10 AWESOME THINGS TO DO WITH THE KIDS DURING THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS

The summer holidays have finally arrived and suddenly there's a lot more hours to fill. FourFit know it can be expensive the keep the family entertained throughout the weeks, so we've listed our top 10 free and cheap activities you must try over the summer.

1) Berry picking

Berry picking is a great way to get all the family outdoors, the summer is the best time to indulge in berry picking: from strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, find your local berry picking establishment here:

2) Bike ride

Take the kids out for a fun bike ride, either near your house, or if their a bit older, find a local bike trial. Remember to take plenty of water to stay hydrated during the hot summer days.

3) Visit your local library

Library's are a great place to visit during the summer holidays. They are free to join, have recommended age appropriate summer reads for the children and they also have events on where they do activity days or authors come in for book readings.

4) Go to the local park for a picnic

A family picnic to the local park is the perfect bonding time. Get away from those distractions such as mobile phones, computer games and household chores. You can sit and relax, whilst the kids burn off all that built up energy playing on the park, building dens and it also gives them opportunities to make new friends. 

5) Make a junk modelling box

Become a little bit of a hoarder. Whether it's empty kitchen paper rolls, yoghurt pots, water bottles, tin cans, stash everything re-usable and make your own junk modelling box. This way the kids can help themselves to the stash and get creative by making models of rockets or upscaling to make things like plant pots or pencil pots for the home.

6) Gardening

Get your children interested in gardening this summer by giving them their very own section of the garden with their own tools and equipment, that is just theirs to enjoy and nurture. Show them how to plant seedlings, make hedgehog homes and how to care for it. Gardening is proven to improve children's motor skills and sensory development. 

7) Go for walks

 A walk is a great way to start or end the day, going on a walk is such an easy activity, especially when it is warm outside. There is a lot of great learning that can take place on a simple walk and is a great way of showing children being active can also be fun.

8) Visit a National Museum 

National Museums across the country are free entry and you can easily spend a full day there exploring the exhibits and grounds. There are activities available for all children and it is extremely educational for them. Find your nearest museum here:

9) Bug Hunt

You'd be surprised how many children are fascinated by creepy crawlies, use this as an advantage and create your own bug hunt. Make a tick list with pictures and names of lots of common bugs, this then allows the children to tick off which ones they have found. You don't have to complete this activity in one go, you can spend some time on your own garden searching and when you go out for a walk to the local park or woodland they can also take the tick sheet with them. Click here for a free template:

10) Create a time capsule 

This is a great activity where all the family can get involved. Put things in it that are happening right now e.g. photos, a family questionnaire, what your goals are for the next year and at the beginning of next summer open it to see how things have changed. 

FourFit hopes you have a great summer and try some of our top 10 activities.