With the first excitement of vacations wearing off I find the children flitting between the pool and their tabs. It’s as if they have nothing else to do. The moment I try to restrict their screen time they come up with “What shall we do?” – the question that is the dread of all mums. If you’re a mum in the same boat as I, here’s a list to help you out.
1. Master a recipe
Learn to make at least one dish completely on your own – a salad, a raita, french toast, no bake cookies, cake in a mug. If you find that you enjoy cooking you could work on making your own recipe book. That reminds me to get N to work on hers. She started one during the exams and never got back to it.
2. Read books
Duh! Obviously. Most of you would be reading books, a few at least. How about trying out a short review after you’ve read it? That way you can keep a record of all the books you read and what you thought of them.
3. Make a summer holiday diary
You could write about
Things you did: Played scrabble with cousins, Made french toast, Made friends with your aunt’s pug (N is dead scared of dogs and this last one is high on her list).
Places you visited: A relative’s place, Historical monuments, the Science centre
Foods you ate: Shared mangoes with grandpa, Pain puri at the roadside stall, Kulfi and falooda, a new flavour of ice-cream.
4. Make a family news collage
How about turning a journalist this summer? Collect ‘news’ about family members. A cousin who graduated from high school, an aunt who got a promotion, a relative who went on a holiday, your achievement in school, a dance you performed or a skill you picked up – all of that is news. If you have pictures that’s like the icing on the cake. If not, no problem. Make small write-ups on pieces of paper and stick them onto a chart paper like a collage. We made one for our apartment complex. We typed out the news items and cut them out but hand written is good too.
4. Learn a funny poem or maybe two
They’re fun to recite. Here’s one to get you started.
5. Plant a plant and learn how to take care of it
Does it need a special kind of soil? How much and how often should you water it? Google it or get an adult to help if you don’t have access to the Internet. Don’t worry if you don’t have a green thumb. I have a black one too. Go for the easy ones first. You could simply begin with a money plant in a glass or a bottle. They almost never die on you.
6. Learn the names and know how to recognise at least five new flowers/trees that you see around you
Watch out for the regulars. Can you tell a Neem tree from an Ashoka tree? Or a Banyan from a Peepal? You couldn’t possibly miss the Gulmohur or the tall Eucalyptus. Try smelling a eucalyptus leaf. Does it seem familiar?
7. Take responsibility for one household chore and make sure you do it every single day
You could try folding your sheet, making your bed, folding dried clothes, watering plants, wiping the table after lunch/dinner. Helps to have mum on your side since you’re home all day 🙂 and she’s the one in charge of doing up the cakes and the shakes.
8. Talk to your parents/grandparents and ask them how they spent their summer vacations
Can you try any of those things? How about writing out a small piece comparing their vacations and yours?
9. Make handmade gifts for friends for school reopening day.
You could try photo frames or pen holders. I loved these easy pencil toppers made from duct tape at Atop Serenity Hill. Take a look.
10. Make your own school labels
Even if you’re not very crafty you could have a go. Cut out plain white paper labels and border them with Washi tape. That shouldn’t be too tough. Oh and before you do this, don’t forget to ensure it is allowed in your school.
I’ll be trying out all of these with the twins over the next month and sharing what we did. So watch out for detailed ‘How Tos’. I’d love it if you shared yours too.
Picture credits: Pixabay and Shutterstock
Wow! Shiny new blog! Congrats! And amazing tips! I am tempted to bookmark this post, even though I am not even close to the tween stage yet. These are some of the best, most practical, very doable tips I’ve read on keeps the kids occupied.
Shantala recently put up this amazing post…Half Girlfriend Review / Therapeutic Rant on Love & Consent
Hey thanks Shantala. Still working on the blog.
Tulika, congratulations on the big move ya. I chickened out and settled for a custom domain. I thought that at least that will make me a regular. With my kind of blogging schedule, I wonder if it’s all worth it. How’s the feeling in the new home?
And, these are some lovely tips, although I’m not even suggesting the label part. God, who’ll clean the mess? LOL.
Ha ha.. the mess is the dread of every mum. Your son is still young. Mine are good for crafting on their own. Though I have to make them clean up but it’s better now that they’re older. Thank you for the wishes. I need to spend more time here than what I’ve been managing of late. I did it on a sudden whim – just got tired of procrastinating.
