What to do with kids on break

As a kid, I adored summer. I adored having nothing to do. Having the days stretch out endlessly before me. And even on days when the heat and the boredom got to be too much - even on a day that was merely, okay, not bad, not particularly good - just fine - I was glad to go to sleep that night and think of the possibilities of the next day.

These days, parents - and most especially parents who work - struggle to fill their kids summer days. It goes against their grain to think of their kids just whiling time away. And maybe there is a point to piano lessons, tae kwon do and kumon - but not every single hour of every single day needs to be filled to the brim. What parents don't realise, is the more they fill their children's summer days, the more their children will come to them on a day that you left empty on purpose and say the words you dread to hear -"Mom, we're bored."

So what are you going to do? Here's what K aged 9 and C aged 8 have been doing...

• Reading. After reading them the first chapter of the first Harry Potter book out loud - hoping to spend pleasant evenings reading them till we all finished the book together as, I am probably one of the last remaining adults who hasn't read JK Rowling. Guess what? I still am. When I got home from work two days later, they had each finished the book!
• Music. K and C can sing Beatles hits. They enjoy karaoke. And quite recently, we introduced them to Broadway soundtracks. First one song. Than another. Then they listen to the entire show and try to figure out the story, till they know the songs by heart. They started with Wicked. They like Fiddler on the Roof...and are now infatuated by Grease. Next up: Into the Woods.
  
• Technology. With some very basic knowledge K picked up from school on how to use Powerpoint, she taught her brother. Now they sit and make Powerpoint presentions together - mostly about the things they've been doing.
  
• Cooking. They found a recipe for a witches' spell in a book they have. They called me at work to ask me to bring home ..."...these four items...Mom, okay? Bring home, these four items" so they could whip up a magic potion made from fizzy lemonade, sherbet powder and food colouring.

There will be more great discoveries, I'm certain. And while formal lessons and extra curricular activities are all well and good, it's also good to leave some time open - truly open. This ought not time in which they can veg out in front of the TV or play video games, but free time. Real time. Because in real time, they can do..real things.