By Amaka Abayomi

School is out for the summer or long holidays and this is great news for parents, but not so great for parents, especially when faced with thoughts of keeping the children entertained for over two months.

The holiday is supposed to be a time to relax from school activities and school runs for parents, but for those with young children, without school activities to keep them positively engaged, it can be a chore instead of relaxation time.

Holiday coaching

Though travelling out, holiday with grand-parents or cousins or learning crafts or skills are some ways parents can employ to keep them busy, but most parents who spoke with Vanguard Learning preferred summer coaching as the best way to keep them positively engaged.

On how she intends to keep her active three-year-old, Tochukwu, busy for the next two months, Mrs Chinyere Chidiadi said summer school would relieve her of some of the stress.

“Thank God summer classes have started so that would take the stress of tending to him for most part of the day because my hands are already full with taking care of my seven-month-old second son.

“We would go for some sightseeing or weekends with some cousins.”

For Mr. Ben Obi, summer holiday means summer school and other activities that would keep them busy.

“The kids travelled last summer so travelling is out of the question. Rather, they would attend summer school and other activities that would make them use their time positively.”

Though Mr. Charles Gaba has already enrolled his kids for summer coaching, he still has other activities, like weekend outings for movies and fun play, lined up to make the vacation a memorable one.

Mrs. Modupe Adekunle is the CEO of Kraftplus, an arts and craft learning center for children. For her, summer holiday means an opportunity for children, including hers, to learn to be creative with their hands.

But this year, summer would be different as she intends to break from her routine and give her two girls a chance to get to know Lagos better.

”I grew up in Lagos and I am a bit of a Lagos street map but I am not confident that I have passed that down to my children, which brought about taking my kids on a mini tour around the city of Lagos and explore the boisterous, bubbling and beautiful city and see what Lagos has to offer in terms of its history, food, architecture, monuments and people, not just the different eateries, cinemas and beaches.”

Still dreading the dilemma of how to keep your child(ren) busy during the summer vacation? Below are some activities you might want to try out.

Bookworm: The saying that the more you read, the more things you will know can’t be more apt, especially during this long vacation. You can make a reading list for your child to go through over the holiday and may even offer a prize for each book completed because the importance of reading for the countless benefits it holds can’t be over-emphasized.

Family field-day: Running out of places to take your children to? Hit the museums and historic attractions to give them an educational day out. Explore the boisterous cities you reside in and see what they have to offer in terms of history, food, architecture, monuments and people and beaches.

Gardening: There is a natural attraction between children and the earth, whether it is playing in the sand or hunting for worms in your garden. Don’t worry about achieving a horticultural masterpiece, just dig, grow something and explore the wonders of nature along with your children. Let them water the plants daily as this will not only give them a sense of responsibility but also develop patience while they wait for the plants to grow.

Sports and memberships: Exercise is great for kids of all ages and you may find a sport your child is interested in. Participation in a sports team can vary from lessons to the competitive and can last from a week to the whole summer.

Get them in the kitchen: Indulge in some easy recipes and allow your children try their hands and culinary skills on menus, especially those they love. This will enhance their creativity and actually cooking the food will encourage the kids to eat it without throwing their usual meal-time tantrums which will ultimately save you from a lot of stress.