Surviving the Summer Holidays

Finally!  Christmas is behind us!  The end is nigh!  Almost…  There’s still a stretch of long, hot summer days ahead of us before we get to drop the kids back at school for the start of another school year.  Just ask me, I’m counting down the very minutes….
Keeping the kids entertained 7 days a week during the school holidays can be a hellish form of torture.  Days at the beach or in the pool, the occasional movie, excursions to the shopping center so Mummy can mainline caffeine while the kids drool over the latest toys. It’s difficult to strike a balance between keeping the kids outdoors and active, and being inside and entertained in the stifling summer heat (while I take a much needed nap in lieu of doing the laundry or cooking).
If you’re looking for a way to keep your kids entertained this summer holidays, here are a few gadgets that could make your life easier!
iPad2 – The kids can go nuts during the holidays, and then you can take over once school starts. With thousands of apps to choose from, internet access plus cool in built apps such as Facetime, PhotoBooth and a Video player, there is little your kids won’t be able to do with the iPad2. If you’re worried about them spending too much time looking at a screen, then filter its use to educational based games or apps. If your children need to catch up on some school work in the holidays, or if your children have learning difficulties like Miss6, the iPad2 can be a fun and interactive tool to encourage them to practice their reading, maths, problem solving and pretty much everything remotely educational, as there are so many learning-based app’s out there.  Since they’re learning, it means zero parental guilt for you.  In fact, pat yourself on the back for encouraging their continual education during the holidays.
Gaming console – There are usually two camps when it comes to video gaming. You let your children, or you don’t. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, a gaming console and video games are sure to keep your children entertained this summer. Plus, you’ll never run out of present ideas with an endless list of new games on the market. Also awesome for physical activity if you have kids who loathe to raise a sweat or do anything more than 5 feet from the television.  Trick them with some Wii sports.  They’ll never know it’s exercise.
Camcorder – Give your kids a camcorder to play with, and it will provide them with the inspiration to create storylines, scripts and costumes – and then capture it all! Also handy if you’re like me, and forget to document holidays and family time in general.  Get the kids on the job and creating home movies to be pulled out when they’re 21 and susceptible to maximum humiliation by showing the footage of your then 2yr old son wearing a fairy dress and playing house.
If you don’t have these gadgets already, there are a number of equipment rental companies that offer alternatives to buying your iPad2, gaming console or camcorder outright. When you rent your equipment, you pay low monthly payments and can continually upgrade to the latest equipment. You can also rent a laptop or computing equipment too! 
So if you’re looking to keep your children entertained this holiday season, try treating your children to these gadgets. The best thing is that you can also make use of them year round once the kids are back at school!
What’s your children’s favorite summer holiday activity? How do you keep your kids entertained?