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?