The UK is now 60 days into lockdown and facing our second bank holiday so it can be hard to get excited for this extended weekend. Throw in a prediction of mixed weather and some bored kids and for some this bank holiday may not be as appealing.
It may feel like your children want to spend all their whole time engaging in online games, however, there are many activities families can still enjoy, and with the ability to be outside more following the latest advice, why not take time to enjoy the great outdoors.
Just in time for the bank holiday weekend, the first part of our new ‘Parents Hub’ website is now LIVE! The website has an abundance of useful resources and activities to help parents understand gaming, build digital resilience and set healthy boundaries for their children. Many young people will be turning to their digital devices this weekend with reports suggesting weekly games sales have increased by up to 60% during the lockdown. Our ‘Parent Hub’ aims to support parents in learning more about the signs of gaming-related harms, understand in-app purchases and find out about the parental controls available. Visit www.parents.ygam.org for information, tips and advice so you can establish a healthy balance with gaming.
Hopefully we will continue to be blessed with the amazing weather, so here are some ideas for families to enjoy outdoors this over the weekend;
- Why not hold a BBQ in your garden and enjoy toasting some marshmallows afterwards.
- This week a lot of schools would have been holding their sports days, why not create your own for the family to enjoy? You can have races, relays, egg and spoon race, obstacle courses, skipping, bean bag throwing… the list is endless
- Build a den in the garden
- Head out for a bike ride or explore somewhere local you haven’t been to before. Just remember to social distance!
- Some places are due a bit of wind so make a kite and watch it soar high!
And if the forecasters are correct and we experience some showers over the weekend we can still enjoy some family fun indoors;
- Why not play some family board games or choose an online game where the whole family can play or create a competition.
- As we can’t enjoy our favourite restaurants, many are providing you with the recipes so you can recreate them at home, get the whole family involved in creating your favourite dishes.
There are also many different virtual activities on offer this bank holiday weekend:
- The Chelsea Flower Show. For some gardening inspiration visit rhs.org.uk
- Harry Potter. There are some websites offering Harry Potter classes, potion making classes or book in a virtual Harry Potter tour.
- Market Hall are raising money for the Felix Project and holding a day of virtual events for the whole family. See Eventbrite for more information.
- Some theatres are offering virtual showings so why not sit back and enjoy a choice of Musicals from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Operas from The Met Opera, Shakespeare from the Shakespeare Globe or enjoy a classic musical Wind in the Willows.
- Enjoy a virtual gig, exercise classes or cooking lessons from celebrities. There is a huge variety on offer.
Enjoy your weekend!
Amanda Atkinson, Head of Parental Engagement
amanda@ygam.org
For more activity ideas to help your child/ren establish a healthy online/offline balance head to our website www.parents.ygam.org
