Holidays can be a great time to bond with your children and maybe let your inner child come out to play. But it can also be a stressful time when kids can misbehave because of boredom. It’s best to put a little bit of advanced planning into any holidays and prepare yourself with a host of ideas to keep the little ones out of mischief.

Be sure to get the children involved in the planning. They will be less likely to complain about activities chosen if they take part in deciding what to do.  Have a range of activities to select from: things to do at home, in the garden, outdoors, and the odd activity that you have to pay for.

Here are some activities to choose from.

1. Make your own games.  Get a supply of coloured card, scissors, glue and anything else you may want to make some fun games. Games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey or Snakes and Ladders can easily be made at home and will keep children occupied for some time.
2. Cooking and Baking. Have a cooking or baking day. Let children be involved from the beginning – let them choose from a selection of recipes you have ingredients for. If the child can read, get them to read from the recipe book. Step by step, help them to work through the instructions. Try to avoid the temptation of doing it yourself. Nadiya’s Bake me a Story is one of many recipe books available.
3. Make a hurdle course in your garden. Buckets, boxes, garden chairs – anything that can be jumped over, under or around can be used. Children can also time each other around the course. The course can be completed on a bicycle, scooter, or simply by running.
4. Build a garden patch. Assign a small patch in the garden to the kids. Plant flowers, herbs, lettuce, anything that grows quickly. If your children are too young, just give them plastic spade, put on some old clothes, and let them loose.
5. Go camping. Build a tent indoors or outdoors with blankets and sheets. When the tent is up, give them a torch and a picnic to take with them. I guarantee you won’t see them for hours.
6. Go on picnics. You don’t have to go far to have a picnic, your own garden or local park is perfect for this. Give the whatever you have in the fridge.  It’s amazing how delicious an ordinary sandwich tastes out of a plastic container, when eaten on a blanket on the grass.
7. Treasure Hunting. Make a treasure map with clues to find some treasure you have hidden somewhere in the garden or the house. It doesn’t have to be expensive or big – any little treat will be exciting.
8. Create a Holiday Diary. Encourage little ones to keep a holiday diary or scrapbook. They can take photos of special days and write about them. It will become a lovely memory for them in the future, and also keep them busy for hours.
9. Get jamming. Grab some things that make sound, like shakers or tambourines and let them have fun.
10. Paint. Get large sheets of paper and lots of child friendly paint. Let your children use hands and feet to paint with. To avoid any stress, prepare the area well and cover with plastic or newspaper. Have some water ready to wash when finished.
11. Get into jewellery making. This activity can be done with the smallest of children, just be sure to get appropriate bead sizes for different age groups. Supervise at all times. Jewellery making kits are readily available in toy and craft shops. Children will be so proud to wear the jewellery that they have made.
12. Go swimming. Swimming has a calming effect on children and the amount of energy used in the water means that they won’t be quite as active when they get home.
13. Take nature walks. Go to nature walks with a purpose. In the forest or a park, get kids to seek out different sort of insects, plants or trees.  Alternatively, give them a map to plot the route you are taking. By giving them control and a plan will ensure they don’t get bored too quickly.
14. Visit the library. Use the local library regularly. Make a day out of it.  Do some reading while you are there instead of getting some books and heading home. Give your children a love of books, it is one of the best gifts you can give them.
15. Organise some play dates. Plan some play dates and invite friends over. While they spend time with their friends it may give you the opportunity to get some work done and perhaps even connect with other parents. Added bonus- the invite maybe returned some day.
16. Have a “Chill Day”. With all that planned activity, children also need some down time. Make sure you plan some days when you just chill, watch some movies, read some books, and take it easy.