Real life stories
With many children on their summer school holidays, it means parents are faced with even more stress to ensure they are kept busy – but look around and there’s plenty for them to do (and learn in the process)
Instead of panicking about the long summer ahead, why not look at all that time off as the perfect opportunity to teach your child some important values and life skills? Make the most of the world and the community around you with these four insightful and fun activities...
Throw the books away and give your children the chance to learn about farm life with some first-hand experiences this summer. One of the best things about living in the UK is that we have such vast and impressive countryside all around us. If you know some farmers personally then get in touch and see what help you and your children could offer. Alternatively, do a quick Google and you will find that there are many farm open days around the country. This will give your children a chance to see the animals up close and personal and to ask farmers questions about their day-to-day life. Farming UK is a fantastic resource that can link you up with local farms and let you know when they will be doing some family-friendly activity days, so you don’t miss out on this wonderful learning opportunity. farminguk.com/farmattractions
Set your little ones a challenge of planting, caring and growing their very own plants. The most important part is to make sure the responsibility is placed on their shoulders, so that when they see the results from their own efforts it will be infinitely more rewarding. If they try to grow fruit or vegetables, they can also look forward to having a yummy meal, which might be an extra incentive. look after their home. You can use the litter picking activity as a chance to teach about the difference between recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Come the end of the day they will hopefully have gained a practical understanding of the consequences of wastefulness – and your community will love you for helping to clear up the area.
There’s no better way to teach your children to be compassionate than showing them how they can do their bit to help others in society who are in a less fortunate position. Get them excited about using their summer holiday to do some good for others by getting them engaged with different fundraising opportunities. You could go through a charity directly and join in with pre-organised fundraising activities in the local area, or you can start from scratch and make a plan together. First, find out who they want to help and why, then set up a target amount that is achievable. Next, brainstorm different fundraising activities that they would enjoy partaking in, and then get the word out to family, friends and social media before you get started. Most importantly make sure you show the youngsters how to put the fun in fundraising!