Avalanche… The children return after the holidays and come back ready to stay, to play, to jump, to fight… and in the process they bring with them a sometimes complicated weapon: energy in abundance. Something against which there is usually no possible defense and it is best to give up, only then can we guide that gale and ensure that the tornado finds safe places to vent.
The good news is that, to get the little ones to reduce their high energy levels at the time of year when they have the most free time, there are a whole series of activities that can be carried out. These activities, at the same time, will allow us to enjoy family time in the best possible way.
How to face the school holidays of the little ones
Few are the parents to whom the “children’s school holidays” sound like rest. Children seem to have programmed throughout the summer period that they must get up at 8 in the morning and it is not easy to get that mania out of their head. We may already be tired or wanting to enjoy the sheets a little more … that children are children and in their innocence they ignore the “cruelty” to which they can subject us. It is precisely in these complex moments that the older ones must take the example of the little ones .
During the rest of the year the teachers give the children homework, tasks in which they get involved, that capture their interest, in which they concentrate and with which they learn … But summer is coming and we must not think that the teacher has gone and that’s it, but rather that he has taken a break and now it’s our turn. But do not think about occupying the children’s time in a second school, but perhaps in something more similar to a summer school or a camp. A school without courses or exams, in which games predominate as homework and in which the subjects that are most practiced are all those related to creativity, the development of imagination and the practice of sport .
For example, we can start by leaving after breakfast a game time in pajamas or to watch pictures for a little while on TV. Of course, we should not allow that time to go beyond an hour, because otherwise the children will get spoiled and then it will be difficult for them not to resort to that routine when they have to go back to school or do something different. Creativity will be very important for children to feel motivated and wanting to do new things every day, but vacations are very long, so it cannot be play and play all the time, and we must leave a little space for responsibility.
If the children are already about five or six years old, you can also involve them in housework in a light and progressive way. Of course, you have to have the ability to present daily tasks as unique challenges, and with that you will not only have earned great teammates and allies, but you will also be teaching them order or knowing how to take care of their things . It is better that instead of telling them “you have to do this” or “you don’t do anything”, you try to seduce them with other phrases such as: “Let’s see if you can wear the clothes without it falling off” or “look, that’s how a pants, let’s see how you do it? Maybe for you doing these things is a burden, but for them it can be quite a discovery.
Children love to do the things that grown-ups do, and if you also tell them things like accompanying you to the shopping “it is something of great responsibility and that it is not easy or that not everyone can do it …” you will get one greater dose of motivation and that they feel important. Together with them yourself, as a father or mother, you can learn to look at the little things of everyday life with the eyes of a child , those that give everything a special and very healthy meaning to life.
Things to occupy time in summer with children
As we said, our summer school cannot be without sports. Running, swimming, cycling, kicking a ball, clapping or tagging… whatever! Summer is also an excellent time to buy balls, bicycles, rackets or squirt guns, as they are the most abundant in commercial areas and at a great price.
When mealtime approaches, it may also be a good idea to think about team cooking . Proposing cooking to children can be quite an adventure, so don’t hesitate to put it into practice. We put on an apron, gloves and a hat if we can, and we begin to call them by their “real name”: chef, maître d ‘, captain sausage … or whatever the child prefers.
After eating we can reintroduce the idea of housework as a team and have the little ones collect their dishes and then go to games that require less movement, so that they do not accumulate more energy as night approaches. Summer should also be reading time, so try to find books that interest and hook them , and don’t forget to ask them what they read or ask them to summarize it for you. This is very good for them to develop their comprehension, expression and memory skills.
On these dates there is a whole world of activities to go out with the children. There are many museums and institutions that organize adventures, urban camps, excursions and other dynamics designed only for children on these dates. Surely your town hall also has several options prepared, so don’t forget to check them all.
And so, game by game and exit to exit, the hours will have passed and the nights will be over. Maybe tomorrow we will have to invent something anew, but now for the first time all day we will be able to enjoy the kinder side of tranquility, the one in which children, tired and happy from playing so much, have finally fallen asleep.
