With the summer holidays just around the corner, children are counting down the days until school is out and summer begins. But keeping children happy during the summer holidays can seem like a daunting task for parents and foster parents alike. With this in mind, it’s good to prepare some fun days out and rainy-day activities, so there’s always something to do. Below is a quick guide with some ideas for creating a memorable summer holiday for a foster child.
Combating Boredom
One of the biggest complaints made by children during the summer holidays is that they are bored. This is especially the case on rainy days, which is a great time to do something indoors. You can take them for a trip to a local shopping centre for a look around and a coffee, or you could go for a cinema trip to watch the latest Disney film.
Have a list prepared of rainy day activities, such as doing a jigsaw, having a board game day, building a den, colouring, painting, cooking, or even camping in the back garden. You can also plan days when friends come to visit so your foster child has something to look forward to.
Plan Day Trips
Summer is a great time to plan day trips to your families or foster children’s favourite places. This is also a good time to explore new places and tick stuff off that summer bucket list! Whilst there are some more expensive day trips, such as theme parks or water parks, there are also many free or inexpensive day trips too.
Look out what your foster child is into, and work around that. Maybe you can take them for a trip to the national history museum or go for a hike around a national park. Find a local beach or park and take a picnic. Whatever you decide, keep your foster child in the loop and ask them for ideas too.
Go On Holiday!
Perhaps one of the best gifts you can give to a foster child is taking them on holiday, either in the UK or abroad. Depending on their previous circumstances, they may not have been on holiday before or on a plane, so this could be an amazing new experience for them to treasure forever.
Bear in mind that you need express permission from your fostering agency before taking a foster child away on holiday. This means it’s best to speak to your foster agency before planning the trip or telling your foster child about it. If you are looking to foster children and give them a memorable summer, get in touch with a local agency such as orangegrovefostercare.co.uk.
The summer holidays don’t need to be a daunting time for foster parents. Being prepared and having days out planned in advance will leave your foster child with something to look forward to. Be prepared for rainy days with different, fun activities, and consider taking your foster child on holiday for an unforgettable summer.