Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Dear Betsy
School finishes soon and summer is ahead of us and I have two children aged eight and 11 who need to be entertained. Do you know of any activities this summer especially suited for children?
STM
Dear STM,
I know the feeling well! Fortunately my two sons are now adults, but I remember those long, hot summers and the frustration that the kids develop through boredom and the frustration of the parents as they watch their kids sleeping until lunchtime and then vegging out in front of video games or DVDs.
Many of the hotels and social and leisure clubs now organise summer camps for children and teenagers.
Some of them may focus on one activity such as drama or art and others are more sports-based with swimming, tennis and indoor games.
It can be doubly challenging for parents who both work and have school age children who need taken care of during working hours.
Some of these camps cater for just such a situation with several hours duration of activities from Sunday through to Thursday with snacks and transport thrown in.
If you have the stamina and the imagination then you could try organising your own version of 'home summer camp' sharing this with two or three other mums, with each of you taking the kids out for one day a week and organising fun activities such as a treasure hunt, quizzes, trips to the cinema, water park and beach.
Today's kids can be very discerning and it takes more than a colouring book and a packet of crayons to keep them amused.
Try to find activities that stretch their imagination and challenge them to develop new skills. What about learning to cook or bake simple dishes or photographing flowers and plants then trying to identify them from books or online sites, writing and performing a simple play, or ban electronic entertainment and get out those good old-fashioned board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble or my favourite, Ker Plunk!
Whatever activities or route you decide to go down please remember that children need lots of hydration and sun protection.
Make sure they drink enough water and cut down on fizzy drinks in favour of fresh fruit juices with soda water.
Ensure they eat fresh fruits such as watermelon which is deliciously in season at the moment and remember that childhood sunburn can lead to skin cancer in later life. Pack them a hat, sun screen and a bottle of water and a piece of fruit whatever they end up doing this summer.
And check out this week's GulfWeekly for up-to-date information on summer camps. Happy holidays! Betsy B Mathieson
