Summer is the ideal time to create unforgettable moments in the family. Here we give you the best ideas to live this epic adventure. Every time that summer approaches, we begin to program the adventure that is coming: What to do in holidays?
In many cases, once the holidays are over, the children are still at home. Still, there is time to think about some activity for them. Grandparents and uncles become iron allies. So organizing a visit for a few days to visit relatives is a routine change that the whole family enjoys and spend a weekend together. But as you already know, there are other good options. Keep reading and you will surely find ideas that you have not yet implemented.
What to do in holidays?
The specialists agree that the key is to plan what will be done with the free time of the holidays, basically because it is the children who take advantage of the disorganization of their parents to achieve what they want or to relax at all and do nothing. And this is not what we want.
The most advisable, then, is to sit down to talk with them about their interests and expectations and involve them directly in the planning of this summer adventure. It is essential that they feel heard and that after this dialogue, parents can determine where to go.
The second step is to give them “something done” because although we are on vacation and do not need to continue with the school routine, this does not mean that we can take a break from our responsibilities as parents. We must mark the way, be creative and organized. The idea is to try to keep them active and avoid what is known as “the syndrome of the unemployed child”: it is when the child feels a kind of emptiness when being in a leisure space that he did not have before.
Remember that the ideal is to try that all the members of the family can enjoy during the holidays and perform those pleasurable and recreational activities that at another time of the year seem impossible. It is a good time to plan family activities that were relegated by the daily routine.
The time to do different activities
Vacation is not synonymous with leisure. The specialists emphasize that this is an ideal occasion to inculcate to the little ones that you can take advantage of the free time to do different activities. Thus, children can learn new knowledge or develop some skill, even perfect some talent.
It is more than recommended the practice of some sport or outdoor activities. In this area, summer camps appear as an ideal option because, in addition to complying with an established discipline, it also helps them to socialize and to develop autonomously in the realization of activities that are not frequent in the home. The advice for parents is that they analyze in detail which is the alternative that best suits the needs of their children.
All other activities are also recommended, with ludic, artistic and non-conventional components such as summer colonies, visits to farms, museums, musical, literary or children’s theater, painting, cinema cycles, etc. According to psychotherapists, this battery of actions will allow them to interact with other people, help them make decisions and be more empathetic.
Teenagers, another topic
To the older kids, it is important to stress the importance of having an active holiday and before they declare that they are bored or that they do not feel like doing anything. Be positive in the dialogue and tell them about your energy.
Program relaxed activities to do together and in which you feel closer to them, but with the idea of addressing different issues. Match your vacations with theirs to share leisure spaces with all the members of the family. Even if they are a few days, these can be very important to find the right moments to re-start the dialogue towards a close and trusting relationship. You will see that you will find moments that you will treasure the rest of your life.
Busy and entertaining, but in the house or near
Although sending children to a summer camp is the most popular option among families, there are other super-enriching and entertaining options that will create unforgettable moments for children.
Here are some ideas and their advantages:
Swimming lessons: It is a good option because it mixes the practice of a sport and a recreational activity, especially to perform in summer. You can choose community centers, universities or private academies, but in all cases, they will be safe areas and supervised by specialists. Children will have fun, socialize and be protected, while we can continue with our routine.
Skating or riding a bicycle: Another example of fun activities that can be done in this time, which also contribute to developing motor skills.
Children’s games and video games: We already talked about limits and that you should not relax during vacations. Video games have received many criticisms, but it is also necessary to understand that children learn to think and acquire skills while playing. Many educational titles contribute to reinforcing that teaching. You also have to encourage them to have fun with other board games that keep them entertained. It is advisable to play with them when possible. They can be allowed other recreational video games, but with limits.
Drawing and painting: An excellent option for children to develop their creativity and imagination.
Crafts: Contributes to developing their motor skills and gives girls the opportunity to create. In the case of men, they can make their toys, masks or swords, for example.
Practicing pastry: It is a good way to strengthen ties with children and pass on customs, skills or secrets of our family.
Domestic activities: Vacations can be ideal for children to learn that they have responsibilities in the family, no matter how old they are. It is important that they become stewards and for this, they can be assigned different tasks such as cleaning closets, redecorating rooms, ordering the cellar, etc.
Return to payment: It is an interesting alternative for many Latino families who take advantage of these rest days so that the children travel to their countries of origin. Besides being contained by the family nucleus (grandparents, uncles, cousins, etc.), it is also a good experience to acquire new knowledge, traditions, and cultural habits. They can also strengthen ties with their relatives.
Foreign aid: For some families, it is more convenient to bring a family member (grandparents, uncles, brothers-in-law, etc.) who wants to take care of the children or live with them, for a few days or the whole school break. For parents, it is a great help because they can continue with their obligations, while for the family they are like a mini-vacation with their loved ones.
Parents to the rescue: This option is ideal for neighborhoods or communities in which parents can agree with their neighbors or friends how they will take care of the children. In these cases, a mother or father is responsible for organizing activities for their children and also for those of their neighbors or friends. Thus, the different weeks can be distributed so that everyone can fulfill their activities and keeping the children occupied. You can organize trips to the cinema, to museums, to parks, to evil, etc.
How much does it cost for the boys to do something during the summer?
Summer Camps: There are all types and prices. Some churches and community centers offer them for the US $ 10, while in other private entities of the first level, the cost can reach the US 10 thousand dollars. In general, children who attend sleepaway camps register for sessions of 4 or 8 weeks, which cost about the US $ 1,000 per week.” For its part, the president of the American Camp Association, Ann Sheets, said that parents should not worry because “the good news is that there are camps for all budgets.” In general, you can find from $ 75 to $ 300 per week for day camps and US $ 201 to 400 per week for the sleepaway category “.
YMCA camps: The Christian Youth Association (YMCA) offers options that cost between the US $ 1,200 and 3,000 per month. Some other 15-day options range between $ 650 and $ 2,000.
Art workshop: Holding a ballet, jazz or contemporary dance workshop at the Hofstra University in New York, for two weeks, costs the US $ 1,975. It includes world-class instructors, registration, accommodation and full board. Another cheaper option, without accommodation, costs the US $ 1,175.
Science: Robocamp is called the camp that takes place in Branchburg (New Jersey) and is dedicated to robotics. It lasts 10 days and costs the US $ 659 for the initial mode and the US $ 859 for the advanced mode.
Sports: It is organized every year at the All-Star camp located in Chattanooga (Tennessee). Also includes swimming, baseball, diving, soccer, basketball, and tennis.
Cost: US $ 1,995 for two weeks and the US $ 5,590 for six weeks. Includes accommodation and full board.
Day Care: Different activities for a few hours a day. Average price: the US $ 800 per month.
Babysitting: From US $ 15 to 30 dollars per hour.