Things to do With The Kids

With the summer holidays right around the corner, you'll soon be looking for fun activities to keep your little ones entertained and make their summer unforgettable. Whether you're venturing out or prefer something to keep them occupied at home, our ideas cater to both.

With the ever-changing weather, work and your schedule in general, it can be difficult to know what the next week will bring, we've listed some suggestions below that will help you plan well in advance. Many of these are either free or low cost and can be done by anyone with kids in any age group.

When it comes to summer activities, there are few things more enjoyable than being outdoors with your kids. The great outdoors offers endless possibilities when it comes to unstructured playtime. It’s also an excellent opportunity to get your family out in the fresh air and exercising together. It’s important to plan ahead so that you have plenty of time to get outside with your kids. Here are a few things we recommend for a summer packed with fun.

Visit The Zoo

The zoo is an exciting day for all the family, no matter how old your children are, they're bound to enjoy this day out. Here in the UK we're home to some fantastic zoos. If you live near London, you can visit somewhere like ZSL Zoo (which is in central London) or if you're based up north, you can head to the likes of Chester Zoo or even Knowsley Safari Park.

Head Out On A Walk

Walks are a great, inexpensive way to keep your little ones entertained; why not meet some friends and go together? You can find a local park, walk around your area or even venture out to one of the beautiful gardens that the UK has to offer. The National Trust have a whole range of gardens all over the UK that the whole family can enjoy exploring. Think of some activities you can do whilst on your walk, for example why not count how many red cars you see while you're out or spot the different kinds of birds you can find. So, pack some water and a few snacks, lace up your walking boots and go explore!

Visit The Beach

Why not visit a local beach, you can go for a nice walk and take a packed lunch and some swimwear with you to enjoy whilst chilling out on the sand. You can also take a football, frisbee, and a bucket and spade to keep your little ones entertained, as well as collecting shells, writing your name in the sand and finding rock pools.

Explore A Museum

A kid’s museum trip can be the perfect way to enjoy an afternoon with your little ones while you let them play with toys and learn about different cultures. Take advantage of programs offered to children and their families. Once you are inside, you will want to take advantage of everything that you can learn about history, science, and more. You can also enjoy art exhibits and activities designed to promote imagination and creativity.

There's lots of great stuff to do with kids during the summer—from arts and crafts to music and sports. Here are some summer activities you can do at home with your kids that won't break the bank and will help you teach them responsibility and how to have fun together.

Baking

Baking with your little ones can be messy, but it's a great way to teach your children something new and let them get creative. Whether you want to bake some simple cupcakes and let your children decorate them, or if your children are older and you want to bake something a little more adventurous then why not try something fun like cake pops.

Crafting Activities

There are so many crafting activities out there that your children will love, Pinterest is a great way of finding these activities. A few of our personal favourites are these adorable bubble wand making and paper roll penguins.

Have A Picnic

This can be done at home or your local park, grab your picnic set and have a teddy bear’s picnic for you, your little ones, and their favourite teddy bear. Get all of your favourite snacks prepared and lay down your picnic blanket (this can be done inside if the weather is cold or rainy) and enjoy some quality time together.

Build a den

What child doesn't love building a den? Allocate your little ones some den building equipment such as pillows, sheets, blankets - anything they can use to make their cool set up. Then, why not let them have a movie day once they've finished building? Take a tablet, phone and some snacks and they can chill out in their den.

Make An Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses can be great fun, they're almost like a mini sports day. This activity is best kept for a warm day so it can be done outside where nothing can get broken. Choose from a range of activities for your obstacle course whether it's hula hooping, ring toss, egg and spoon race, 10 skips, a handstand, there are plenty to choose from.

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We hope you found our list of things to do with the kids helpful, it's always tough thinking of ways to keep the kids occupied. We've written a separate guide on what to do with the kids when it's raining, which you can check out for activity ideas if the summer sun hasn't decided show this week.