After weeks inside a classroom learning phonics and maths, there’s no as highly anticipated period for children as summertime. If you’re a parent or carer searching for ideas to keep your little ones entertained, we’ve compiled some fun and educational activities below.
Outdoor Activities
Nature Walks and Scavenger Hunts
There’s nothing as invigorating as breathing in the salty sea air after months spent in school. The Newport Wetlands Centre Nature Walk is an exciting trek across marshlands with stunning views of Cardiff and Penarth. Kids can also spot local wildlife like nesting peregrines along the way.
For young explorers, Wales’ mountainous terrain offers countless summits to conquer. A climb up the Blorenge is rewarded with beautiful views across the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons). Children more keen on adventure will find The Skirrid trail incredibly exciting, learning about its myths as they pass through an ancient forest to the ruins of an Iron Age fort on the summit.
Scavenger and treasure hunts are another great option to get in some exercise while encouraging your child’s imagination. Don’t worry if you haven’t got enough time to set one up; there are many options online where you can order a packet complete with clues and routes.
(Source: Side Street Style Blog; Wales Coast Path; Visit Wales)
Water Play
In the heat of the summer, playing around in water is a great way to cool down for both kids and parents. Children can develop their motor skills by playing around with toy boats and other toys and learning how to scoop and measure water. Playing with bubbles and water pistols are great ways to do this too!
Add lemon slices, peels, and ice cubes to a water bin to create a sensory experience. Children can touch, smell and taste the materials inside the container, exploring new sensations on their own.
(Source: Messy Little Monster)
Gardening Projects
Cultivate a green thumb in your child by asking them to help pick out seeds and herbs for a garden to work on together, and enjoy the big smiles on their face when it’s time to harvest!
As your garden grows and more critters visit, it’s the perfect chance for some bug hunting and animal spotting. To encourage more pollinator friends, spend a day building a bug hotel together and admire the colourful new additions to your garden.
(Source: Our Days Outside)
Creative and Artistic Activities
Arts and Crafts
With just a few simple ingredients, it’s easy to plan weeks of fun! Using playdough and cookie cutters, children can roll out the dough and cut out shapes that they like. Then they can decorate with glitter and googly eyes, practising motor skills and unleashing their imagination.
Pasta is also great for crafting. You can help your child paint the pasta and then string it up with beads to make their own necklaces or bracelets. Mix up the pasta types for more shapes and texture too!
(Source: Bright Wheel)
Music and Dance
Bring out the speaker and get grooving to the beat! Here are some dance ideas for either the family or a playgroup:
Freeze dance is a game where the children have to stop dancing when the music stops. Add to the excitement by seeing how long they can hold their poses until the music restarts. You can make it into a friendly competition by eliminating the children who don’t freeze in time until there’s a winner.
You can also add in hula hoops or bubbles to the dance party. Give each child a hula hoop and set up songs to swing to, or choreograph a hula hoop dance for something different! You can also set up a bubble machine so the children can jump to pop bubbles while they’re dancing.
Educational Activities
Storytime in the Park
It’s nice to have a relaxing day in the park after some boisterous activities. Pack up a picnic basket and a blanket, along with some books, for a storytime session. You can take turns with your child to read aloud, and don’t be afraid to use some silly voices and sound effects!
Science Experiments
Time to get testy and messy with a little scientist. Pick some white flowers and split its stem up the middle. Insert each half into glasses of water dyed different colours, and watch the flower change colour as it ‘drinks’ the water. This activity teaches how plants draw up water, and you can help your scientist experiment with different dyes to see what happens.
This activity is a little gross but fascinating. Get multiple pieces of bread, and invite your child to touch them with clean hands that have been washed with soap, dirty hands, and hands cleansed with sanitiser. Seal each slice in its own baggie and observe how differently the mold grows, presenting why it’s so important to wash their hands!
(Source: Mud & Bloom, Good Housekeeping)
Indoor Activities for Rainy Days
Building Forts and Indoor Camping
What to do if the rain, rain, won’t go away? Set up your own cosy hideaway with your child. Work together to spread a sheet over the top of a table and lay down another one on the floor. Squeeze in some squishy pillows, comfy blankets and fairy lights, and you’ve made a fort together!
To make it more fun, stay in the fort for a night to pretend you’re camping. Gather around a pretend campfire with hot chocolate and torches for ghost stories, and stick some glow-in-the-dark stars under the table for a pretend night sky.
Cooking and Baking
The best bit about cooking is that you get to eat what you’ve made afterwards. Either from cookbooks or online, it’s very easy to find recipes that are simple for children to follow, such as chocolate chip cookies and ham pinwheels. Remember to use big mixing bowls to minimise mess and to set apart a little extra time when cooking with children.
To make things extra fun in the kitchen, you could call your child ‘chef’ and make up fun names for all the kitchen equipment they’re using, or even pretend you’re on a cooking show!
(Source: Sally’s Baking, Good Housekeeping)
Social and Group Activities
Playdates and Group Games
Playdates foster friendships between your child and other children their age, and for you and other parents and carers. It’s wonderful spending time with your child, but sometimes parenting can be lonely or tiring. On playdates, your child gets to zoom off with a new friend, while you chat to yours about parenting tips and enjoy a break.
When there’s a big group on a playdate, here are some games that can be played outside: a sports game in the park, a classic game of tag, or an obstacle course using playground equipment. For something a little more chill, board and card games are popular, and movie marathons too (with plenty of popcorn).
Community Events
Summer is a great opportunity to meet other children and parents in the neighbourhood and create new friendships. Check bulletin boards and social media pages for upcoming community events or search for family-friendly events near where you live and see what pops up! You can also sign up for groups that other parents or carers are in and organise playdates or group activities together.
Support During the Holidays
From hiking through lush forests to bubble painting in the back garden, the activity options for preschoolers this summer are endless. Our suggested ideas guarantee a fun time for both children and adults, and include chances to pick up some extra skills and knowledge. So pick up your sunscreen, some snacks, and enjoy summer!
Remember that if you ever need advice or help during the summer, then Adenydd is here to point you in the right direction. With our range of projects, you'll be able to ensure that your child can thrive, no matter their needs.
