104 Things To Do In The Summer Holidays At Home – Dads (& Parents) Guide To Surviving Summer Hell

We’ve only got 17 days.

17 days till the end of the school term and summer holidays begin.

I’m already breaking out into a sweat just thinking about things to do at home to keep Zac entertained during the summer holidays.

The thought of him bouncing of the walls, jumping on my back and off the sofa shouting…

“I’m Booored….

…Can we go somewhere?

…Can we do something?”

can already be conjured up in my head.

Trying to work while he’s in the house is near impossible.

If I’m on a call to a client, you’d be guaranteed he’d shout upstairs saying “I need a poooo daddy” (It has happened before and it will happen again)

If I’m on the computer doing research, it’ll be “Whatcha doing?”

If I’m writing an email, he’ll try and move the mouse and type along.

Thing is… this isn’t new to me…

Ever since he was born, I’ve been working from home at all hours of the day and night so I know what to expect… except this year is different.

Since he’s due to start reception (Pre Kindergarten to my American readers… that’s if I got American readers!) he’s changed from a toddler where you can keep him fairly entertained with Thomas the tank engine, Disney Cars, Youtube for a decent amount of time…

Now… inside a year, he’s almost turned into a teenager…

Blasting music…

Insatiable appetite…

Messing about and playing jokes…

Wanting to go out…

Dancing around like he’s the greatest showman…. Literally

So I’ve been trying to think of things to do this summer at home so I don’t lose my sanity.

These are the things Zac will want to do:

1. Go the park
2. Go to the park and roll about in god knows what
3. Get ice cream at the park
4. Go to the beach
5. Throw cold freezing water and drench me
6. Chase seagulls on the beach
7. Fish for anything floating in the rockpool
8. Dig for treasure at the beach
9. Get fish and chips at the beach
10. Then followed by ice cream right after
11. Go cycling to his grandmas
12. Go cycling to the park
13. Then decide to go cycling for miles then realize he’s gone too far and expect me to carry him and his bike back home
14. Play football (or soccer) but his way only (which is to stand there and watch him throw the ball about)
15. Ride his pedal race car, even though he’s too big for it.
16. Listen to The greatest Showman on repeat at maximum volume
17. Watch him dance to The Greatest Showman
18. Help him get changed in his Greatest Showman outfit (even if he’s not signing or dancing)
19. Want me to dance with him to the Greatest Showman
20. Then finish of with an ice cream
21. Want to visit his cousin in Scotland (3 hours drive)
22. Ask 10 minutes into the journey “Are we there yet?”
23. Then ask every 5 minutes until we actually get there
24. Want to go to his cousins (20 minutes drive)
25. Want to come home 10 minutes after getting there after not sharing his toys or the not able to get his own way.
26. Stop off at Mcdonalds on the way home
27. Then stop off the toy shop next to the Mcdonalds
28. Spend 2 hours in Smyths toy store
29. Go on the biggest toys, bikes, scooter, batmobiles and ride around the store.
30. Throw a tantrum when it’s time to leave
31. Then head back to Mcdonalds for an ice cream
32. Head to the restaurant for a pizza
33. Eat everyone else’s pasta
34. Have more Ice cream
35. Go swimming where there’s a big slide
36. Race with me to bottom of the slide
37. Watch him play on the pirate boat in the pool
38. Carry him when the wave machine is on
39. Want me to hold my breath under water from one length of the pool to the other
40. Moan that he doesn’t want to swim
41. Whinge when we have to leave the pool
42. Want to go to the softplay next to the pool
43. Play with his “new” best friend he just met at softplay
44. Want to share his crisps and sweets with his “new” best friend
45. Want to leave with his “new” best friend
46. Take a short cut home when he’s tired even though it’s a 30 minute drive on the fastest route
47. Go to the Cinemas (theatre for Americans) (or cimenas as he calls it)
48. Stuff his little belly full of popcorn and sweets (Haribo tangfastics)
49. Leave the cinemas after 10 minutes because he’s bored after the opening scene
50. Get hot chocolate from Costas

These are the ideas that I can come up with to keep him entertained at home during the summer holidays:

1. Take him to a train museum
2. Take him and teach him swimming (not just on the slides)
3. Get some pads and mitts so he can learn to do some kickboxing
4. Let him run laps around the field that’s opposite us
5. Teach him how to wash my car
6. Let him use my old camera to take photos
7. Take him to football/sports camp
8. Teach him how to cut the lawn
9. Take him on a farm visit
10. Show him what I do at the gym
11. Go to a local theme park
12. Take him on the Metro into town
13. Get the bus into town
14. Take him to the sea life centre
15. Take the bike and cycle the town moor
16. Teach him how to read
17.  Go ice skating
18. Take him to a mini golf course
19. Visit a different city
20. Go boat riding in Durham
21. Cross the river on a boat
22. Visit the children’s library
23. Teach him how to fly a kite
24. Go to a trampoline park
25. Pick strawberry’s
26. Teach him how to paint and draw
27. Let him draw, cut, glue and make trains and animals
28. Visit a car show
29. Use the inflatable pool
30. Have a water balloon fight
31. Teach him how to recycle toys for less privileged kids
32. Get him to tidy his toys
33. Learn to use rackets, bats properly
34. See if he’s interested in being a magician
35. Get him use to the keyboard and try to get him to touch type 70 wpm by the end of the holiday
36. Write a story that he’s made up
37. Create a metal spinning lantern from his favourite Movie at the moment (The greatest Showman)
38. Get him to watch other Disney films that aren’t his usual ones
39. Teach him how to cook
40. Have a BBQ
41. Make a pizza
42. Blend our own smoothie
43. Make ice lollies (popsicles)
44. Make a photo/video journal
45. Take him to Beamish museum
46. Visit a Zoo
47. Have a race between the cousins
48. Teach him how to play cards
49. Have a sleep over at his cousins
50. Camp out in the garden
51. Take him to beavers/scouts
52. Let him watch train documentaries
53. Learn to make Ice Cream
54. Grow our own veg

So there’s 54 of my ideas, and 50 of Zacs ideas, giving us a grand total of 104 ideas… (Ok maybe a few are about eating Ice cream, but it’s one of the MOST vital arsenal in your toolkit to combat boredom). Hopefully, we will be able to get through the majority without any tears or tantrums.

Do you have any ideas for the summer holiday that you wish to add… comment below…

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