Having fun with kids during holidays without travelling

The vacations are upon us, which means more time to spend with your children. If you are not travelling this summer, there is a lot you can do staying right at home, that will make the holidays fun and rewarding for your kids. Here are some things you can do with your child this summer that will make your kid a more adept, balanced and empathetic individual by the end of the break and turn you into a super parent!

Use the holidays to get your child hooked onto books and reading. Join a book club with your child or if you can’t find one, start one. Parents can take turns to have regular storytelling sessions for the little ones. Get them to think and read, and help them sharpen their imagination and analytical skills. For your older kids, find out the genres of books your child likes and have regular book discussion and recommendation sessions. Discussing an Anne Frank, Stephen Hawking or Gabriel Garcia Márquez with your child over a cup of coffee can be fun and also help you understand your children, their world view and improve their critical thinking.

While pampering them silly is a good idea, make sure a good part of the vacation is spent in a way that your child learns something new. Help them acquire some important life skills such as swimming and cooking. Attend a cooking workshop or start them off at home with the basics. If your child has a talent, take this time to find out more about it and nurture it. If he or she enjoys painting, music, dance, robotics, skating, playing an instrument, gardening, steer them in the right direction by finding out the right place, teachers and timings suited to your child’s temperament and let them learn something new.

Make your children aware of the society they live in. Inculcate empathy in them. It goes a long way and makes one a more patient and better individual. Take your children along when spend the summer for a particular cause. Volunteer with organisations that offer free education, healthcare, gender sensitisation, hygiene lessons, prevention against animal cruelty or any other cause that strikes a chord with your child. Use social media to find out about such programmes in your area.

Good health is central to everything. Initiate your kids into exercise, physical activities such as basketball, running and jogging early so that they grow up to be mentally and physically fit. Teach them the importance of eating right and healthy. Anorexia, bulimia, obesity are problems that children are facing more than ever before. Start working early on your kids’ eating habits. Spend this time with your kids to encourage them, motivate them, discuss their life and views and help them become mentally strong so they approach life with a positive attitude, and feel assured that they can come up and discuss their issues with you. Strengthen your bond with your child