If you’re a responsible parent or guardian (or grandparent, uncle or aunty) this article might be for you. You probably feel a bit of fear and horror at the prospect of weeks of summer holiday stretching out before you. 'What do I do with this small person' you ask? What do I talk about? And perhaps most importantly of all – how can I distract them in a way that is both healthy, fun, and likely to tire them out so I can get some much needed peace?!
Worry not, we have some great, cheap (sometimes free) ideas.
1) Go for a Walk.
Easy to do and free, walking is both good exercise and a great way to go out distract the children away from shiny screens and bleeping gizmos. If you live in a city or built up area, consider a trip to the local park. If you have access to the countryside or some woods, even better. Just keep an eye on them though, free range children will slip away from you the first chance they get!
2) Play Sports With Them
Children learn through play. Later, they learn by sitting in a classroom and failing to absorb data like a sponge, but in the early years games and fun are by far a better motivator. Getting a ball and playing catch or football, or one of a dozen other ball games, is a good way to tire them out and burn up all that energy.
3) Show them the Wonders of Nature!
While you may want to keep certain wonders of nature back until they are older, children of all ages are easily entranced by the sight of animals. Whether it clucks, waddles, prowls or slithers, a trip to a zoo or animal sanctuary is an easy way to keep the little ones distracted and interested. If money is an issue you could instead go and look at animals in fields or even spy on insects. You can find some great advice on how to get children connecting with nature through the National Trust website here.
4) Conscript them into your Garden Army
The wonderful thing about children is that they can be deeply engaged in many varied types of activities. Which is to say you can both tire them out and get them doing something productive by getting them to work with you in the garden. Many children are eager to “be of help” and will only be too happy to get involved with digging things up and planting seeds, though the offer of a strategic piece of candy may help to overcome objections should they arise.
5) Teach them Bushcraft!
Remember the good old days when children were free to roam like cats, climb trees (also like cats), and cause mischief wherever they went (once again, cats). Nowadays, however, parental fear means children are increasingly denied the opportunity to learn good, old fashioned outdoor skills, like how to build a campfire, how to set up a tent and what to do when a Bear gets a whiff of your dinner and comes charging at you out of the wood.
So consider teaching the children in your care some essential wilderness survival skills. You never know when they may need them!
