As a parent, have you ever wondered if there are ways you could be helping your child to learn more during half-term? Taking a break is great in itself, but as the holidays approach, there are many ways to keep children entertained and occupied, while also actively learning. Here are some fun ideas you can consider for your child’s upcoming school break.
Sports classes
What better way to get your child enjoying their leisure time than to make sure they are playing outdoors? Getting eased into organized sports in a friendly, fun, and safe setting will help kids to learn at their own pace while having fun. Sports facilitate the development of your child’s motor skills and coordination, while also stimulating social interaction and growing their confidence.
Take advantage of the location when booking classes. A sports company in Kent, for instance, can offer warm weather and beautiful coastal settings year-round, making for a pleasant holiday excursion for the whole family.
Arts and crafts
Children love to create and explore the things they can make with their own hands. However, at some point, many individuals lose the joy of creation as they transition into adulthood, perhaps due to a lack of skills or confidence. Make sure your child continues to have fun with arts and crafts activities to develop their fine motor skills, boost creativity and self-expression, and gain an appreciation of art and culture.
You can take your child to the National Gallery in London, and book some of their workshops as well. This way, you can combine an educational guided tour with the helpful and creative instruction they provide.
Music
You might think that half-term is too short for a child to pick up and learn a musical instrument, but why not give it a try anyway? Becoming proficient in an instrument can be a long-term goal; for now, you can enrich their development, confidence, and social skills with an introduction to music. Visit the British Music Experience in Liverpool for a wonderfully informative and interactive experience where kids get to experiment with a wide array of instruments, regardless of their current ability.
Cooking
Learning a skill doesn’t get more practical than cooking. Getting involved with their food is a fun experience that will teach kids a useful life skill, but also improve their coordination, mathematical and measuring ability, and appreciation of flavour and proper nutrition. And if you have any traditional recipes in your family, this is an excellent time to create those warm, personal memories and connections with food that maintain your cultural identity and tie generations together.
Freestyle
The last thing you should do, however, is stress out about filling your child’s half-term schedule with activities and experiences. That could make things less fun for everyone, and wind up being counter-productive.
Children can do just fine if left to their own devices. You can take them to a local park or just stay at home and allow them to use their imagination. They’ll interact with their surroundings and experiment with items lying around to make their toys and games. Sometimes, just letting your child exercise their independent creativity will do wonders.
Half-term is a great opportunity to stimulate and encourage your children to learn outside of the school setting, but it’s also simply a time to be shared as a family.