A few weeks ago, we shared with you some activities to do during this school holiday. Some of you might have considered several of the activities, or went to look for others on your own. Did you get your child involved in the decision-making? Planning a family activity can be difficult with the varying interests in the family. Your child may not like what you have chosen, then begin to start complaining and dragging his or her feet around. Prevent this by simply asking them what they prefer to do.
Nevertheless, here are a few more ideas for reference.
Escape Rooms
Escape rooms and its likeness are in style and definitely in trend for the fashionable and hip child-raising adult. With a range of themes and age-catered options available right here on this tiny island, this activity fits right in the ‘things-to-do-list’ of building trust and cohesiveness with your child. Nothing beats having to work together to solve a series of puzzles and enjoy the rewards for doing so – escaping a dreaded enclosed space to make a mad dash to the nearest ice-cream shop for some flavorful treats!
Escape rooms provide a sense of fun while actually building important soft-skills such as teamwork and problem-solving skills in your child. Working together towards a common goal can also improve your relationship with your child by building a better understanding of how an individual contributes to solving an issue. Problem-solving skills are carried beyond the walls of an escape room, helping to solve issues that may arise in the future. Besides, empathy is the current buzz-word that the local education institution is working hard on to impart to our young students today.
Family Runs
Another popular activity that has taken flight in recent years are the various family runs and sports activities that are taking place around the country. During its early stages, these runs used to be solely for the most competitive athletes at the peak of physical fitness. However, such running events have now grown into more family-friendly activities that even the most casual couch-potatoes can take part in.
A simple search online will flourish an entire selection of themes and genres that you and your child can choose from. Getting your child involved in the decision making and information sourcing will also allow your child to be much more interested in the activity. In time, he or she may actually take the initiative and develop a habit of thinking ahead and understanding how to make better, more mature decisions.
Outdoor activities help your child’s performance in school as well
A child’s learning journey does not only involve academia and books. Soft-skills like teamwork, communication, empathy and such are just as important in the development of a well-rounded child. These skills carry forward to school and education as well. Learning how to interact with others around them is vital in project work. Furthermore, students are progressively being told to be more independent learners in school. The recent changes in the MOE syllabus encourage Primary Science students to proactively seek for answers from teachers.
Outdoor activities also develop your child’s grit and mental fortitude. Values such as perseverance, patience, determination are important in daily life and even more so during the stressful periods of semester assessments and examinations. Students go through even more stressful situations with the end of each educational stage – PSLE, O-Levels, and more – where students go through the trauma cramming years-worth of curriculum into their brains. The earlier you inculcate the aforementioned values into your child, the earlier he or she will be able to brush off the stress of academic demands and stay focused on the path to success!
Endnote
Ultimately, when looking for an activity to do during the upcoming school holidays, you can also find out your child is really interested in. By asking them what they would like to do, not only do you get a better sense of what he or she prefers spending time, they also get to understand their own likes and interests as well. Discovering a lifelong hobby helps them in deciding on what they would like to do in the future when pursuing their own life goals and purpose. At the end of the day, good parenting is all about moulding your child into independent individuals that can contribute to society and others around them. Why not take the opportunity to help them to start on this journey this school holiday while spending quality and an enjoyable time with them?