It won’t be long until the summer break is finally upon us, and with that comes the perfect opportunity to spend some real quality time with your kids. The rest of the year is busy with work and school and extracurricular activities, which can leave everyone exhausted.

But the more relaxed six-week summer break and the longer, warmer days allows for more family time – and getting to know your child again (and letting them get to know you) is much easier! The problem, however, is that the long break can also become something of a letdown if not properly planned or once boredom strikes, because school was so good with its school trips to Paris, class plays and days out. A little planning with a dash of spontaneity will ensure that you and the kids have a wonderful and memorable summer.

Set aside time to spend with your children

The summer holiday from school is a long one, and coming up with things to do each day is not going to be easy, nor is it going to be very budget-friendly. Plus, you’ll all get completely exhausted within the first couple of weeks of the holiday, and the rest of it will be spent doing nothing to make up for it! 

The best thing you can do is to set aside an hour or so each day to really connect with your children and have fun with them. This is ideal for parents who will be working over the summer because they can still enjoy time with their children. Have an hour to do reading or arts and crafts, cook together, go for a bike ride or a walk, take a trip to the cinema or go out for ice cream. Whatever it is, it will be something that your children look forward to each day, and something you can definitely commit to, no matter what else you have to do. 

Find a balance between structure and freedom

School is an extremely structured place with children having to be in certain places at certain times. They have to follow rules and be on their best behaviour. This is something you want them to continue to do at home – to an extent. The summer holiday is about allowing your children freedom to be themselves and to chill out and relax after a year at school, so too much structure isn’t going to allow them to do that. However, not enough structure, and they might be wild with their newfound freedom, and their behaviour can somewhat slip. You need to find the right balance between structure and freedom. 

Give them downtime to ‘just chill’

It can be tempting to make sure that your children’s summer holiday is on the go at all times, leaving them with no downtime. However, that’s not what is always best for your children and, just like adults, sometimes having some time to themselves to do something as a solo project or just “chill” can be beneficial to them. So make sure there is room in your schedule for this. Children might want to read by themselves, play with their toys, perhaps do some colouring. You can also take this time to chill out and relax, ready for the next item on your list of things to do together.

Plan a child-friendly family holiday

There’s nothing like spending your summer break in a gorgeous destination with sun, sea and sand – or if exploring new cities is more your thing, then doing just that and touring a new city – with the family. Spain offers the best of both options, and is a great vacation destination, so why not consider a fun and fulfilling child-friendly holiday in Spain this summer?!