A Parent’s Guide to a Balanced and Enriching Break

Summer holiday after a session of academic work are such a period of joy, freedom, for children worldwide. Preparing for this long summer holiday involves planning to ensure this time off is enjoyable, enriching and well balanced. This guide will provide parents with valuable insights and creative ideas on effective planning for the summer holiday.

Understanding the Global Landscape of the summer holiday :

Around the world, summer holiday vary greatly. The summer holiday timing  differs based on location, This is because the countries are in the Southern Hemisphere.  All these are to be considered while parents plan for the summer holidays.

Aside from the timing, cultural factors should be considered as well. While in some parts of the world, outdoor activities are the norm as seen in Scandinavian countries, in countries like Japan extra classes and clubs take more prominence. Engaging kids in entrepreneurial skills is gaining ground in developing countries like Nigeria and other African countries.

Understanding these regional and cultural differences will help parents plan an effective, relevant, and enjoyable holiday.

Preparation for Parents for the summer holiday :

• Planning ahead
  • Budgeting: Parents must prepare for the summer holiday within a reasonable budget. There could be a lot of activities within the holidays requiring lots of funds, ranging from expensive ones such as camps or traveling events to one-day events. Parents should plan for all costs, covering transportation, accommodation, food, activity fees, excursions, and special events. It is also a wise to set aside funds for unexpected expenses such as medical emergencies.
  •  Scheduling: Summertime could filled with relaxing activities. Scheduling activities will help make an effective use of time. Parents should create flexible schedules including a good mix of outdoor and indoor activities. Activities like family movie nights, board game nights, visits to local attractions, excursions and picnics, etc. A properly scheduled plan will help prevent the common complaint of “I’m bored” from the children.
  • Involving the children: An important part of planning is involving the children in the planning activities. Children can express their interests and preferences while planning, this gives the children a sense of ownership of the holiday activities. Families should sit together in a meeting to set goals for the holiday and discuss the possible activities and destinations.

• Health and Safety considerations
• • Medical check-up: A non-negotiable part of the holiday is ensuring that every family member is in good health before diving into the summer activities. In addition, for children with special needs or care, necessary medications should be accessible in adequate quantities. Parents should be prepared ahead of time to manage such conditions during travel time.
  • Safety Precautions: During the holidays, whether traveling or at home, safety should be of top priority always. Ensure there is an emergency kit packed, with all first aid supplies, over-the-counter medications, and all other medications your family may need in the course of the journey. Basic rules of outdoor safety such as staying hydrated, should be taught before embarking on outdoor activities during the summer holiday.
  • Home Safety: The home environment should be a safe place for children to live and play, especially when you have included more indoor activities in your holiday plans. Clear safety rules should be established to cover accessing the home by strangers, use of kitchen appliances, and the home evacuation process for emergencies.

• Educational Activities
• •   Learning through play:  Learning shouldn’t stop because school is out. The holiday should be maximized as an opportunity to engage children in educative programs in non-traditional ways of learning.  This in a way, reinforces whatever the children have learned in the classrooms during school time and also will spark new interests in them.
  •  Reading Programs: Most times, Such programs encourage the children to maintain and sharpen their literacy skills during the break. Parents can create reading plans to suit the needs of each child, interactive reading is also encouraged, children can be enrolled in book clubs such as the one we offer to have a more participatory and engaging time.
  • Skill building workshops: The summer holiday provides ample time for the children to learn and sharpen skills that are not taught primarily in school. Oftentimes, training on courses and skills such as coding, catering, music, art, and fashion designing are organized during the summer holiday. Children pick other soft skills such as time management, planning, critical thinking skills, interpersonal relationships, and accountability skills among others. 

What Children Should Do;

•  Outdoor Adventures
• •       Outdoor Camping: Outdoor Camping: Over the years, camping has been a long-standing activity during the summer holidays. Connecting with nature and learning survival skills are the main benefits of the camping activity irrespective of whether you are at a remote national park just a few meters from your backyard. Teamwork, self-reliance, and responsibility are a few of the skills the children will pick up during camping.
  • Sports: For proper growth and development, children should engage in physical activities. Enrolling in summer activities like swimming, soccer, tennis, or basketball are great sporting options. Such sports activities will help the children build the important life skills of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. Sports activities can also be organized at the community level.

• Creative Pursuits
• • Arts and crafts: Children’s creativity should be nurtured during the summer holiday. It is an ideal time to set up a garage for the children to explore and experiment from painting to drawing, sculpting, and so on. Engaging in arts and crafts will enhance the children’s creativity, and help them with self-expression while developing fine motor skills and problem-solving skills.
  •  Music and Dance: Musical talents and dance interests can be further explored during the summer holiday. Children can learn to play a musical instrument, take dance lessons, or simply enjoy music at home.  Children experience a boost in self-confidence, improve coordination, and enhance their cognitive skills while learning to play a musical instrument. Parents must provide support for the children’s musical interests.
  •  Writing and Storytelling: This activity helps children improve on their imaginative abilities. Children can keep a daily journal of their activities during the summer holiday, documenting their experiences and reflections. As families, you can create scrapbooks, comic books, or photo stories. This activity will help the children build their critical thinking skills and creative expression.

• Social and Cultural Activities
• • Cultural Exchange: This is a richly rewarding activity for the children. This could be done by engaging another family online. It could just be learning about other cultures through books or movies. This helps the children broaden their perspectives on life and cultural diversity while embracing cultural differences.
  • Family time: Families should make the most of the summer holiday to have fun together and create lasting memories. Simple activities like cooking meals together, playing board games, and having movie nights will help strengthen family connections and create cherished memories.
  • Volunteering; This is motivating children to give back to the society through selfless service. This will help them develop a sense of responsibility and empathy. Volunteering activities help to teach the children the importance of helping others, it also gives a rewarding experience that shapes them into a life committed to community service.

In Conclusion: The summer holiday offer a unique blend of opportunities to relax, explore, and grow children differently from school time. Parents should use this season to enable the children to learn while playing in a safe and secure environment. The summer holiday should be filled with fun learning, discovery, and memorable experiences for later years in life.