The holiday season can be both exciting and frustrating. Children are excited to spend time at home with no homework or school but just cartoons, games, and going out with their families. Parents also enjoy the period because they get to spend time with their children, but it stresses them because children get bored or inactive.
With the long holiday approaching, a few parents share the activities they have lined up for their children to keep them occupied during this time.
Plaisir Mugenzi, a father of four, says that it is important to keep children occupied during the holiday because it helps their brains to stay active, therefore, finding activities that are fun and educative can really help.
"Holidays with children are the most stressful season, doesn’t matter the age, because if the little ones can be stubborn and make you lose your mind sometimes, even the older ones can worry you when they get glued to the TV or internet. Keeping them active is crucial, parents can think of activities like picnics, game night or even letting them pick out the games or activities, that way the holiday won’t get boring and they will learn a few things,” he says.
But finding activities does not mean turning the whole holiday break into a never-ending activity, Mugenzi says. Parents need to remember that they are still holidays and should not overload the children with activities, they still need that rest.
Kigali kids during a karate class. All Photos (and cover)/File
Viviane Muhorakeye, a mother of five, says that activities are very good in keeping children from being distracted or inactive, but parents should find activities that are in line with their children’s health because some parents think that activities mean taking them out to eat.
"Activities are different; parents shouldn’t consider the ones that don’t involve eating as ‘not fun’, because at the end of the day we want healthy children, so there are activities that will definitely keep a child healthy and still amuse them,” she says.
A kid rides a bike on Car Free Day in Kigali.
She adds that the activities should not even be extra, there are simpler ones that boost their health, education, and are also fun. Muhorakeye shares what kind of activities parents can do: "For example, you can take the child for a bicycle ride on a road with no traffic, it will help the child get in touch with nature and have fun. It will also make the muscles work better and prevent the child from staying indoors for a long time which might result in overeating and gaining weight or becoming ill.”
Edda Uwamariya is of the view that parents being more creative in choosing activities will help them think beyond what they want to do to occupy themselves.
"Finding activities for children starts with parents, and it is not a difficult thing, parents can use their imagination and think beyond. They can even bring up the activities they used to do during their own holidays when they were young—who knows—maybe their children will like them. But it is a question of being creative and also remembering to let children think of activities too,” she says.
Uwamariya shares a few activities for the children during the holidays:
Visit interesting places
"You can’t visit all places but find the most interesting ones, and get a day to visit them. Museums are perfect because they have interesting things to look at and learn about. There are parks, children love adventure and animals so consider those,” she says.
Learn something new
There are places that offer fun courses for children, for example, painting, piano, martial arts, and many others that can interest a kid and keep them occupied. You can also join them on the weekend when you are not working to spend time with them, Uwamariya says.
Cook
Cooking is fun, and children get to learn how food is prepared, so allow them to be in the kitchen sometimes, under supervision. Allow them to be creative in choosing ingredients and guide them, that way, they get to taste what they made and have fun, Uwamariya suggests.