with

your kids in the summer holidays

If you’re worried about the cost of the summer holidays, Dr Amanda Gummer founder of the Good Play Guide is here with ten ideas of free activities to do this summer for all ages.

Summer is finally here! We all want to make the most of our time off with our kids, but the cost of holidays and day trips start to add up pretty quickly. We don’t need to drain our bank accounts to make special memories with our children and we often forget that little ones are fascinated with the simplest activities and just want to spend quality time with us. Here, the Good Play Guide has come up with 10 fun and free activities to do with your kids in the summer holidays.

1. Scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts are a brilliant, free and easy way to keep kids occupied and entertained. They can be done outdoors or indoors and are a good way of getting children to really observe their surroundings (whether you’re near a park or exploring the city). It can be tailored to any area. For example, a woodland hunt could challenge children to find a rabbit hole, a feather, a fallen tree, some moss, etc... A city hunt could ask children to find a red car, a bus stop, etc. It can be played alone or with (or against!) friends or siblings.

The Woodland Trust (treetoolsforschools.org.uk/ activitymenu /?cat=scavenger) has a wide variety of free scavenger hunt sheets to download and print for free.

2.

Gather things you don’t need and have a garage sale or car boot sale

One child’s trash is another’s treasure. Gather old things you don’t need or want and have an outdoor garage or car boot sale. This is a great way to declutter, while also teaching your child to be mindful of the value of money and their things.

3. Create an outdoor obstacle course

Get creative by building and completing an outdoor or indoor obstacle course. There are many low-prep ways to create a quick, yet challenging, obstacle course that will keep your kids entertained for hours. You don’t need to buy specific toys for this, just use things you already have laying around your garden. Tape can be used to make a floor ladder and frisbees can be used as stepping stones.

4. Try geocaching

Geocaching combines nature and treasurehunting and is a fun and engaging way to get your kids out and about this summer. It uses GPS to help you locate hidden objects, so you and your kids will have to use your navigation skills to find them in real life and log them digitally. There are many free apps for geocaching, so get your walking shoes on and start your adventure.

5. Visit your local library and take part in Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge is held every year and its aim is to encourage children to enjoy the pleasures of reading. To find the closest library to you that is running this challenge, visit: summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/ library-zone. Remember, joining the library, borrowing books and taking part in the challenge are completely free.

6. Board

games

Family board games are great fun and some can even be played over many days. Have a go at creating your own board game this summer, whether it’s as simple as Snakes and Ladders or as elaborate as Monopoly. This project will help encourage your child’s imagination and problemsolving skills, while playing their game with them at the end means spending more quality time together.

7.

Visit your local museum or gallery

Most small towns have a local museum and as residents of the town, we often don’t think of visiting them. A trip to your local museum or gallery can be very exciting for little learners and can spark curiosity about new concepts. Bring along a picnic and learn more about the history and culture of your hometown.

8.

DIY crafts

We know how much our kids love crafts and getting messy with them can keep them entertained for hours. We also know that they get through paint and glue pretty quickly and it’s not always ideal to keep buying replacements every time a holiday comes around.

There are many craft projects that can be done with items you already have laying around the house. For example, making homemade playdough, tie-dying with food colouring or even creating origami using old newspaper.

9. Build a time capsule

Do you remember building and burying a time capsule in the back of your garden when you were younger? It’s so much fun to collect items with a special meaning and reminisce about the memories they hold. You can even write a special letter together for your future selves.

10.

Check what’s on locally

Visit your local council website or social media site and see what free events and activities are on near you. Joining local parenting Facebook groups is also a useful way to keep up-to-date with what’s on.

A trip to your local museum or gallery can be very exciting for little learners

The Good Play Guide was established by Dr Amanda Gummer to ‘make the world a more playful place’. To learn more, visit: goodplayguide.com