Endless Summer Fun Indoors: Creative Ideas For A Fun-Filled Holiday At Home

This year, why not turn your home into the ultimate destination for creativity and excitement? From arts and crafts to indoor games, there are endless ways to make the most of your time indoors with ideas that will keep your family entertained all summer long.

Here are some ideas to keep your holiday light and fun.

MAKE A PLAN

1. Days of the week:

The good old timetable of activities is your best bet to prepare for the week and also get your child excited about what's in store. Here is a sample.

Week 1:

You can also make a month-long calendar and give more than one activity per day. Make sure you set aside some time every day for unplanned and unstructured play.

2. Weekly Plans:

This summer vacation is going to be long. So, you can also make schedules by the week.

Week 1: Activities at home

Week 2: An art a day

Week 3: Cooking one new recipe a day

Week 4: Creating a fairy garden/herb garden

Week 5: Book-reading challenge: How many books in a week

Week 6: Letter-writing week (handwrite the letters, take a picture, and share it digitally!)

Week 7: Film-making week, make a short film using a phone, a digital camera, and easy-to-use software

Making plans is a great idea, whether you are a working parent with deadlines to meet or a stay-at-home parent craving that well-deserved me-time.

With that, let's look at some fun ideas that can keep you and your child connected and engaged at home.

PRESCHOOLERS AND PRIMARY

1. Build a garden: This is the right time to get your child interested in gardening. From getting their hands dirty to harvesting their first herb, a little garden can be so much fun for your little one. Encourage grandparents to teach the grandchildren some gardening tricks.

2. Artidote: Keep art supplies handy for your child, so they feel encouraged to indulge in some artwork. Let them display their art on a wall or in their cupboard. Give leads to your child by asking them to look outside the window and recreate the scene or draw portraits of people in your family. The picture may not be perfect, but the experience will be.

3. Experiment with science: Several simple science experiments can be concocted using ingredients available in your kitchen. Write down the steps on cards or even draw them out if your child is too small. Let the scientist in them come alive.

4. Build forts and create a reading nook: Recreate your favourite childhood memory with your child by allowing them to build forts and set up camping sites inside your house, using old cartons, bed linen, etc. Together, create a reading nook with pillows and a box filled with their favourite books.

5. Out-of-the-box: Come up with creative and silly ways to enjoy an evening with your child. Do a role-reversal hour, throw water balloons at each other, or string flower garlands!

6. Stay cool: Make simple popsicles and lollies using fruit purees. Come up with different combinations of fruits. You can even buy an inflatable pool and cool off in your personal swimming pool for some time.

7. Night rituals: Slow down as your day is about to end. Build a new, calmer routine that can continue even after summer holidays end. It can be a story-building activity or a simple word game.

8. Recreate your childhood: Bring books to your rescue. Use this summer break to introduce your child to all your favourite characters, from Harry Potter to Tintin. Teach your children board games and floor games you played as a child:

• Raja, Rani, Police, Thief
• Name, Place, Animal, Thing
• Dhaayam
• Vimanam
• Kallangai
• Musical chair
• Maram Pitti

9. Clean-scene: Make home-decluttering a fun activity by posing challenges to your child: Whoever collects all the old magazines gets to decide what movie to watch this afternoon, or who can dust all surfaces in the living room within five minutes, and so on.

10. Meditate: Set aside some time from your daily schedule to meditate as a family. Meditation aids inner discovery and teaches your child the importance of staying calm.

PRETEENS AND TEENS

1. Start a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast: Let your child start their own blog or a YouTube channel and create content that interests them. But, ensure they limit the amount of time they spend on the screen per day.

2. Clickathon: If your child is interested in photography, this is the time for them to explore the world around them through the eyes of the camera. You don't need to go on a fancy trip to a bird-watching spot. They can capture candid family moments at home or capture a bird's eye view of a quiet, non-crowded neighbourhood from the safety of your own terrace.

3. Get fit: Do simple family exercises together. Go on a run or simply climb the stairs of your building ten times every morning with your child.

