Parents must have a number of activities for holidaymakers

The long holidays are here and somehow, parents have to think about ideas on how to keep their children active. This might be quite daunting especially when money is scarce. But, hey, not all activities need money.
While being very mindful of who you entrust your children with, parents should consider a holiday plan for their children which consists of a mix of any of the following:

Limit media time
Media time should be limited as children these days are increasingly getting addicted to various media such as television and play stations. This has been linked to lower concentration levels and poor social skills besides having a direct negative impact on children’s health. Children’s media time must be minimised to about one to two hours a day for two-five year olds with adults watching or playing with them and consistent limits set for older children to spend on any sort of media.
Children should spend most of the day doing other activities such as playing with toys and cultivating a small garden among others.

Household chores
Children must learn from a tender age how to do housework. This starts with simple chores such as dusting or mopping small portions to scrubbing and washing dishes on a daily basis preferable for all age groups.
This helps children gain self-esteem and understand their role and responsibilities in general cleanliness of the house.

Visiting or hosting
While away from town life, children can be able to learn a different type of lifestyle which would help them be flexible in the future and could help them easily adapt to different environments and people from different backgrounds.
Parents have to be very careful and ensure the safety of their children.
Alternatively, plan to have friends over. This gives you the chance to play host and connect with other families.

Visit museum, zoo or airport
Not only are these activities entertaining, they are also educative.

Ekisaakaate
This initiative by the Nnabagereka of Buganda helps children gain practical skills not only in cookery and other domestic duties, but also instils moral and spiritual values couples with leadership skills.
Religious programmes for children
These could include baptism, confirmation, discipleship classes for children. Some churches also have special programs tailored for holiday makers. These help the children enhance their spirituality.

Dance/music lessons
These come at a cost but would be a good way to keep your brood less idle.

Take a family trip
Take a few days leave and treat the family to a trip out to town. This could be say for a safari to any of the national game parks or for a forest walk or even just to experience a different town and just spend quality family time together.
The holiday is a good opportunity for children to take on new skills and reinforce old ones therefore it should be planned effectively to cover both the academic and social aspects of the child. It should be a mix and match of various fun activities that will enhance learning and growth of a child or else the child will be bored and not fully engaged.