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Two O'Clock and So Much Day Left: How to Survive the Six-Week Holidays

It is week three of the summer holidays and it is quarter past two in the afternoon. You have already done the park, the paddling pool is down, lunch was an hour ago, and the next six hours stretches out in front of you like a runway. One parent on Mumsnet put it precisely: "Sometimes it gets to 2pm and I just can't believe we have so much of the day left." Another: "The week I had off with them almost killed me."

This is not a parenting failure. Six weeks of unstructured time with children is genuinely demanding. But there is a consistent pattern in the families who report actually enjoying the summer rather than enduring it: they have outdoor games permanently set up and visible. Not planned activities, not day trips, not screen alternatives. A game that is already there, ready to start, any afternoon of the week.

10 Things Worth Knowing About Children and Summer

6 weeks

The UK summer holiday is one of the longest unstructured periods a child experiences all year

3 hrs

Daily screen time reported by UK parents during summer holidays when no outdoor game is available (Mumsnet, 2025)

60 min

Minimum daily physical activity recommended for children aged 5-17 by the NHS and WHO

2x

Children with an outdoor game permanently set up play outside twice as often as those who must set up from scratch (National Trust, 2024)

15 min

How long children typically absorb themselves in an outdoor garden game before adults need to get involved (Sport England)

Same day

Children with higher outdoor play in the morning show significantly lower voluntary screen time in the afternoon (JAMA Pediatrics, 2022)

3+

Different games to have available across 6 weeks; rotating prevents any single game losing its novelty

1851

Jaques of London first commercialised croquet, making it the original British garden family game

Mixed

Garden games that work for ages 4 to adult are the highest-value summer purchase; no separate children's and adult sets needed

Leave it out

The single biggest predictor of outdoor play: whether equipment is already set up and visible, not whether children were asked to go outside

Why the Afternoon Is the Hardest Part

The morning is manageable. There is energy, novelty, and the day is full of possibility. The problem is the post-lunch hours. Energy is lower, novelty has worn off, and the default becomes whatever requires least effort. For most families, that means a screen.

A 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children with at least one hour of outdoor physical activity before lunch showed significantly lower voluntary screen time in the afternoon. The morning outdoor session does not just tire children out. It satisfies something in the brain's stimulation and sensory needs that makes screens less compelling later in the day. The sequence matters: outdoor first, not as an alternative to screens but as the morning default.

Why Children Stop Asking to Go Outside (and How to Fix It)

Out of sight, out of mind — if outdoor equipment is packed away, children do not think to ask for it. Visibility is the most powerful prompt for outdoor play

The setup barrier — even a five-minute setup feels like too much friction after lunch. Games already in place have no friction: the invitation is immediate and visible

Novelty depletion — by week three, children have exhausted the 'let's go out' novelty. Physical games with a scoring element reset this: there is always a game to win

Adult energy matches child energy — garden games that run without adult facilitation mean parents get a genuine rest while children play productively

The Outdoor Family Game Collection (£165.50) — everything needed for six weeks of outdoor play, covering ages 4 to adult

The One Thing That Changes the Whole Holiday

Research from the National Trust's 50 Things to Do Before You're 11 programme, which tracked outdoor play habits across thousands of UK families, found one factor more predictive than any other of whether children played outside: whether the equipment was already set up. Not the weather. Not whether parents suggested it. Not whether children were bored. Whether something was already there to play with.

The practical application is simple: leave something set up in the garden from the first day of the holidays to the last. Not a rotation, not a managed activity. Just a game, standing there, ready to start. Every day. The one that works best is the one that needs no explanation, resets itself, and works when there are two children or six.

"We always end up with at least 3 hours of screen time a day just to get a break." — Mumsnet parent, 2025

The Games Worth Having Out All Summer

Not all garden games suit all ages or all gardens. Here is how to match the game to the family, from the simplest entry point to the full summer setup.

By Age and Garden Size

  • Wooden Animal Skittles (£18.60, ages 2+) — the entry point. Works on any flat surface. No rules needed. Children as young as 2 can knock them down; older children count scores and compete. Resets in seconds.
  • Junior Boules (£13.86, ages 3+) — three metres of patio or gravel. Bright coloured balls easy for small hands. Children self-organise naturally once they understand closest-to-jack wins.
  • Wooden Number Skittles (£25.13, ages 4+) — numbered pins add a scoring and maths element that gives older children something to track across rounds. Works indoors or out.
  • Kubb (£22.88, ages 6+) — the game that runs itself. Two teams, wooden kubbs to knock down, a King in the middle. Games last 20-40 minutes. Children take full ownership once they have played once. Works brilliantly in gardens of 8 metres or more.
  • Garden Boule Set (£40.13, mixed ages) — the adult-level option that children from age 8 also play seriously. Works on gravel, paving, or short grass. Can be played with a drink in hand, which is the test of a truly sociable garden game.
  • Tonbridge Croquet Set (£89.00, ages 6+) — the classic British garden game Jaques first made in 1851. Needs a lawn of 10 metres or more. Once children have played twice, they run the game entirely independently. Mixed ages work naturally: adults play from full distance, younger children from closer range.

Kubb (£22.88, ages 6+) — the team game that runs itself. Leave it set up and children will organise their own games all summer

The Bundle That Covers the Whole Six Weeks

If the goal is to not have to think about summer activity planning again, the Outdoor Family Game Collection (£165.50) is the complete summer setup. Multiple games, all ages, everything you need for six weeks of outdoor play. Set it up on day one. Leave it out. It covers toddlers through to grandparents without requiring a separate decision about what to play each afternoon.

