up a large tent in your backyard, starting a small campfire (if possible), and gathering a bunch of yummy camping snacks such as marshmallows, hamburgers, hotdogs and more.
Ultimate DIY Backyard Camping Checklist:
- A large tent that can accommodate the entire family;
- Fairy lights for a touch of magic;
- Plenty of food, snacks and beverages;
- Comfy blankets and pillows;
- Sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses;
- Bug spray to keep uninvited guests at bay;
- A small first aid kit; and
- Torch lights.
Spend the evening gazing at the stars, singing songs and connecting with one another. A backyard camping adventure is a sure winner for creating many of those lifelong special memories.
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And there you have it – five awesome activities that are sure to keep the little ones satisfied this upcoming school holidays. Keeping the kids entertained this upcoming Summer Holidays doesn’t need to leave you scratching your head or out of pocket, and we hope that this article has inspired you to try out a few new fun activities with your little angels.
Have some suggestions of your own? Be sure to share your ideas for keeping the kids entertained during the Summer Holidays in the comments section below!
