Holiday activity ideas for school children

School holidays are fun! For the children!

What is it for the parents? 

For the adults, it is also fun (no more lunch preparations early in the morning or making sure they have done their home works) but it is also a little (Ya, little) work if you have to manage them alone all day. If you have a lending hand, by all means, get them to their grand parents house or your siblings house. If not, plan your school holidays and it will get fun for both of you.

It is rewarding to know what your child likes and what you can do to engage them even during the holiday season. If you are a working mother who would not be able to take off to take them out, that's alright - reserve that for the weekends.

Without further thought, lets dive into the topic at hand - what we did this holidays! I hope some of the things mentioned below would help you the next time when you have a school holiday coming up. These activities are best for children above 5 years old, but try them to see if it suits you and your children.

1. Use the dictionary:

Children above 5-6 years old can be guided to use the dictionary by using simple words. We have a dictionary with good pictures and it helps them to find the word easily. We started with simple words which he knows to read. Usually, they are words which has pictures in the dictionary (I go through the pages and mark those words before itself) and it is easy for him to find the words to match the pictures. We also try to keep the words in the right alphabetical order so we can easily find the words in the dictionary.

What it serves: It helps to understand arranging the words in the alphabetical order and also on using the dictionary.

2. Save those cardboards and newspapers:

We all have some or the other cardboards lying around in our house - be it in our cereal boxes or the cardboard which comes with our courier or the cardboards which we get by buying stuff. If you want to recycle the cardboards/newspapers and also want the children to indulge in some art time, this is a perfect fusion. Always be near the children so you can guide them along. We did some warrior sword using cardboard and scissors. We also painted it.

3. Reading:

This is a no brainer. Children are at a stage where they are learning to read and understand the sounds. I tend to bring all those story books to be in their sight and let them go through the pages; passive reading should also be encouraged. If you have time, take them to a nearby library and let them go through the books of their choice. I always keep it for the weekends so I don't have to rush for time.

They don't need to necessarily read the book but looking through the book and asking questions is good enough. Reading is a continuous process and should be done as much as possible even during school holidays. This builds their vocabulary and knowledge of the words. The more they read, they better they remember the words and read quickly for the next time.

4. Know your time:

Try to do a home made clock and teach them time. It is great way to practically do a clock and write the numbers. They can move the arms of the clock to set the time and this makes them remember it better. 

5. Lego games:

When you have lego at home, that's a life saver at times. Enough said!

6. Of course, lots of outdoor play:

Going out in the evening to get some fresh air, meet their friends, get sweaty and enjoy the play area games is also an important activity. It is a big yes in our house to have playtime as much as they can. Because its school holidays and it's playtime!

Is there any other interesting stuff you do for your school holidays which I missed out? Do let me know in your comments so I can use it next time. If you have any ideas, do share with me.