Whether you’re jetting away  or staycation-ing , hopefully you’ll be relaxing in some summer sun and resetting after another mind-blowing year!

Don’t know about you but the summer holidays can feel like most wonderful time but also THE most stressful time….what are we doing today? Can I have a snack? Are we nearly there yet? Can I have a snack? Can we go to the park? Can I have a snack? Can I build a den? You know the drill!

Balancing that with working, running Jex, the house being in a constant state of chaos, not having enough snacks (ever!) can be a challenge. I try to be organised and get a few things in the diary but inevitably it’s still never enough to fully eliminate the “I’m bored” or “I don’t know what to do” or the delightful sound of sibling squabbling!

I’m tough on myself, as I think a lot of parents are and often have unrealistic ideas on what I can get done in a day.  This can make me feel like a massive underachiever at times BUT I look back at my childhood and yes, we went for the odd day trip but mostly we were just outside in the garden making assault courses, dens, role playing, kicking a ball, catching a ball, attempting to play swing ball (which usually resulted in a lot of ducking and diving to avoid ball in face!). Kids have got used to having entertainment on tap with on demand TV, you tube, gaming etc, the amount of stimulation is huuuuuuge. Striking the balance of screen time is tricky in the hols so I really try to find some activities away from it that keep the kids happy….here are my little go to ideas and a few companies that do some cool products.

  • Build a den – I give them the tools, they create it, although the Den Kit company have some awesome packs to help!
  • Baking – give them the recipe and off you go kids. The Bottled Baking Co have some amazing kits too!
  • Drawing or colouring – give them a list of things to draw. Pipity have incredible carry cases and accessories on offer.
  • Write a story – here’s a theme see what you can come up with! Having said that I have just come across Love writing Co, I’m ordering this, looks awesome.

Obviously, we have a couple of products that might pass the time too 😆 but I’m hoping you know about those!  

I’m not sure this blog post is massively helpful to anyone but it’s been cathartic for me! Whatever activities, days out or holidays you do or don’t have planned, let’s just remember to go easy on ourselves….we’ve all had a tough 18 months, we’ve all juggled a lot. So….Enjoy the sunshine (and the rain), the creative activities (and the duvet days),  they are all making memories that will last a lifetime.