Childrens Summer Holiday Advice

The end of July can only mean one thing for all parents across the UK; 'the six weeks summer holiday'. You can be sure that Children up and down the country have been counting down the days for months and you can be equally sure that many parents have been dreading it since September last year. Not because they don't want to spend more time with the little ones but because it represents a huge challenge in terms of keeping the children entertained, the financial implications and for some parents making childcare arrangements. At www.fantasticals.co.uk we have compiled some interesting facts on the 'summer holidays' and come up with some great ideas to make them run smoothly.

Every year the length of the children's 'summer holidays' is debated. Some think its too long, others too short and some just right. Whatever side of the fence you fall on here are some facts that you may be interested in; children's summer holidays in the UK are some of the shortest within Europe. Children in Bulgaria have a staggering 16 week summer holiday with Italy and Portugal not far behind at 12 weeks.

	6 Weeks		7 Weeks		12 Weeks
	6 Weeks		10 Weeks		12 Weeks
	6 Weeks		11 Weeks		16 Weeks

Parents in the UK are expected to spend a staggering £4.7 billion this summer to keep their children entertained. A recent survey revealed that parents predicted that the summer holidays would cost them an average of £741. They expected that the single most expensive cost would be a foreign holiday. As most parents are aware the demand for flights and accommodation in the summer holidays causes the price to go up significantly. The average family spend £737 on their foreign holiday. Then theres the day trips; parents expect to spend around £254 per family on trips including petrol and food.

Our Guide to a Succesful Summer Holiday:

Entertain for Free: Keeping children entertained does not always have to be expensive. There are some great free activities that you can do. Many local authorities have playschemes with qualified staff that are run for free or minimal costs. If your child is a keen reader then check to see whether your local library has a book reading club. For older children museums are a great activity, they are usually free and have an educational benefit also.

Ground Rules: The routine you've worked so hard to establish up until the holiday will inevitably become more relaxed and that is fine because thats what the holidays are about, late nights and relaxing days. As you move towards the end of the holiday it's a good idea to ease them back into a routine so it doesn't come as such a shock on the first day back at school.

Plan, Plan Plan: Trying to plan activities for every minute of the day will exhaust you and your child, plan in some free time and me time and spread activities evenly. The holidays are for everyone to enjoy, let your child plan the week with you so that they have things to look forward to.

Awaken Their Imagination: How about making a boardgame, get the children to make the playing surface, the counters and a dice, maybe even write up a set of rules, then afterwards you can all sit down and play. They could put on a puppet show, make a puppet theatre out of cardboard, make some puppets and even design a programme and tickets for the show.

The Great Outdoors: Going out for the day doesn't have to mean expense and long car rides There are plenty of activities that can be done locally, a park picnic, bike ride and a nice walk are some of the obvious activities.

Be Flexible: You may want your children to be outdoors enjoying the sun when they would prefer to watch TV or play computer games. Don't force the issue, it may give you both a well earned break from each other. Remember that childrens ideas of what is fun can change, so what might have been a great activity last year may be a no no this year.

Cook up a Feast: Children love to cook so why not bake a cake with them or let them help you prepare lunch or a picnic. Let them help you decide what to make, getting them involved with this decision is sure to keep their interest when you come to bake.

Take a Break from Each Other: Letting your child spend time with relatives, having a sleepover at a friends houses or even getting a babysitter for the night could be just what you need. It gives you a chance to take a break and unwind and your childs likely to enjoy the company of other people who may provide a fresh approach to entertaining children.

Team Up: Get together with other parents you know, share the planning of the activities, help each other out with childcare arrangements. This is likely to take the pressure off you, maybe make the cost of activities cheaper if you're sharing the same car and more importantly it will give your children the opportunity of engaging with other children.

Use the Internet: The internet is full of some great ideas for activities for children. Theres also some great parenting forums that are full of suggestions on what to do this summer. Although you don't want your child to spend all summer on a computer there are some fun activities you can do. Why not look up your family tree together or maybe research a subject your child finds interesting, maybe a subject they have covered at school.

We recommend the following websites for further information related to the summer holidays:

What to do with the Kids - Great site with loads of information on childrens days out

Direct Gov Website - Database of summer play schemes.