Garden camping or alfresco cinema: the new rules for a family summer

Keeping the family happy, occupied and busy over the six-week summer break can feel like an insurmountable feat in a normal year, but right now? Well, let’s just say that 2020 is most definitely character-building.

Most of us have used up every keep-‘em-busy idea over the past few months and without the same access to holiday destinations and family-friendly attractions (not to mention childcare), we’re fresh out of inspo. Step forward the new summer rules, which will make your summer full of excitement and surprise …

Make every day special
There’s a lot to be said for lazy summer afternoons (and unstructured mayhem), but being devoid of plans for days on end can cause serious sibling squabbles and is-it-time-for-wine-yet clock-watching. Assigning a theme to each day can help. Try Make-it Monday for crafts, upcycling or Lego projects; Take a Trip Tuesday for venturing somewhere new; Wow Wednesday for learning new skills such as touch-typing, juggling, or magic tricks; Thursday Theatrics, which is all about putting on a performance and filming it; and Flip it Friday when the onus is on the kids to come up with the plan of action.

Project the fun
Why not create your own alfresco cinema in the garden? Outdoor projectors are now more compact and affordable, plus they’re super-easy to connect to a streaming device. Then all you need is a starry night, a screen (a white sheet works well), unlimited data to stream anywhere (take a bow, Vodafone), plus cushions, blankets and your own body weight in popcorn. Just don’t forget to invite us, eh.

Go ‘gardamping’
“Gardamping” (yep, garden camping) has all the fun of sleeping under the stars, but none of the car-boot-won’t-shut-and-who-forgot-the-loo-roll bits. You don’t need much to do it: a pop-up tent, sleeping bags, bedroll (heck, you could even sneak in a mattress), torches, loads of snacks and you’re good to go. If you want to ramp up the magic, download a stargazing app – try the Nasa app, which is like having the whole planetarium in your pocket. With Vodafone unlimited data, you’ll have no problem exploring the tech from the bottom of your garden. Then roast marshmallows, stay up far too late, and share your favourite jokes. Sweet dreams, everyone.

Go on, mess it all up
Kids love messy projects. Parents? Not so much. The answer: send the kids outside and let them go wild. From tie-dying T-shirts and potato printing, through to papier-mache and mud-pie making, there are endless better-done-outside ideas. For younger kids, set aside a free-to-dig dirt patch in your garden full of buried “prizes” that they can dig up with a spade, whether that’s small toys or secret messages. As a family challenge, set up a DIY crazy golf course – make tunnels from kitchen roll tubes and send them up mounds of earth and down the other side. By the time that’s over, the kids will be exhilarated – and, better still, exhausted and ready for bed.

Slide, soak and splash
A simple sprinkler is a super-easy way to beat the heat, the boredom, and to have the Best. Summer. Ever. Also, stock up on balloons for a wet and wild version of dodgeball; attach a hosepipe to the top of a slide for some seriously slippery fun; or turn a big plastic sheet into a run-and-dive water slide. For younger children, a bubble machine might be the best purchase ever. And if you haven’t tried freezing small plastic toys into blocks of ice and letting the kids chip away at them with a wooden spoon and a water pistol containing warm water, get ready for 30 blissful minutes of peace.

Related: ‘I found myself in charge of the kids’: did lockdown make me a better dad?

Turn every rock
Take your children to nearby streams and ponds to turn over stones and look for invertebrates and amphibians, or head to unpaved footpaths with plenty of logs and boulders for them to jump on and navigate around. Older children might like to identify trees (try the Woodland Trust app), birds (try the RSPB app), or why not set up a wildlife webcam next to an animal’s home for a summer project they’ll become obsessed with?

Get your game face on
Your children know how to play Minecraft and Roblox, but do you? Having a regular games night is a great way to bring the family together and have your kids teach you new tricks. After that, try turning your garden into a big old obstacle course using things you already have: throw a Frisbee, swirl a hula hoop, run around cones, balance a ping-pong ball on a spoon, have a three-legged race, and finish up with tug-of-war. Older children might love a tightrope-walking competition (you can buy kits to attach a rope to almost everything). Film the fun and play it back in the morning for bonus lols.

From using your smartphone to power a night of streaming alfresco cinema in the garden to adding an educational spin to your next nature walk with a birdwatching app, getting the most from your mobile data has never been more important.

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