At Home
Book Club – Set a family summer reading challenge. Visit your local library and stock up on books you’ll all love to read. If reading isn’t their thing, introduce your kids to audiobooks – they can listen while they play! For younger family members, Libraries Unlimited are running The Secret Book Quest for children aged 5 years and up – read 50 books and win a special prize! Visit www.librariesunlimited.org.uk/secret-book-quest

Ready, Steady, Cook – Teach your children how to cook their favourite meal. They’ll learn new skills and appreciate it even more! Better still, take them shopping for the ingredients at local shops and producers to help them value the process. Invite grandparents over to be taste testers, or better still, to share their favourite recipes too.

Young Gardeners – The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offer some fantastic online resources to help little ones learn, create, plant and discover at home in the garden. Find loads of fun activities like creating timelapse videos and going on a pollinator bug hunt, as well as curriculum learning helping children to understand what plants need to grow and more, at https://tinyurl.com/RHS-Children

At the Beach
Art Attack – Buy a cheap paint palette and take to the beach with a small pot for water and a paintbrush, children can paint all the seashells and stones they like and dry them in the sun. It’s a great way to keep your children under a parasol in the shade and also involve grandparents who want to play but don’t want to dash around on the beach.

Tea in a Tub – While great fun, a beach BBQ can be a real hassle. Save the effort and make your dinner at home (meals like pesto pasta or a big salad are ideal) tub it up and take it to the beach and watch the sun set while you eat. 

Night Beaches – Of course we usually choose to go to the beach on a nice sunny day, but visiting the beach at night can provide new activities and discoveries. Summer seaside fireworks displays add some real impact – try the closing night of Sidmouth Folk Festival or venture south to the British Fireworks Championships at Plymouth Hoe: www.britishfireworks.co.uk

In the City
Home Tourists – Explore your home town or city like you never have before. Hunt for the oldest building, look for architectural styles, or join a local tour – Red Coat Guided Tours in Exeter offer free tours of the city so you can see where you live in a whole new light. Visit www.exeter.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/our-attractions/red-coat-guided-tours 

Treasure Hunting – Sign up for Geocaching, where all you need is a device with GPS such as your phone, and a pen! Discover hidden caches all around you and places you’ve never visited before. Find out more at www.geocaching.com 

In the Field 
Pick Your Own – From juicy fruit to vibrant sunflowers, head to your nearest pick your own farm and enjoy the fruits of your labour! Darts Farm invites you to their sunflower field each summer to pick these giant flowers, with money being donated to charity. Win win! Dates to be announced: www.dartsfarm.co.uk/whats-on/sunflowers-for-hospiscare

In the Park 
Love Your Park – Love Parks Week runs from 28 July – 4 August, encouraging locals to celebrate and support the efforts of volunteers and workers who maintain our green spaces. Check with your local park to see what activities are being hosted! https://tinyurl.com/loveyourparksweek 

Splashing Great Fun – Council run splash pads are opening up again for the summer; they’re free and many have been renovated recently. A quick online search will show you where your nearest splash pad is and when it’s open. Why not visit pads in other towns for even more splash fun?

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go! – Gather a group
of friends and organise a sports day in your local park – think sack races, 25m sprints, and the famous egg and spoon. Then round off the fun with a picnic lunch – perfect.

Among the Trees
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt! – Research the animals and wildlife that live in your local woodland, then create a checklist and go out on a nature hunt looking for them. If you’d like to join organised events, Devon Wildlife Trust run many planned events such as Rockpool Safaris and Bat Watches in various locations across Devon. Visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org/events 

Woodland Wonders – Find out what’s on at forests near you and join trails, activities and themed events, usually at little or no cost. Visit www.forestryengland.uk