The Seeming Mare of the Summer Holiday!

“School’s out”, and the kids are excited to have six-weeks (or so) free from the routine of school and lessons. For parents, however, coming out of the convenient humdrum of school, with the need now to plan, organise and entertain the kids, can seem like a perplexing and arduous task. 

At the end of this short article, we have provided links to some great deals and locations for the children this summer! 
We, at Luvlybubbly, have thought through a variety of fun and entertaining ideas, that will allow the children to have a fun and exciting summer!

 
1)  Things to do at Home – “home is where the heart is”. 

A few, relatively cheap and simple suggestions: 

Arts and Crafting are bespoke/ timeless ways for the children to get creative and explore different crafting methods and creations. This can vary from easy puppet-making or be creating paper Mache creations. 
See the link here for some great inspo!’
Baking sweet treats & Cooking is ideal as it incorporates the practice of maths – through weighing and measuring – while at the same time creating something tasty and delicious. Depending on the children’s age – as well as your own oomph and kitchen expertise – baking and cooking can range from whipping up a three-tier cake, or simply add toppings to a premade pizza base. 

Growing fruit / Vegetables is a great way to have the children learn about agriculture in addition to where our food comes from. It allows them to be miniature farmers and join the process of sowing and harvesting. Having to water and maintain the plant can give them a great sense of responsibility and ownership of the crop!
Treasure Hunts are great to get the children up and engaged. They can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish – excluding or including clues for ease or for added complexity (for example the ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ method) … the choice is yours. Treasure hunts can take place inside the house or in the garden, with the ‘treasure’ being anything you decide, from sweet treats to healthy snacks, to small toys. 

Summer scrapbooks allow for the creative juices to flow and to have a colourful and detailed account of the summer. Getting the tools for a scrapbook is simple and can include popping down to your nearest Wilko and getting colouring pens, paper, stencils and sticking-and-glueing craft bits. It could also be a great opportunity to document and include photos of all outings for the summer scrapbook. 

2) Out and About Activities – great fun and fresh air! 

Cinema / Bowling are timeless outing ideas. Summer is typically the time when there is an abundance of great kid-friendly movies. If planned and timed well, you will be able to find great cinema discounts for matinee or weekend viewings. Additionally, bowling makes for great fun and an idea for meeting up with other parents and kids for a fun day out. 

Indoor soft playgrounds & Trampoline Parks allow the children to blow off steam for a few hours. Undoubtedly, running and jumping around all day is tiring, and the mix of the indoor playgrounds and the arrival of evening-time is a recipe for a potentially earlier night’s sleep for the kids! 
Museums & Heritage Sites are fantastic ways to get the children learning about history as well as having fun. Museums and heritage sites can range from those located in the city centre to small interesting museums found locally. Detailed at the end of this article, are some suggestions to where you can take the children and the opportunities they have on offer.

Indoor soft playgrounds & Trampoline Parks allow the children to blow off steam for a few hours. Undoubtedly, running and jumping around all day is tiring, and the mix of the indoor playgrounds and the arrival of evening-time is a recipe for a potentially earlier night’s sleep for the kids! 
Museums & Heritage Sites are fantastic ways to get the children learning about history as well as having fun. Museums and heritage sites can range from those located in the city centre to small interesting museums found locally. Detailed at the end of this article, are some suggestions to where you can take the children and the opportunities they have on offer.

Parks & Picnics go along greatly with a mix of hot and amiable weather. If the forecast gives the all clear, a lovely time can be spent at the park. If you wanted to spruce things up and make picnic that little bit more exciting, kite flying could be an activity to do on the grass. Don’t forget, the children can give you a hand in the food and sandwich preparations!

Theatre Musicals are both exciting and memorable experiences – with productions being incredibly engaging. The matinee showing can prove helpful if you are hesitant about musicals finishing too late and travelling in the evening/night. The link ahead provides some guidance on the types of theatre productions and age suitability and restrictions. Don’t be put off by the seeming idea that the theatre might leave you significantly out-of-pocket, the links below provide some good and reputable ticketing sites as well as an August 2018 ‘Kids-go-Free’ deal– don’t miss out!

Visiting a local farm & Fruit Pickingallows children to see the process of good and trusted farming. At these farms, the children can potentially see the animals, select and buy their own eggs, pick their own fruit and veggies, as well as purchase fresh milk and produce.

                                                          
Swimming is a great way for your children to strengthen their swimming skills and enjoy their time in the pool. As well as allowing them to enjoy a range of aquatic activities it can also be a chance to cool down for from the hot and humid weather.

Great Discounts / Vouchers

 Cinema (UK-wide) – ‘Mini-Morning’ deals with Vue Cinema. 

Theatre Musicals: For competitive theatre ticket prices see the links below: Ticketmaster, Lastminute.command of London Theatre Direct. Kids Go Free Deal.

Indoor soft playgrounds - Kidspace Romford / Owls Play Centre / Trampoline Parks.

Fruit Picking – London-based fruit picking farm

Museums & Heritage sites – Click here for museum attractions

Parks & Picnics (London) – Click here to see some of the best London parks and picnic spots.

Visiting a local farm (London) – Click here to see great London farm suggestions.

Other Great Ideas – Click the link

Chocolate making

Ice-skating / roller-skating

Lama walking

Also, check out the Day Out with the Kids website to find other great adventures.