It’s now summer and there are plenty of activities available for the whole family. Whether you want to travel to any number of the exciting places throughout the UK, or stick closer to home – there’s no shortage of things to do this summer.
A short search online can bring up some fantastic local activities that are great for all ages, such as craft fairs and fetes or more educational activities like tours and theatre performances.
Here are a few of our recommendations for things to do this summer with your family!
Home and Local Activities
Scavenger hunts are a fantastic way to spend the day, you can involve as few or as many people in the hunt as you’d like and you can make it as big or as small as you like. One of our favourites is the A-Z scavenger hunt – here you hide items beginning with each letter of the alphabet around either your home, or a location of your choosing.
Print off a list of all the items to find for the participants and then start the scavenger hunt! Cross off the items as you go until there are none left to find. The person to complete their list first is the winner, and you can even play for prizes.
Picnics are great way to spend an afternoon with the family. Make sure to have everything ready in advance – this includes a cooler box for storing the food and drinks, blankets to sit on, plastic plates, cutlery and cups and outdoor games to play such as Frisbee or football!
Do a search online to find out places for a picnic in your local area and pick the one you think looks best. Make sure you check the weather forecast before you set off! Bad weather can easily ruin a good picnic.
A day out biking is a great way to keep the family fit. If you all have your own bikes – fantastic! Have a look on a map and plan out a route for the day. Don’t forget to include pit stops for food and drink to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Don’t worry if you don’t have your own bikes – often there will be parks in your local area you can visit that offer bike rental.
A herb garden at home can help your children to enjoy cooking which can lead to a healthier diet. Early spring is the time of year you can grow herbs from seed, so now that it’s summer it is best to buy the plants and plant them instead. Herbs grow really well in pots and tubs so you don’t need to have a big garden to do this.
Next you need to choose what you want to plant. Perennials are ideal for children as they are low maintenance – these include Chives, Sage, Lemon Balm, Mint and Oregano. These all have different characteristics, chives for example have showy flowers. Look into what’s best for your garden!
- Have a Camp Fire in Your Back Garden
You don’t need a fancy fire pit to have a camp fire in your garden. Spend the day looking for dry sticks, logs and stones – when night falls you can set up your camp fire! Make sure you take necessary safety precautions and don’t let children too close to the fire.
Start by creating a circle with stone, this will serve as the edge of your camp fire. Create a small pyramid in the middle of the circle using kindling, twigs and dry leaves. You can light this either with a lighter or try the old fashioned method of using flint and steel or a bow drill for fun! As the fire grows you can start to add bigger logs to keep it going.
Now you can sit back with the family, relax, sing songs and roast marshmallows!
National Activities
There are hundreds of zoos and safari parks across the UK which are perfect for an educational family day trip. The children will enjoy seeing all sorts of animals and learning more about them.
Some of the best zoos in the UK we recommend are Chester Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo, London Zoo, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Twycross Zoo and Colchester Zoo.
If you’re looking for an educational day out then a museum is a great choice, especially if the weather isn’t good. There are a range of museums across the country so you’re bound to find an interesting one. Museums offer an educational factor for both yourselves and your children, the more you explore the more you’ll learn! Many of them are free to enter so it can be a budget-conscious trip too.
Here are our London museum recommendations – British Museum, Tate Modern, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. If you don’t fancy taking the trip to London for one of the bigger museums, there are sure to be smaller museums in your local area. These are great because your children can learn about where they live.
Camping is a great way to bring the family closer to nature. Make sure you have a tent which is of a suitable size for your whole family and ensure you have the correct equipment before setting off, such as sleeping bags, food, water etc.
Pick a campsite that is far away from your home – this way your children will be able to experience an environment that is completely different to the one they are used to.
If you don’t want to go far away from home, try pitching a tent in the back garden and have a camp out at home. You might still be at home but it will be an adventure!
We hope these suggestions help you to plan a fun summer for the whole family.
We are UK suppliers of educational furniture and play furniture for the early years age group. Here at ELF we pride ourselves on offering great value, quality products backed up by a reliable and flexible service.
For more information on any of our early learning products, please contact us or call us on 01733 511030.
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