Whenever time off school rolls around, it can be hard to keep the kids from getting bored. Bank holidays, term breaks, and of course, the summer holiday, can be both a delight and a dread for parents all over the world. And seeing as you’ve got 6 weeks ahead of you until September rolls around, the days can start to blur together, as can the kids’ complaints!
Keeping The Kids Entertained During The Summer Holiday
So what can you do here? Come up with some new things to do! There’s plenty of inspiration to be found around you, including heading online and finding posts like these. And the best thing about the events below is that they can all be scheduled regularly!
You don’t have to come up with a new idea every day as there’s plenty of new fun to be found in them. So without further ado, here are some activities to do with the kids during the summer holidays when that chronic boredom starts setting in.
Attend Local Events
If this is the first time you’ve had a ‘staycation’ in a few years now, there are usually plenty of things to do for families going on in your local community. So, why not check these out before you make any concrete plans? Find out what’s going on in your town centre, or if there are any free museum or gallery days going on, and take the kids along for a couple hours of fun.
And seeing as it’s not just you and the kids there, they’re likely to make some new friends too. It’s always nice to see your kids share and have fun with others their own age, especially outside of the school playground. You can also attend free swimming days and concerts in the park and connect with other parents who are looking for ways to entertain their kids. Simply put, it certainly won’t be boring for you either!
Go on a Picnic
Picnics are always fun, simply because you get to sit in the grass and eat all kinds of delicious foods! You can also take skipping ropes, balls, and rackets along with you for any number of impromptu games once you’re finished snacking away. And you can invite some other mum or dad friends along with their kids, so you’ll have someone to talk to once the kids all run off together.
But what should you pack for a good picnic? Plenty of finger foods so you don’t have much prep to do on the blanket, and then a bigger food piece to make the spread look even more yummy. Most people just tend to put a pie in the middle, but you can put a cake or a big share loaf there too – if you can cut and go, you’re onto a winner. And don’t forget to pack plenty of knives and forks, plates, and some wet wipes for sticky hands!
Buy Some Instruments and Put a Band Together
Learning an instrument is a great skill to have, and it’s easiest to learn when you’re a child. So if the kids don’t have any musical skills already, why not buy them some instruments to start playing? Sure, your house might get very loud over the next few weeks, but at least it’s with the sound of notes being played, rather than complaints.
You can give the kids a goal here: get good enough to follow along with a song they love and then showcase it in the living room. Essentially, you’re putting a band together, and the kids will love having such a creative project to follow along with. And if you’re worried about their musical literacy and how you might not be able to help them, don’t fret!
Your kids can easily learn through apps downloaded straight to the tablet screen they never seem able to get off of. You can start making screen time a little more productive for everyone, and then they can start performing some songs to you when they feel confident enough!
Build a Treehouse (or outside den)
Treehouses are every child’s dream. Somewhere to go when you want a bit of time alone, that’s private from the outside world, but still looks like something out of a storybook. Even adults want to escape up a ladder to a treehouse sometimes! So, if you’ve got a big tree in the garden and you’re not too shabby at DIY, why not look up some treehouse designs?
Get the right wood, plenty of sturdy nails, and if the trees aren’t strong enough, you can even build supports to lay the house on. As long as the kids can get off the ground and shut the door behind them, they’re going to spend all their time in there. But if you can’t quite manage a treehouse, you can still build a den with them – all you need are some sturdy twigs and leaves and a way to tie them altogether.
Have Your Own Storytime Sessions
Finally (and this is an easy one!), why not let the kids use their wide imaginations and come up with stories of their own? Make it a weekly activity to write a story, then have a Sunday Storytime where you all sit round and listen attentively. The kids can even put together outfits and masks to play the different characters, and be sure to clap when they’re done – it takes a lot of courage to get up on stage!
The summer holiday lasts a long time, and with kids in the house the whole time things can start to get stale and boring. Let’s make sure this summer is different, especially if you’ve not been able to get out as much as you usually would. There’s a lot you can do indoors and in your own back garden, and occasionally you can head out for a bit of fun with all your friends and family. You and the kids have got a lot to look forward to this year!
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: This is a collaborative article. Updated 2026.
