The summer can be a long drawn out affair if there is not enough for the kids to do. Cries of “I’m bored” and “there’s nothing to do” can drive a mum mad after they have been said more than ten times in a day.
To help take the hassle out of the summer, MummyPages have compiled a list of 40 fun and interesting things that you can do with the children to keep them entertained.
- Jump in puddles, great wet weather fun, forget about getting wet and remember the fun of being a kid again.
- Play football: set up some goals and try your luck.
- Play hide and seek which is always fun for little ones.
- Visit the children's grandparents or another special friend or relative.
- Do some colouring - there are some great print outs in our colouring pages section.
- Try out a little face painting. It's so much fun and it’s great to practice your skills on their little faces.
- Do some leaf rubbings. Collect an assortment of leaves in the garden or park, place them under paper and use a crayon/pencil to rub over the top.
- Have a skip-a-thon; get the skipping ropes out and practice your skipping, whoever can skip the longest is the winner!
- Make paper dolls - make a chain of paper dolls and colour them all in different colours.
- Feed the ducks at a local pond, get some stale bread and help feed those feathered friends.
- Visit the theatre or a live show.
- See a movie at the cinema, early in the day is a good time to go as tickets are cheaper and the cinema is generally quieter.
- Go swimming; head to the local pool or to the beach.
- Visit the library. Lots of local libraries hold story-telling workshops during school holidays and the kids can borrow some new stories to read.
- Fly a kite outside on a windy day!
- Do a jigsaw puzzle. Eet up a special area and get everyone involved.
- Play card games together. Try playing games like snap, go fish and 21.
- Have a board game tournament, play monopoly, scrabble, hungry hippos, operation and lots more!
- Conduct some simple science experiments.
- Teach the kids to sew or thread with lacing cards.
- Make masks from paper plates, with stick on ears and eyeholes.
- Blow bubbles - cheap but entertaining!
- Create a treasure hunt in the garden; make a list of things they must find and happy hunting!
- Have story writing competitions or help younger children write and illustrate a story.
- Buy some play dough or make some and watch the kids have hours of fun with it!
- Get the camera out and let the kids take some photos of a day out, then download them on the computer and create a slide show.
- Get the kids to help you do some gardening; make a herb garden pot or plant some flowers together.
- Have a picnic at the local park and let the kids help pack their favourite lunch and snacks.
- Camp out in your back garden - kids of all ages are guaranteed to love this!
- Spend the day at the beach - go for a walk or play some games
- Take a day trips to a historic towns or a local attractions. Most of us take the attractions in our local area for granted.
- Go for a horse-riding lesson or a pony trek, lots of riding centres provide lessons or short rides for younger children.
- Visit local museums and galleries
- Pop on your bike helmets and go for a bike ride.
- Visit a wildlife park or the zoo to see all the animals, birds and reptiles.
- Try bowling and encourage them to invite a friend.
- Go to an indoor play centre (if the weather's not great outside). Let the kids amuse themselves on the playground and you relax with a coffee.
- Bake some special family treats like cookies or brownies. Check out our kid’s food recipe section.
- Have a movie afternoon on a rainy day. Rent a couple of kiddie’s movies, make some popcorn and snuggle up with blankets together.
- Meet with friends at a park and play with the kids on the playground. Push them on the swings or catch them on the slides.