4. Paint project: If you've been wanting to repaint your house, how about making it a family project? Take out your paint brushes and paint away to your satisfaction. Pick the colours together and encourage your child to get creative.

5. Family puzzle: Buy a large family puzzle and lay the pieces out in a puzzle station. No matter what, spend at least 30 minutes a day at the puzzle station, chatting and spending quality time, as you put the puzzle together, one by one.

6. Family recipe: Decide on three to four ingredients. You, your spouse, and your child will have to come up with a unique dish for each meal of the day using these three ingredients.

7. Night-fun: Enjoy a star-gazing night! Camp outside on your terrace and listen to an audiobook or organise a movie night.

8. Green-home: This is your chance to bring back the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Ask your preteen to come up with an action plan to make your home as eco-friendly as possible.

9. Teen-preneur: Let your preteen or teen come up with ideas to start a small business. From running a library with friends to selling art, there are many options to explore. Even if your child doesn't start a business right away, thinking and ideating on it will open up many interesting ideas. But remember, any group activity involving people outside of your family is advisable only after the social distancing embargo is lifted.

10. Online learning: From chess to karate, almost any skill can be learnt online if you find the right resource. Encourage your child to learn a new skill or language.

Online activities for families

Here are some useful online platforms that will help you and your child learn together and bond too:

Discovery Kids: Videos, games, and activities on animals, history, and more

NASA Kids Club: Activities and games that can help your child learn about NASA

PBS KIDS Lab: Educational games and activities

Cambridge Assessment English: Fun activities that can help your child build English skills

We'd also like to introduce you to a family that is used to spending their time mostly on the go. 

Gangadhar Krishnan and his wife Ramya Lakshminath run a small travel business, Unwind at Unexplored, offering personalised tours and arranging family-oriented trips, especially for families with very young children. Ramya is an experienced primary teacher and a trained yoga instructor. Road trips are their favourite. Last year, Gangadhar and one of their daughters, Amulya, did a month-long road trip from Hyderabad to Meghalaya. Friends even call this family 'Urban Gypsies.' So, how is this traveling family planning to spend some summer time indoors? 

Let's find out.

Q. Please tell us a little about your family.

We are a family of four. My husband and I have been homeschooling and road-schooling our twin daughters, Amulya and Ananya (nine years old), since June 2019. Our children enjoy Taekwondo (a martial art), rock climbing, and many other physical and adventure activities. They also love drawing, painting, pottery, clay modelling, craft, cooking, and stitching.

Q. Usually, how do you and your children spend your summer break when you are not on grand outstation trips? 

We involve our daughters in every activity around the house. We cook, do gardening, and clean the house together. And that has been our lifestyle since they were five. When I used to work full-time, I would make up a schedule for them for the day. This would include drawing, painting, craft, playing, gardening, pottery, cooking, and all fun activities. As a family, we also play indoor games like Chowka Barah (an ancient board game), chess, word games, etc.

Q. You’re so used to being outdoors, how do you keep your children engaged indoors? 

Ananya, who hoards waste from rag clothes to cartons, has been very busy stitching bags from unused clothes, and making greeting cards, pencil holders, a bird bath, and whatnot. Throughout the day, she is cutting, stitching, pasting, and so on. She is finding ways to repurpose all the waste material at home.

Amulya, who loves big challenges and is highly competitive by nature, is also a deep thinker and keeps her brain highly engaged. She enjoys the discussions we are having, about history, wars, viruses, diseases, fears, psychology, and everything in the universe. Since we have time, she is happy to have most of her questions answered. She is happy to try new tunes on her recorder or harmonica. Apart from these, she loves to draw, read, tell stories, and so on.

Here are some suggestions from other parents who have tried and tested some cool ideas.

That's a whole host of ideas! Do not burn yourself out trying to keep your child engaged all the time. After all, it is good to be bored. So, allow your child to experience it, as boredom is said to kindle creativity and novelty. You can also try to accomplish your own goals, like finishing a book, making your face packs, foot creams, and hair masks. Help yourself with huge doses of love. We hope our ideas help you enjoy this season. Let us know how you spent your holidays! Happy Family Times.