First school holidays

The transition from being at home to being in school or nursery full time can be a big one in many ways. With the move to full-time education comes new friends, a new schedule and school holidays.

Many schools offer wraparound care during school holidays for families, but if you can, holidays are a great time to have fun with your child and take things at a slower pace.

In the build-up to the school holidays, you could chat to your child about things that you could do together. You might feel pressure to take them on expensive days out, but there is fun to be had at home, and there are also many things that you can get out and do that are free or low cost. As the school holidays draw closer, you could sit and make a list together of a few things that you plan to do.

Here are a few ideas of things that you could do together in school holidays:

• Cooking or baking with a new recipe
• Playing at the park
• A trip to the library
• A movie day with cosy blankets and favourite snacks
• Gardening
• An obstacle course in the house or garden
• Building a tent or den – indoors or outdoors!