Creative Ideas To Keep Kids Entertained This August lifestyle
Keeping children entertained during the summer holidays while they’re away from school can be a difficult task. Especially if you’ve got kids with a variety of interests, talents and unique skills. We’ve rounded up a guide full of creative and diverse ideas to help you keep those little ones happy and entertained this summer. No matter what your child enjoys, there’s something for everyone!
THE ART PROJECT:
Write a Story
Getting kids to write a story is a great way to get them to use their imagination and spark their creativity. You can do this individually or as a chain where each child has to continue the story based on the previous description.
Age: 6+
Budget: £
Painting
Painting is one of the best ways to keep kids entertained as there are loads of exciting new painting techniques and ideas for them to try out! It's also a great way for children to get their ideas and thoughts out into paper.
Age: 3+
Budget: ££
Go to the Theatre
Did you know that children under 17 can go free to a West End show in London during August? Plus an additional two children can attend for half price! From Mary Poppins to The Life of Pi and Frozen, there's something for all ages. Kids must be accompanied by a paying adult. For more information visit OfficialLondonTheatre.com
Age: 5+
Budget: £££
Put On a Talent Show
Set up a stage at home and make the kids feel like the star of the show by having them take part in a talent show! They can do anything from singing, dancing, acting, reading out a poem, or putting on a magic show. This activity can also help with stage fright for the future.
Age: 3+
Budget: £
THE SPORTS EDIT:
Whether your children show interest in sports or not, getting kids to move around and do some physical activity is great for their physical and mental health.
Host a Sports Day
You can do this in the garden or by heading to your local park and setting up various games to play such as rounders, tag rugby and football. Invite friends and family around to make teams and compete against each other!
Age: 6+
Budget: ££
Swimming
Head to your local swimming pool or lido and enjoy a day of swimming and playing in the pool. This is a great activity to do in the summer as it's refreshing in the hot weather, and also gets the children doing some exercise!
Age: 3+
Budget: ££
THE EXPEDITION:
In today’s digital, online world, getting children to spend time outdoors in nature has never been more important. Below are some ideas to get the kids to spend more time outdoors, but more importantly, make them have a good time outside!
Treasure Hunt
This one is great to get kids working as a team! Hide small treats or items around the garden or in the park, then create a set of clues for the kids to use and set them loose to hunt down the secret treasure.
Age: 7+
Budget: ££
Go For a Walk and Make a Map
Teaching children to become aware of their surroundings at an early age is very important, and a great skill for them to have. You can take a walk around your local park, town, or somewhere new and get them to draw a map of their surroundings. All you need are some walking shoes, crayons and paper!
Age: 9+
Budget: £
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM:
Visit a Farm
The best way to spend time with animals is by visiting a farm and introducing your children to animals in their natural habitat. There are lots of farms around the country and it's a great opportunity for children to get up close to wildlife if their only previous contact with animals has been with at home pets such as dogs or cats.
Age: 3+
Budget: ££
The Golden Retriever Experience
Why not spend a couple of hours of dog-filled fun playing fetch and cuddling a pack of golden retrievers! Wether it's to celebrate a special occasion or simply have a play around with dogs, The Golden Retriever experience is a great way to entertain the children and also help kids get over their fear of dogs.
Visit TheGoldenRetrieverExperience.com
Age: 3+
Budget: £££
Donkey Sanctuary
Another great way for children to connect with animals is by visiting a sanctuary. The Donkey Sanctuary has several locations around the country where you can go to help and interact with donkeys in need.
Visit TheDonkeySanctuary.org.uk.
Age: 3+
Budget: £
THE SCIENCE EXPERIMENT:
Make Bath Bombs
Making bath bombs at home can be a fun little science experiment to do with the kids and get them excited about bath time. The best part as a parent is you know where all the ingredients in the bath bomb come from! Take a look at this bath bomb recipe for kids.
Age: 6+
Budget: ££
Make a Lava Lamp
They’re fun and colourful to decorate your home, but also an exciting activity to do with kids and teach them about science, chemical reactions and density. You can learn how to make a lava lamp here.
Age: 5+
Budget: ££
THE HOME EDIT:
Sometimes we just want to spend time at home, especially if the day is cold and grey. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of a rainy day at home. Here are some fun ideas of things you can do at home to get everyone involved and spend some quality family time.
Board Games and Puzzles
Gathering around the living room with a good board game is one of the best ways to get the whole family spending some quality time together. Take a look at our children's games and toys collection, perfect for a family night in.
Age: 4+
Budget: ££
Have a Bake Off
Cooking and baking is one of the best activities to do with kids as it teaches them so much, no matter their age. If you have a big family, why not split into groups and challenge them to a bake off!
Age: 4+
Budget: ££
Movie Marathon
There’s nothing better than cuddling up with a good movie and some popcorn! If you’re feeling up for it, have a movie marathon and let each child pick a different movie that way there’s something for everyone.
Age: 3+
Budget: £