Different summer activities for your child

It may not feel like it much at the moment but spring is just around the corner, and before you know it, the summer holidays will be here! Now is the perfect time to be planning your family activities and getting trips, accommodation, and tickets booked. You can often save a fair bit of money by booking early, and you’ll have the pick of everything if you’re an early bird. When you’re thinking about the types of activities you’d like to do this summer, don’t limit yourself to major attractions like Legoland and Alton Towers; there are many other fantastic activities that your kids will love.

Summer school

Although they have the dreaded word “school” in their name, summer schools are entirely different from normal school, so don’t let that put your children off the idea. Summer schools usually take place at locations that are quieter during the summer, such as public schools. These are places that have the finest facilities, from accommodation to sports and leisure, and the summer schools take full advantage of what’s available. There are many different types of summer school that cater for a wide variety of interests, for example,if you visit countryschools.co.uk, you can find out about English language summer schools, or you could opt for a sports school if your child has a talent for sport.

Summer camp

Summer camp has long been a tradition in North America, and generations of children spend several weeks or longer each year camping in the forest and exploring nature, learning valuable life skills along the way. It’s an ideal solution for busy parents who find it hard to take the whole six weeks off over Summer and is a fabulous adventure for the kids. Summer camps are becoming more widespread here in the UK now, and close to us here in Exeter, there’s a brilliant summer camp at the Eden Project.

National Trust and English Heritage

The National Trust used to have a reputation as a slightly stuffy institution, but over the last ten years,they’ve changed their approach to kids altogether. The exhibits are far more interactive, and instead of a tour around a stately home, your kids get to see and touch all sorts of interesting objects and hear stories about hauntings. Many NT properties have kid-friendly activities like woodland trails, indoor crafts, and outdoor games, and during the holidays you’ll find a range of activities like Gruffalo treasure trails. English Heritage tends to have more old castles, which are always fascinating for kids, who can run around playing knights and princesses or take part in activities like archery. 

If you have a look at parent websites and local events, you’ll find no end of interesting and unusual activities on offer for kids over the summer, from exploring rockpools or looking for fossils on the coast with the wildlife trusts to visiting the National Marine Aquarium or the Mayflower Museum in Plymouth. The great thing about many of these activities is that they’re very low cost, and sometimes free, so there’s plenty of scope to keep the kids entertained without spending a fortune.