With summer holidays stretching long months during hot days, it often becomes a dilemma for parents as to how to engage their children. It becomes uncomfortable to play outside for long and neither is it possible to take children on month long trips. In many cases, children end up spending the majority of time watching television and playing video games. Here are some tips on how to ensure that they remain engaged and learn new things during summer holidays.
Plan a schedule
If you are taking care of them, draw up a plan for the weeks that children are off from school. Planning ahead will ensure that you can fill up the days with certain activities like enrolling in dance classes as well as free time. It is important that you allow your child to play on their own. Imaginative play and playing with friends should be encouraged as it is an important part of their personality development as well as helps them to relax. You could plan different activities like drawing, cooking lessons at home and art and craft activities on different timings and different days as per your convenience.
Structured fun
Though the schedule can be deviated from, however, sticking to it more or less will ensure that you and your child have something constructive to do every other minute. The timings you allot play or teach the child something will help with parent and child bonding. Some activities like drawing or art and craft activities the child could do on his or her own, depending on the age group. You could plan to visit your friends or complete your shopping when you drop off your child at dance courses in Brisbane.
Outdoor activities
Even if you plan to stay indoors most of the day, ensure that you take your child to play in the park or for swimming lessons during the evening hours. This could be done in the early morning hours as well. This will allow you and your child to have fun outdoors which is necessary as well for overall health. With a good dose of physical activities your children will be less likely to be restless at home. Going for swimming as a family will help everyone to stay fit as well.
Plan fun things
Summer holidays do not need to be all activities and no fun. Take time to lie back and relax, read books to your children or simply take naps in the afternoon. Plan a holiday or a visit to a fair or to see a play. These would be educational trips for your children as well. A short weekend trip even will help to expand the experience horizon of your child.