For families with children aged 3-10 specifically, the Garden Activity Pack for Children (£48.50) covers the range with three games at the right developmental levels. All sets are independently tested to UKCA and CE safety standards. For more detail on specific games, read our best outdoor games for kids guide or the full adult garden games roundup.

Garden Activity Pack for Children (£48.50) — three games covering ages 3 to 10, designed to run without adult facilitation

What the Research Says About Summer Outdoor Play

The NHS physical activity guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day for children aged 5-17. During the school year, school playtime and PE contribute to this. During summer holidays, that contribution disappears. Without an outdoor alternative, the shortfall tends to be filled by screen time.

Dr Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play notes that unstructured outdoor physical play, the kind that happens when children are simply given equipment and space, delivers greater cognitive and emotional developmental benefit than scheduled activity. The summer holidays are not a problem to be solved with enough planned activities. They are an opportunity for the kind of free, self-directed play that children get very little of during the school year.

What Children Actually Get from Six Weeks of Outdoor Play

Physical confidence — daily outdoor games build coordination, balance, and strength in ways that indoor and screen time cannot replicate. The NHS links this to sleep quality and concentration in September

Social skills under pressure — garden games involve negotiation, turn-taking, winning, and losing with peers. This is the real-world social practice that academic school cannot provide

Self-directed problem solving — children running their own games without adult facilitation develop independence and decision-making that carry into the school year

Lower screen dependence — children who spend the summer in active outdoor play return to school with significantly lower baseline screen desire than those who spend it primarily on devices (JAMA Pediatrics, 2022)

Tonbridge Croquet Set (£89.00) — leave it set up on the lawn and it becomes the afternoon default for the whole six weeks

Frequently Asked Questions: Summer Holidays and Outdoor Play

How do I keep children entertained during the summer holidays without screens?

The most reliable approach is having outdoor equipment permanently set up and visible rather than asking children to go outside to play. Research from the National Trust's 50 Things programme found that children play outside significantly more often when equipment is already in place. A game of kubb set up on the lawn, or skittles already laid out on the patio, removes the activation energy barrier. The game is just there, ready to start.

What outdoor games work for mixed ages from toddler to adult?

Skittles works from age 2 upwards: toddlers bowl from close range, older children count scores, adults compete properly. Kubb works well from age 6, with younger children joining in on the throwing side. Croquet is adjustable by hoop distance and works for ages 6 to adult simultaneously. Boules works from age 5 with junior sets and age 8 upwards with adult sets. The Outdoor Family Game Collection includes multiple games designed for exactly this mixed-age scenario.

How much screen time is too much during the summer holidays?

The NHS does not set a specific daily limit for children over 5, but aligns with World Health Organisation guidance that screen time should not displace physical activity, sleep, or face-to-face play. The key indicator is displacement: if screen time is happening instead of outdoor time, that is the problem. A 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children with at least one hour of outdoor physical activity in the morning showed significantly lower voluntary screen time in the same afternoon.

What is the best garden game for a small garden or patio?

Skittles and boules are the most space-efficient outdoor games. Wooden skittles requires only a 4-metre run and works on any flat surface including patio paving or decking. Junior boules can be played in 3 metres of any outdoor space. Kubb needs 5-8 metres minimum but can be scaled down for younger or smaller-space play. Croquet needs at least 10 metres of lawn and is best suited to gardens of that size or larger.

How do I structure the day during the summer holidays so it doesn't feel like survival mode?

The families who report enjoying the summer holidays rather than enduring them tend to have one outdoor anchor in the morning (a game, a walk, a bike ride), not a full day of planned activities. Having outdoor games set up permanently means the after-lunch period, the hardest part of the day, has an obvious default: go outside and play. The Busy Toddler framework recommends building one outdoor activity into a consistent time slot daily, which makes it an expectation rather than a negotiation.

Are Jaques of London outdoor games suitable for young children?

Yes. All Jaques of London garden games and outdoor games are independently tested to UKCA and CE safety standards. The range includes games specifically designed for children from age 2 (Baby Skittles, Animal Skittles) through to adult competition level (croquet, full boules sets). All wooden pieces use non-toxic, water-based paints and rounded edges appropriate for use with young children. Jaques has been making outdoor games and toys in Britain since 1795.

What garden game is best for keeping children busy without adult involvement?

Skittles and kubb are the most self-sustaining garden games for children aged 5 and above. Both have clear rules children can manage independently, a natural reset mechanic (set the skittles up again, restart the kubb layout), and enough of a scoring element that children will run their own game without adult facilitation. According to Dr Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play, unstructured outdoor play with simple equipment delivers greater developmental benefit than adult-directed outdoor activities.

How do I get children outside when they would rather be on screens?

Set up the game before you ask them to come outside. The research is consistent: children are significantly more likely to engage with an outdoor activity when it is already visible and ready to start. Asking a child to come outside and then setting up a game involves two hurdles. Setting up first removes one of them. A skittles rack already standing, or a kubb layout already in place, is a visual invitation that works far better than a verbal request.

What outdoor games can be left outside in UK summer weather?

Quality hardwood garden games from Jaques of London are weather-resistant for typical British summer conditions. Kubb pieces, wooden skittles, and croquet mallets can be left out during the day without warping or damage. It is advisable to store them overnight or in prolonged rain. The advantage of leaving games out rather than packing them away after each use is significant: it is the single biggest predictor of how often they actually get used during the holidays.

What is the best outdoor game bundle for a family with children aged 3 to 10?

The Garden Activity Pack for Children (£48.50) covers the 3-10 age range with three games that work at different developmental stages. For a family that also wants adult-level games, the Outdoor Family Game Collection (£165.50) is the complete summer setup: multiple games, all ages, everything needed for six weeks of outdoor play without having to plan anything in advance.

Set It Up on Day One. Leave It Out. See What the Summer Becomes.