While teachers may be exhaling a sigh of well-earned relief, now that the summer holidays are upon us parents and guardians alike may all be after affordable and fun activities children can get involved with over the next few weeks. Below are some accessible and free things you can do to keep your little ones entertained.
Adventure outdoors
With what feels like all the time in the world, you’ve got weeks and weeks to get outside and start exploring the natural habitat. It’s well known that getting outside in nature is good for your health and wellbeing, breathing in the fresh air and getting a bit of exercise can do us a world of good.
This is also a great opportunity for children to learn about the natural world and nurture their curiosity about the world we live in. Why is the grass green, after all? While some of us are lucky enough to have green spaces as we step outside the door, others are not. However, as we’ve got time off from school, if you can manage it, it can be worth walking that little bit further to get to a park, field, or other green space in order to soak up the benefits that getting outside can bring.
Make your own sportsday
While the young among us are bursting with energy, making your own sportsday with your friends and family can make not only for a great day of activities but might just tire you out so you (and the children) have an amazing night's sleep! See what you can make from around the house, from an egg and spoon race, three-legged race, wheelbarrow race, and more! Extra points for anyone who can do this in fancy dress as well – anyone got a pair of those butterfly wings lying about?
Make origami
All you need for this one is a single piece of paper and a sprinkle of imagination. While some designs may be slightly tricky, there are plenty of free online guides who can help you mould your paper into an expert shape. You could then make these into bunting by attaching them to string, or just displaying them as decorations in their own right. They could also have a more practical use and even be used as toys for younger children. Just imagine that, a whole army of Holly Blues!
You can also colour in your origami to make it look like one of our butterflies! Speaking of colouring in…
Take part in our coloring-in competition
See our Instagram page here to download a free template of butterflies. Make sure you’ve got plenty of colours on your pallet palette to paint us your best butterfly! Whether it’s a Red Admiral, Peacock, or Swallowtail, fill within the lines. There’s no limit to what type of media you use – you can get as creative as you like by making a collage from magazines or just the crayons you have tucked away in your living room draws! You can use our website and look at the different butterflies by filtering the colours you have as well on our ‘identify a butterfly’ page.
Download our Big Butterfly Count colouring sheets here and get colouring! Comment on our Facebook post before midnight on the 7th August! Terms and conditions apply.
The winner will receive a copy of a fabulous new children's book ‘Wild Summer: Life in the Heat’ by Sean Taylor & Alex Morss. Get colouring!
Big Butterfly Count
Last but not least is, of course, taking part in the Big Butterfly Count! By downloading the free smartphone app, or visiting the website, you can get your own ID sheet so you and your family can familiarise yourself with the different species that are out and about this summer. Then, get outside in a sunny spot (fields and parks are recommended but this could be done from anywhere – even your bedroom window) and see how many butterflies and day-flying moths you see!
This is a great way to introduce children to connect with nature and have fun getting to know these vital creatures. Also, this is the largest citizen science survey of its kind which makes a difference as the data is used by our scientists to understand the health of our butterflies and moths.
The count finishes on the 7th of August and you can submit as many counts as you like! #CountThemToSaveThem
You can also read about how to get the most out of your count and some fun facts about the species on the ID guides.