When you are a child, the school holidays zip by and it seems like ages until the next break. As an adult with kids, school holidays seem to happen every other week and last for about three months at a time. Keeping your children entertained is a challenge, especially if you don’t want to spend a fortune. So, we have collected together some holidays activity examples to provide some inspiration when the kids are in lapsing into boredom.

Any time you feel that they are on the verge of whinging, look down this list. You’ll certainly find something to distract them for a while. And, as we all know, in the school holidays anything that occupies them for any amount of time is a help.

School holiday activity examples

Build a den

An outdoor den is a project that children of any age can get their teeth into. For younger kids, you get to build the structure together and create a place to play games. For older children, it is a design challenge that can test their abilities. They can then use it as a place to relax and read a book, play video games or do whatever they want.

The beauty of this is that it is free and, if the weather is bad, you can still build one indoors too.

Create a movie night

You could just watch a film, but you can do that any time. And you only use up the running time of the movie. In order to stretch it out and engage the children for longer, create the whole experience of the cinema in your own home.

Design posters to advertise the film, make tickets and even build your own refreshments stand. This way, you sneak some writing, art and maths practice in. Your children can then ‘sell’ you entry to the movie night and your snacks, as well as acting as the ushers to show you to your seat. Then you all settle down and enjoy the film.

Cook together

This is one of those holidays activity examples that is also great for instilling real life skills in your young ones. The more children help out in the kitchen, the more they understand about what goes into the food that you eat. This helps them forge a healthy relationship with food and will equip them well for when they want more independence as they get older.

In addition, it’s a great way to stave off boredom in the holidays and spend quality time together. It could be as simple as making a sandwich or as complicated as a three-course meal. It doesn’t matter, it is all about keeping the kids entertained and, if there is some delicious food as a result, that is just a bonus.

Create a sporting tournament

Attempt to build your own family Olympics. This means creating a host of different events in which your children can participate. Whatever space you have a available, and whatever the weather, you can adapt it.

From playing tiddlywinks to a full-on assault course, set your events, create a scoring system and design and build medals and a trophy. Then launch into the activities and see who will triumph. If you have children of different ages and abilities, ensure there is something in which they can all excel to keep the fun element running through the tournament.

Build a website

Nowadays, you can build a website for free from a number of different providers. Set your children a challenge to create their own website on a certain topic. They can then research the subject, design the outline of the site and create graphics to make it look good.

This is one of the most constructive holidays activity examples, as it teaches them a host of skills that they can take into their future lives.

Do you have any other school holidays activity examples to share? Jot them down in the Comments