Whenever school vacation comes around again, parents often have one big concern: how to stop the games console from consuming their child’s mind. While it’s true that most games and mobile apps have some educational aspects, you still can’t deny the value of getting the kids out of the house for some fresh air and physical activity. Kids that are bored — boys in particular! — also tend to act up a bit more, so it’s in everyone’s best interests to keep them active for long periods of time. Here are a few ways you can get them moving during their vacation.
Explore the wilderness together
The outside world can be just as fun and stimulating as a games console. If the weather forecast looks promising, you could take the kids camping for a few days and introduce them to some of the activities you did with your parents when you were their age. Brush up on some simple survival skills and teach them how to survive in the wild, introduce them to the simple thrill of climbing trees, and in the evening you can show them how to make perfect s’mores over the campfire. Not only does this experience encourage the kids to work together to put up the tent and start a fire, but it will help them appreciate the things they take for granted at home; hot showers and indoor plumbing seems like a luxury after a weekend in the woods.
Active family
Nothing teaches kids the value of exercise like an active day. If your budget allows for it, check out venues like laser tag centres, a football day camp, or trampoline parks, and get the kids running around and playing. With slightly older kids, organise fun family days out on weekends, which could involve getting everyone on their jibs action sports bikes and riding down the coast before stopping for a healthy picnic, or getting out the water pistols and having an all-out war. The best part is that they’ll be so busy having fun, they might never catch on that it’s all to get them moving.
Sports tournaments
You don’t need to enrol your kids in a sports camp to let them get a little competitive. If you have a spacious back garden, or know of an open field near your house, set up a game of soccer, football, or sports tournament with your kids and their friends and get them to play for a trophy. Adults can even get in on the action, but they might want to play with a handicap if the kids are still fairly young.
Be a tourist
Get reacquainted with your town this summer by exploring all the tourist attractions. Find out about local events and markets – most townshave their own website full of local information. Alternatively, you could just wander through the main street and challenge your kids to spot the oldest building by their date stone. This activity might go down well with kids who aren’t particularly sporty.
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