School Holiday Survival Ideas

The summer break from the daily routine of rising early, preparing your children for school and then assisting with homework may seem idyllic initially, but in reality this time of year can be even more stressful. Without a plan for keeping children occupied, their crankiness and complaints of being bored may begin long before summer is over, and leave frustrated parents longing for the school bell to ring again. Fortunately there are many school holidays survival ideas that will keep your children engaged, even if you will not be taking a fabulous vacation away from home. Perhaps most importantly, such activities require minimal resources or even no cost at all, and reinforce many of the skills and concepts needed to be successful in the classroom.

Just getting out of the house can be the start of keeping your kids busy and keep you from dreading what to do at the beginning of another summer day. Many local libraries, for example, have guided summer reading programs, along with activities and features designed according to age and reading level. Pleasantly surprising to many parents is the fact that many children gravitate towards reading when they can select the books themselves in such a sociable setting. On hot or rainy days, this can be an especially convenient and fulfilling place for your children to be. Your local community center or parks and recreation center will likely have programs or activities expressly for summer enrichment at no or low cost to residents as well.

If your children will be spending the day indoors with you or a caretaker, this can be a perfect opportunity to let them use their imaginations and have some creative fun. While large cardboard boxes, empty cereal boxes and tubes from paper towel rolls may not seem like much, they can be the start of amazing craft projects and imaginative play. A nominal investment in some stickers, washable paints, nontoxic crayons, school glue and tape may be all you need to give your children the tools to keep them busy creating all day long. These sorts of activities can be ongoing, as you can designate an area where such projects and materials may be left out, stored, or enjoyed at any time.

Group activities can be a nice change of pace, and getting together with school friends over the summer can be done for little or no cost as well. Simply meeting at a nearby park for a bagged lunch or swimming together at a community pool can make for an enjoyable summer day. Blowing bubbles, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and playing with other outdoor toys can keep your children busy and in touch with their friends from school. Summer is also a popular time for art fairs and concerts, and many of these public events are free to the public. Even if you do have to pay an entrance fee, many libraries, retailers, and even some banks and credit unions work in partnership with nearby parks and organizations to offer discounted tickets for local community events, providing you with plenty of affordable and worthwhile summer fun.