School Holidays

Summer holidays are here 😎☀️😬

Summer holidays are here, which means for lots of people, it’s a break from school.

The holidays can be exciting and something to look forward to. However, it’s also important to know that people feel differently about them.

Some people get worried about the summer holidays.

In this news post we’ll talk a bit about why that is. We’ll also cover what help is out there.

Why summer can feel like a difficult time

Lots of people look forward to the summer holidays because it means having more time to spend doing what they want to do.

It’s a well-deserved break from school work and the structure of school from Monday to Fridays.

The holidays can also mean spending more time with friends and family, playing and maybe getting out and about on day trips or going on a family holiday.

However there are lots of children in Scotland who may not be able to do all these things.

There are different reasons why the summer holidays can be worrying and it’s important to know that if you feel like this, you’re not alone. There is support available.

Some of the reasons why you might feel worried about the summer holidays:

feeling lonely – maybe you don’t get to see your school friends over the summer
feeling bored – you might not be able to take part in activities because of money or accessibility issues
losing the support you normally have at school – maybe you don’t get the amount of help with things outside of school
struggling with a change to your routine – for some, adjusting to not having the structure of school can be difficult
taking on extra caring duties – if you are a young carer you might need to spend more time looking after someone when you are off school.
money – Some families may be living in poverty. Poverty is when people don’t have enough money to do everyday things, like buy food. This means that for some children the summer holidays bring uncertainty. For example, without regular school meals that are provided during term-time, summer holidays might mean feeling hungry more of the time. Sometime families don’t have enough money which can limit what they can do during the summer holidays, like taking part in holiday clubs or activities.

What help is available?

Childline have a summer holiday webpage that offers advice and support.

They also provide online 1-to-1 counselling where you can talk to someone about how you feel. You can call Childline too on 0800 1111. If you are deaf you can use SignVideo.

Visit Childline’s summer holiday webpage

There are also things that your parent or carer can do to help your family with the cost of the summer holidays. For example they can contact your local authority to find out if they qualify for the Scottish Government’s summer food programme.

They can also access money advice from organisations like Children 1st and Parenting Across Scotland.

Holiday activities

Parent Network Scotland have pulled together a list of different holiday activities happening across Scotland during Summer 2023.

They have helpfully labelled these so that you know what ones are free and what ones cost. They also suggest activities that are good for sunny days and rainy days! 🌞 🌧

Find out more by hitting the button below:

Holiday Activities

Eat, Sleep, Play, Repeat

Did you know that children have the right to play? It’s one of the rights in the UNCRC!

There are lots of play organisations across Scotland offering free play activities during the summer holidays.

The easiest way to find out about activities happening in your area is to ask an adult to contact your local authority for you. They should be able to provide a list of all the free play activities taking place near you and information about how to get involved.

Play Scotland also have lots of great ideas about how to get the most from your play.