Jaques' Top 20 Free Activities for the Summer Holidays

Jaques’ Top 20 Free Activities for the Summer Holidays
 
The summer holidays are fast approaching. Kids are buzzing with excitement. And parents everywhere begin to search for ways to keep children entertained without breaking the bank. Well, we have you covered! Today we are bringing you a jam-packed list of fun, free activities to enjoy with your family this summer.
 

1. A Classic Woodland Walk

Explore new trails, discover local wildlife and burn off all that excess energy with a long woodland walk! To add a mystical layer to your woodland adventure, why not go fairy, elf or leprechaun spotting? This activity is guaranteed to fire up little imaginations.

2. Freeze and Excavate

Put some toys in a plastic container, fill it with water and pop it in the freezer overnight. The next day you are ready to conduct an arctic excavation from your home! Use spoons and melt the ice to set the frozen toys free!

3. Outdoor Hunts and Challenges

There are so many fun ways to engage little ones in hunts or challenges that also fuel their education. Why not look for treasure, set up a nature hunt, forage for bugs or create a photo challenge? Geocaching is another great way to discover interesting items and initiate fascinating discussions, and the best part is that you can join in too!

4. Write a Story

Writing a story is a great way to spend a rainy day indoors and boost literacy skills. Kids can go on all the adventures they desire with a pen and paper at their fingertips.

5. Garden Obstacle Course

Transform your outdoor space into a challenging obstacle course for your little ninjas! Get creative, and use the things you have in your house and garden to design the ultimate outdoor contest.

6. Home Movie Marathon

Another great way to get through a rainy day, or why not make it a weekly thing? Invite friends or family to join in, add in a few snacks, and enjoy your family's favourite films.

7. Playtime at the Park

Swing and slide your way to victory this summer with some quality playtime at the park. Take a football, or a picnic and encourage kids to make new friends.

8. Camp in the Garden

Take a trip into the great outdoors without leaving your home. Pitch up your tent in the garden, grab the sleeping bags, get up close with nature or opt for more of a glamping experience.

9. Put on a Show

Get dressed up, tell jokes, sing your favourite songs and create a show to entertain friends and family. Set the kids up with a storyline and watch them go! Take this one step further and arrange a community/charity event or talent show. Get all the local kids involved and raise some money for a good cause.

10. Visit the Library

Encourage reading, relaxation and independent play by setting the kids up with a library card. Let kids explore the shelves, take a seat on the bean bags and discover new worlds, one page at a time.

11. Climb Trees

Kids love to climb! So why not adventure in the garden and learn to climb trees. Great for building muscles and burning energy.

12. Start a Summer Capsule

Start a time capsule with your kids over the summer! Across the six weeks make fun memories and collect mementoes to place in your desired capsule. Just before school starts, bury your capsule in the back garden to be re-discovered in the future.

13. Map out your Local Area

Help kids to take ownership of their local area by encouraging them to explore and map out their neighbourhood.

14. Fruit Foraging

There are plenty of free fruits hiding in natural areas. Search the internet for a reliable guide to what is growing, grab the kids and some containers and go wild!

15. Go on a Litter Hunt

Keep the kids entertained and do some good for your community by clearing up your local area. This will open the door for plenty of trash talk!

16. Learn to Cook

Using only the ingredients you have in the house, ask kids to plan, prep and cook a tasty meal. Invite friends or family over to enjoy the feast or set up a cooking or baking challenge.

17. Colour and Draw

There are endless ways to keep the kids entertained with the art supplies you have in your home. Set up drawing challenges, create an art gallery and encourage independent, peaceful play. Our very own mini minds hub is full of creative ideas and freebies designed to stimulate education and imagination.

18. Cloud Watch or Stargaze

Cloud watching is a fun and relaxing way to inspire children to observe the world around them. Turn this adventure into a night-time mission by stargazing. Explore galaxies, stars and constellations from a blanket in the garden.

19. Learn Something New

The majority of suggestions on this list avoid the use of technology in favour of natural play. However, the internet is a fantastic source of information and inspiration. You can learn to do pretty much anything in just a few clicks! So why not use this tool to learn a new skill like juggling or origami?

20. Indoor Spa Day

Why not enjoy a spot of self-care amidst all the activity and bring the spa to your bathroom. Teach boys and girls how to pamper and treat themselves when they feel like they need a break.

And there you have it! Our list is complete and you are set to make 2022 the summer of fun! Let us know what activities you are inspired to try, or share your suggestion of your own below!

Ben Williamson
Creative Writer
Ben is passionate about Montessori learning for children and has written for many parenting publications to bring the magic of real play to families in the UK. After graduating in 2009, his career has enabled him to work in areas such as Child Development and Psychology. As a great believer that learning starts at home, he combines his experience with his own parenting style to help bring other families together.