Preparing children for holidays

Top Tips!

Here are some top tips to help prepare children for holidays:

1. Share holiday plans with your child’s nursery throughout the year, including overnight stays, weekends away or longer overseas trips so that they can help your child prepare for the experiences.

2. If children are going on a mode of transport such as an aeroplane, spend some time in the weeks ahead preparing them. Point out planes in the sky, explain how aeroplanes work or share books about air travel. This can be replicated for different modes of transport.

3. Carry out activities with children to help them to think about what they will need to take on holiday. For example, if they are going somewhere hot, they will need a sun hat, if they are going camping, they will need a tent etc.

4. Introduce holiday items and toys to your child to play with such as hats, suitcases, camping equipment, caravans, aeroplanes etc.

5. Give children a blank notebook and pencil to take on holiday and encourage them to record their experiences in their own way, which could include marks, words, drawings, collected items etc. Use this to help children recall and share their holiday experiences. If possible, also share photos of holidays to encourage conversations and to share at nursery when they get back.

6. Families not going away can plan days out at home, visiting local places of interest. Museums and parks are often free to visit and children can be involved in planning and preparing a family picnic