Great things to do indeed(: … good ideas of how parents can enjoy kids in the holidays, cut technology from their life and let them learn some interesting activity. I am sure parents would love these things suggested to do with their kids.
Stefinia recently put up this amazing post…5 Easy Steps To Repair Your Damaged Curly Hair – Easy Remedies For Damaged Curly Hair
Thank you Stefinia.
I am waiting for my first vacation with my son – but i guess we’ll be frolicking and playing football – thats his current favorite activity.
Tina Basu recently put up this amazing post…Strawberry Center Filled Cupcake
Nothing beats outdoor activity. Football is great.
So I couldn’t wait till after A to Z! 😀
Congrats on your new web home! It looks neat and organized. Yes, that’s the first thing I notice. Don’t you know I have an OCD for orderliness? 😛
You know, I don’t even remember what we did before the cable TV and internet days! Here you’re worrying about your kids. In my house, if I tell Dad to take a break from the TV or Facebook, he says – “What shall I do instead then?”
Go figure that!
Kaddu recently put up this amazing post…A to Z of Happiness: S – Simplify #atozchallenge @AprilA2Z
Ha ha Chicky not for nothing is old age considered a second childhood. Thank you for the compliment on the site. Come on now you also discard your dinosaur skin :-).
Hey it sounds super creative fun to instill in kids while they enjoy at the same time. Lovely.
Thanks Vishal.
Oooooh..a brand new shiny website! Congratulations 🙂 I was wondering why I wasn’t getting any email updates.
I love the idea of planting a plant. We planted a tree last summer and this summer we are planning to get a bird house and decorate it and hang it. A bird feeder too! 🙂 The new collage reminded me of the ‘Gellar Yeller’ 🙂 ! I also love the grandparents bonding bit. My grandad was a forest ranger. The stories my grandmom tells us is nothing short of adventures! From saving a calf in the middle of the night to being chased by bees and elephants! 🙂 I love the ideas!
Thank you Anitha. I still have to make it my own. Struggling with the technicalities and wondering if I made a mistake with the move. Wow.. Your granddad sounds like James Herriot. I hope I can get the children do all of those activities. Sometimes things that excite me just don’t get them going and sometimes they get all gung ho about ideas that I think will fall flat.
Those are some incredible ideas! Especially gardening and learning a funny poem 🙂
Congrats again on going self-hosted! Way to go!
Shalini R recently put up this amazing post…Quick Guide to Phi Phi Islands
Thanks Shalini. It’s a struggle to keep the children occupied with something constructive.
Congratulations on going self hosted…now that’s inspiration for me…
The kids are already reading a lot, so the other things I’m going to make the kids try are mastering a recipe, spending time with grandparents, and making the labels.
Shubhangi @ The Little Princess
Thank you. I’d been planning for a long time and since I didn’t do the A to Z I thought I should make use of the time :-). Cooking can be fun. I’ll be sharing some easy recipes that I’ve tried out with the children. Some no-cook ones too.
Congrats again on the move to self-hosted, Tulika. These are summer good ideas. Kids are swimming, playing badminton/TT, cycling, reading and playing on their gadgets. Initiating then into cooking is on cards. The elder son is being initiated into cutting salad and cleaning the table. The younger son makes nimbu paani and half fry. He wants to learn how to make omlettes.
Thanks Rachna. I love that your kids are outdoor a lot. It’s so hot here that apart from early mornings and evenings we can barely step out. So we need plenty of indoor activities.
Such good ideas, my son is 8 and I will try them all with him these summer vacations.
Congratulations for the move, things look groovy! All the best.
Inderpreet recently put up this amazing post…REGAL LOVE #FindingTheAngel @Rubinaramesh199
Thank you. Still working on the site Inderpreet. I hope you have fun trying out the ideas with your son.
Such lovely ideas all of them 🙂
I’ve started Gy on the diary habit late last year and she fell in love with it. Currently she is learning Python (some coding language) from her dad and she loves it.
OOH and congrats on the blog move. SO happy for you <3
Shailaja V recently put up this amazing post…Birthday moments, memories & lessons that endure
Thank you Shailaja. I hope you know that you were the single motivating factor for the move. Glad of Gy’s diary. She’s learning a coding language??? My goodness she’s smart.