The summer holidays are looming and you need to be prepared. In order to help you out some top parenting bloggers have pooled their thoughts on how best to be ready!

1. Stock up on batteries and replace all the batteries in toys that need them

2. Charge your camera and have it ready to go

3. Check over you car, oil, water, tyre pressure etc. and pop in a few sick and rubbish bags too!

4. Sort through the felt tips, crayons and pencils (get the kids to) and restock if required. A ream of paper is a useful thing!

5. Get the kids to make a list of “things we’d like to do in the holidays” and try to work out how much it will all cost. You  can then manage their expectations about what you  can and can’t do. ( Jenny: Cheetahs in my shoes)

6. Check the swimming costumes fit!  (also from Jenny!)

7. Pump up everyone’s bikes and check for punctures

8. Clean the paddling pool or replace it and maybe consider a watergun or two!

9. Get dates from your local cinema for kids club and cheap seats days

10. Get your local bus timetable

11. Get haircuts, dental appointments and the like booked in now for later in the summer to avoid everywhere being booked up.

12. Make sure your kids have library cards, you know the library open times and sign up for their reading challenge. Libraries are perfect for a rainy day and free fun! (they may also have free workshops on too)

13. Check your toys, charity shop or pass on any that are outgrown and discard those broken beyond repair. ‘Tis a fact kids are more likely to play with toys if they don’t have to wade through piles of too young, broken, mismatched bits first.

14.  Have a little DVD swap around  with a few friends ahead of the holidays, new movies for everyone!

15. Check out your council website to see what fun family days or events are on locally over the summer.

16. Book in playdates now!! You may miss your window as people go away and book up activities fast. get out your diary and plan some in quick! and don’t forget to et school friend’s parents phone numbers before they break up for summer so you can arrange play dates. (Liz: Me and my shadow)

17.  How about buy your teacher a present or write them a thank you card? If you are a leaver … have everyone sign your uniform? be sure to mark the end of term(Susanna: A Modern Mother)

18. Stock up on craft supplies, old egg boxes and card board for craft projects on rainy days (Carolin: Mummy Alarm) Click here for a  post all about how to put together a home-made craft box

19. Rotate some of the toys. Think about what toys the kids haven’t played with for a while and bring those out. Kids forget what they have so swapping them around gives their toy box a new lease of life and lots more hours of play. ( Laura: Tired mummy of two)

20. Why not make a bored jar with a big mix of ideas to keep them busy (Alice: Life as Alice)

21. Do an online search for free events at local parks and museums (Andrea All you need is love and cake)

22. On a practical level make sure the house is clean, the fridge is stocked (with wine) & the laundry basket is empty  (Helen; The Crazy Kitchen)

23. Buy the kids a scrap book and encourage them to collect things, take photos and draw pictures to record their Summer – mine like to take theirs into school at the start of the new term for Show and Tell.
(Donna:Mummy Central) A daily diary is fun to do too and keeps them writing! (Aly: Bug bird bee)

24. Get picnic ready…. water bottles and a picnic basket  are summer holiday essentials ! and it’s great for the kids to get outside and run off some energy!  (Donna: Little lilypad)

25. Relax! I find the final weeks of the summer term such a whirlwind with all the additional activities school throw at them. It’s hard to keep up with it all, and they end up exhausted. So I try to take some downtime when I can. We just hang out in the garden together, eat simple food, or watch a movie. Everyone needs a bit of space in the mayhem of the summer term. (Helen:Actually Mummy)

26. I pop to the shops and put together an emergency fun bag that includes things like a couple of new DVDs, books, sticker packs and activity books, picking whatever is on offer so I don’t spend too much. When the weather has ruined our plans or things are stressful I let the boys pick something out of the bag to cheer everyone up. (Cat Cats yellow days)

27: Plan a few special days …..maybe a train ride to the seaside, a whole class meet up and sports day on the park, or maybe a weekend trip to grannies or a camp out in the garden. The secret to not going stir crazy in the holidays is to have a mixed bag of experiences,  free time and play dates all prepared. (oh and at least a night or two off!)

 

Good luck hope you have a fabulous time and I hope these tips help.