On a walk with my children, now in their mid-20s, I asked them what they remembered best from their school summer holidays. I expected to hear about the fiesta we witnessed in the heat of Tarifa, Spain, or be berated for the time I booked early flights to Crete, leaving us sitting in the waiting room of a resort from 4am until check-in time.
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I was greatly amused (and slightly relieved), then, to hear my son say: “Our summer books – that time we collected all those random things, took them home and stuck them into a book.” He was delighted that we’ve kept them.
My daughter said: “Soup on the beach.” We’d stayed on the Isles of Scilly (one of our favourite destinations), and had promised them a bonfire next to the sea on our last night. Of course, by the time we got around to it, night was falling – and with it the temperature – and poor four-year-old Lulu got tired and cold. We wrapped her in a blanket, propped her on a rock and gave her a mug of bonfire-heated tinned soup – and watched as the colour sprang back into her cheeks.
Making memories
The point of this (rather sentimental) reminiscing is to show that you don’t need expensive foreign holidays or trips to amusement parks for your children to have a good summer. It’s the low-key moments that tend to stay with us – and they can be as simple as a fun craft activity or a makeshift meal under the stars. Sure, lazing on a beach in the Algarve for a week or two is what keeps parents going through the winter months, but the 4am start for the ferry or the queues at passport control can start to undo the benefits of a holiday.
If you’re looking for ways to entertain your children during the holidays but sadly can’t just down tools and take the day off, read our guide to the summer holidays. It includes lots of ideas for inexpensive activities to do around your home or garden, from den-building to arts and crafts, as well as short and longer days out. We’ve also rounded up the best garden games for children of all ages.
Don’t ever feel guilty about not being with your children for the entire school summer holidays, nor for amusing them with low-cost activities. Sometimes, the simplest activities turn out to be their most memorable.
This week’s picks
Editor’s pick
Sun-day best: we’ve got summer dressing covered. Photograph: David Newby/The Guardian
“It’s hard to know what to wear when the sun comes out,” says fashion and lifestyle editor Morwenna Ferrier, “so it always seems strange just how little thought we give to it.” But we’ve done all the thinking for you in our bumper guide to summer dressing, with 69 ideas for women, men and the kids. From a spicy marg T-shirt and a purse for your beach change to perfect men’s shorts and a bag charm for grownups, there’s something here to suit every summer style.
Monica Horridge
Deputy editor, the Filter
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Set the benchmark: freshen up your outdoor space with some gorgeous garden furniture.
If you’ve ever planned to spend the evening outside only to be tempted back on to the living room sofa, it may be time to upgrade your garden furniture. Whatever the size of your outdoor space, there’ll be a sofa, bistro seat or bench to suit in design expert Claudia Baillie’s guide to the best garden furniture. There are also tips for buying vintage or secondhand furniture if you’d rather avoid buying anything new.
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