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Summer is the perfect time for parents to build new memories with their children. While the younger generation enjoys some well-deserved moments away from school, fun summer activities provide an opportunity for the adults in their lives to spend quality time with them and strengthen their relationship.
While summer activities for kids may be limited in recent days, playing with school-age children often opens a range of ideas for imaginative adventures. At GP, we want to empower your summer with meaningful moments – and the sufficient power you need to make any experience a life-long memory.
Before you start enjoying any of these activities, make sure you’re fully prepared with a sufficient power supply by discovering our practical tips for the summer holidays. Below are five best summer activities for parents to do with their kids, plus helpful tips to power up the fun.
Hiking & Camping
While travel may still be limited for many families around the world, hiking and camping offer a much-needed escape from the house. Among the most popular summer activities, hiking and camping are often thought not suitable for children because they might be too challenging for them. However, this nature-bound excursion gives children the chance they need to discover the beauty of what lies outside the city, and to appreciate the environment around us.
Tips to power up your adventure:
- When hiking or camping with children, it’s especially important to know how to pack. Here’s an easy guide: Stash light items you won’t need in the bottom, while keeping heavier items (like food and clothing) in the middle and essentials (such as water and first-aid) at the top.
- On top of that, be sure to pack torches for camping, such as a handheld torch or head torch, in case of emergency, or if the day gets dark and you need a light to illuminate the way.
- Since many essential items can be powered by batteries or a power bank, such as activity tracker, speaker, portable lanterns and cameras, it’s helpful to prepare a waterproof pouch complete with rechargeable batteries, alkaline batteries and a power bank to make sure all the electric devices you take on the trip can be fully charged.
- Remember, rain and waterfalls happen! So, each bag or backpack should be waterproof.
Beach
After months of being stuck in a classroom, children of all ages will surely leap for the chance to go on a trip to the beach, and to feel the sea and sand between their toes. Even though it’s usually a hit among kids and their parents, the beach is one of the most memorable summer activities for a reason – and it’s all in the touch. Whether that’s helping a child put on sunscreen, or patting them dry, the beach is all about bringing the family closer and forging those sweet, touchy memories.
Tips to power up your beach trip:
- Never forget sunscreen! You don’t want sunburn, especially on your child’s sensitive skin.
- Another essential is the portable fan. It’ll keep you cool and the kids happy.
- Going to the beach can sometimes be enraging for the entire family, so running out of battery is certainly not an option. Add a power bank and some batteries to your to-pack list.
- When staying cool and energised isn’t a concern, the sand always will be. Prepare some talcum powder beforehand to prevent sand from sticking onto you or your child’s feet.
Staycation
Travelling overseas may not be recommended for now, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible to enjoy a relaxing holiday! For the families who want to venture beyond the beach or campsite, a staycation in the countryside may be the perfect summer activity to create some long-lasting, happy memories with the kids. Whether it leads to exploring a beautiful countryside, or a quaint village, or enjoying a night in with games and movies, a staycation provides quality personal time to cherish the special moments with the family.
Tips to power up your staycay:
- It might be a long ride to your destination, so it’s important to keep your passengers entertained and safe – because a long trip will exhaust children and their parents.
- It’s important to keep your phone fully charged in case of emergency, or simply to check the map. That’s why a fully charged power bank is an essential for any staycation.
- Staycations are the best time to capture special moments with your kids, so remember to prepare enough ReCyko Pro batteries for your camera and photo flash.
- No car ride or adventure should ever go without a torch, in case of emergency or the family decides to do some late-night adventures.
Video games
Who ever said that video games are harmful to children and can negatively affect their relationship with their parents? These days, with game content getting more and more well-designed, educational, and engaging, video games are not just about playing, but also about nurturing a child’s ability to quickly analyse a situation and solve problems. More than ever, parents should be willing to join their children in a bit of light-hearted gaming – and perhaps win that title of being a “cool” mum or dad.
Tips to power up your child’s gaming:
- Play together and turn screen time into quality family time. Gaming with your child may offer a chance to bond and pave the way for more conversation.
- Remember to respect your children’s preferences. If they don’t want to play in company, do not pressure them. Some games may feel personal to them.
- Introduce (and enforce) rules on video games while your children are still young. For example, store gaming equipment in the living room.
- Keep your children engaged and fully charged by adding rechargeable batteries to their favourite gaming devices.
Cooking
With the number of lockdowns and restaurant closures in the past year, even parents who don’t normally step into the kitchen have found their way through a cookbook or two; they may have even tested their skills with a loaf of bread, or a few fluffy soufflé-style pancakes. If you are one of them, why not share your cooking skills and experiences with your children this summer? Cooking is an activity that requires exceptional organisational skills – and it’s an engaging learning (and bonding) experience for children and parents of all ages.
Tips to power up your kitchen for any age:
- For children under 10: You may want to start by preparing easy dishes with them. Eggs, pancakes and toast are all fun to make – and don’t require any risky equipment.
- For children over 10: You may want to experiment with more adventurous recipes and cooking styles, like pan-frying or baking, while gradually using more complicated equipment.
- For the parent: It’s important to remember that you’re not only teaching your children how to handle new ingredients and tools, but also good nutrition that can help them (and you) with good eating habits for the rest of their lives.
- For everyone: A well-organised kitchen can be the place where you and your family bond and create lasting memories for years to come – and there should always be a pack of batteries at hand for any draining gadgets.
