Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category
|Travel With the Kids: Long Car Journeys
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
With half term coming up, yes it is only a few weeks away, are you getting away with the kids? We’ve got a short break at Butlins as the children liked it so much last time. It’s not too far, but that’s still a couple of hours in the car with a 10m old, a 4 year old and an 8 year old, so I asked on twitter for some tips. (more…)
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Christmas Holiday Ideas: Put on a Panto
Friday, December 18th, 2009
If the kids have broken up already or you’re planning ways to entertain them in the next few weeks, why not get them to Put on a Panto. Robinsons have set up www.putonapanto.com which takes your kids through planning, practising and performing a panto. It’s a fun site that helps the kids with everything from props to scripts and costumes. Younger kids might need lots of help but if you have kids age 8 and over plus a few friends to entertain it would be a great way to fill a winter’s afternoon. Just don’t be surprised if your wardrobe is raided for costumes. There are lots of advice sheets to download, some containing great practical ideas and others with suggestions like… (more…)
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Reviewer and Family Needed
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Are you and your family up for the chance to review an exciting activity (for age 3 and up)? If you can get to Castleford OR Milton Keynes OR Glasgow and are happy to spend a few hours taking part then write up your experiences, let me know ASAP. Email antonia @ familyfriendlyworking.co.uk.
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Holidays with the Kids: Butlins
Saturday, August 15th, 2009
A holiday can be hard to get if you’re a parent. Even if you get away with the kids how much of a break do YOU really get? I’ve just been to Butlins with the family, as part of a group of British Mummy Bloggers who were asked to check out the new Ocean Hotel. And it was a good break. I’d even go as far as to say I got a bit of a rest. And, we’re going back next February half term: you can’t get a better endorsement than that.
Ocean Hotel
But down to the detail. We stayed in the new Ocean Hotel, the second hotel to be built on the Bognor Regis site. I enjoyed this because it was a smart new hotel which still was well set up for families. The rooms were great, with a main room and adjoining twin for the kids. The lack of door to the kids room was a slight disadvantage as it meant we all had to creep round when the younger two were asleep. But after a day on my feet going round the Butlins site an early night ws quite welcome. And, we all slept really well, which is often unusual on a family holiday when the change in routine disturbs the kids.
As a family, we had a great time. D, 7, loved it all and would have quite happily stayed there for a few more weeks. She started off asking if we could come again, and ended up demanding that we live at Butlins. J, 3, made the most of all the toddler activities, from Bob the Builder shows to mini fairground rides. His favourite feature, though, was the ‘disco lifts’ in the new hotel where he could (more…)
Posted in holidays, house and home | 10 Comments »
Are You Having Fun Yet? Dealing With Stress in the Holidays
Friday, August 14th, 2009
So, how are the holidays going for you? As a child the summer holidays conjure up images of long, school-free fun, but for more than six out of 10 parents they are a source of stress. And if it seems like the kids have been off for ages, research from children’s vitamin brand Bassetts Soft & Chewy reveals a third of mums and dads think the holidays are too long.
In an effort to lower parental stress over extended periods of time and keep both parents and children happy, experts at Bassetts Soft & Chewy have developed a formula called the ‘Fun Quotient’, Sp = Σ[kSc(ta-to)], in conjunction with leading child psychologist Laverne Antrobus.
Parental stress (Sp) is equal to the sum of the stress level of the children (Sc), on any given day of the holiday, multiplied by the number of children (k) in the household and by the sum of time available (ta) minus the time taken up with organised activity (to, being routine or consistent play activity and meal times etc).
The key to the equation is time – taking into account the number of days within the holiday which are planned (perhaps with a trip away or visiting an attraction) and those which are currently ‘empty’. It also looks at the number of children in the household – which can have an impact on stress levels for parents.
Laverne Antrobus explains: “Children experience three periods of transition – before during and after the school holidays. We expect children to be able to adapt from the very structured school routine into the more domesticated home environment and back to school again within a relatively short space of time but this in itself can add to a child’s stress as well as a parent’s. Add this to the huge pressure parents feel to keep their children ‘amused’ and children’s general high expectations and you have a stressful situation which the majority of parents across the country will be able to relate to.”
Organising your child’s time doesn’t itself have to be stressful and Laverne recommends working to a calendar to reap the most rewards. Follow these tips to help plan your child’s holiday better:
1. Create a calendar to represent the school holidays and put in planned events such as birthdays
2. Create some rules around acceptable bedtimes and getting up in the morning and remember routine is important
3. Encourage everyone to write down activities that include the whole family as well as activities on the list that are low cost like bike riding
4. Make special time with each of your children when you give your child your undivided and uninterrupted attention
5. Offer a mixture of organised activities but make sure that children do have some free time available for ‘creative’ play. Children need a certain amount of unstructured time to learn to amuse themselves
Work out your own stress factor and get some ideas for fun at www.funquotient.co.uk
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Summer Fun: Keep the Kids Busy and Fit
Friday, July 17th, 2009
For busy parents, the long summer holiday can seem almost endless. How do you keep your kids happy, entertained and safe for weeks on end, whatever the weather? One place running activities for kids is The Little Gym. Throughout the whole holiday, it will run themed Summer Camps where children, from 3 to 12 years, can let off steam and have heaps of fun in a totally safe environment.
From High School Sports Day to The Little Gym Mini Olympics, each week, the large, colourful gymnasiums are transformed to reflect the weekly theme and a new journey begins. During the exciting programmes, children have the opportunity to get active, dress-up, be creative and learn lots of new skills. All activities are non-competitive and supervised by a high ratio of trained instructors.
Summer camps run throughout the week from Monday 13 July to Friday 28 August. Drinks and a healthy, light snack are served mid-session, and flexible registrations are available. All children must be signed in and out of The Little Gym reception by the named parent/carer.
Visit www.thelittlegym.co.uk for more information
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