The kids being off for the summer can spur a great deal of worry for parents with youngsters. Six/seven weeks is an awful long time to request for annual leave, and with the current cost-of-living crisis, childcare costs have no choice but to rise with inflation. Wouldn’t it be ideal if there was a relative who didn’t work, loved the children as much as their parents, and was happy to spend time with them during the summer holidays? Enter Grandma and Grandad!
When it comes to the summer holidays, children are arguably at their happiest. Weeks off school with (hopefully) glorious weather—what’s not to love? Aside from sunburn, their only real worry during July—September is avoiding boredom.
For those of you on daycare duty this summer, we’ve made a list of our picks (and some savvy tips) for keeping the grandkids entertained.
Days out
From castles to zoos to theme parks to museums – the UK is certainly not limited in areas of interest for youngsters. Depending on your location, key British attractions are only a couple of hours’ drive away. Don’t forget, if you’re visiting a tourist attraction with entry fees, make sure you check whether it would be cheaper to purchase the tickets in advance rather than on the day!
Gardening
For a cost-effective activity closer to home, why not introduce the kids to the world of gardening? Gardening is a great form of enrichment for children; it allows them to become more involved with nature and teaches the value of growing and caring for plants. Furthermore, growing fruit and vegetables with your youngsters is an enticing way of encouraging healthy eating.
Suppose you’d rather have an alternate way of getting the kids in the garden, why not invest in garden games or toys, such as golf or ring toss. There are also even easier and cheaper ways to play in the garden with the kids, such as potion marking, which involves creating a concoction of nature’s ingredients with water.
Visit water
Seasides, lakes, streams, swimming pools – what could be a better way to cool off than having a dip? For those days when the heat is too much, consider taking your little ones to a body of water safe and suitable for swimming. Alternatively, you can purchase inflatable swimming pools from most retailers, should there not be any bodies of water local to you.
Arts & crafts
Arts and crafts are a great way to spur on creativity in children and keep them entertained. From painting stones to colouring books to making friendship bracelets, many arts and crafts equipment is already in your cupboard.
Achievable with advice
When you think of retirement, the top priority for many is having time to enjoy spending time with grandchildren. At My Pension Expert, our team of regulated advisers are here to help you achieve the retirement lifestyle you want.
Our advisers take the time to understand what’s important to you, and help you develop a retirement strategy that suits your current circumstances, and your long-term financial goals.
Find out how we can help you by requesting a callback today.