Contura lifestyle expert provides guide to simple Scandi style family fun for anyone staying local this summer.
The Great British Summer has finally arrived, but with a staycation boom (and high prices to boot) and international travel remaining uncertain, we may find it necessary to stay local this summer.
But rather than dreading the cabin fever, the same old walking routes, or the monotony of the day-to-day routine, Catharina Björkman, Scandi lifestyle expert at wood burning stove company, Contura, demonstrates how we can make a home-holiday as entertaining and pleasurable an experience as getting away.
From enjoying the satisfaction of small DIY jobs or updating the garden, to trying some uplifting family activities, a summer break at home is a golden opportunity to spend quality time together and take joy in life’s simple pleasures.
“After a year of upheaval caused by Covid,” says Catharina, “the prospect of spending yet more time at home may come as a disappointment to some. Others, however, are understandably nervous to travel or re-integrate, and will welcome the opportunity to stay close to home.
“Whatever your personal situation, travel abroad options remain hugely limited and as such, it’s likely we will be spending at least part of the summer holidays at home. With this in mind, we are encouraging families to stay positive and get creative with fun ways to fill the summer days.
“We have compiled a guide of wholesome activities for all the family based on popular pastimes in Scandinavia. These are inexpensive, yet fun pursuits that will create happy family memories for years to come, but keep in mind, that resting and quietly enjoying our surroundings is just as important as action-packed days. We need to find the balance to avoid burnout.”
Read on for Catharina’s guide to wholesome family activities.
Get children involved
Thinking up fun activities is not just a job for parents. Let your kids take the lead too. Allocate a half or full dayto each child to choose something fun to do. It could be a morning cycling, some cooking in the afternoon, and a family movie night. The key thing here is that if everyone contributes, everyone will be happy.
Try to spread activities out so you’re not cramming too much into one day. Days out can be limited to once or twice a week to avoid racking up expensive entry fees and to limit exhaustion levels. There are plenty of free activities to fill the days, such as heading to local parks, ponds, rivers, lakes, or beaches. Keep an eye out for deals and offers to take advantage of, take your own packed lunches, and try to walk, cycle or scoot as much as you can. Better for the environment and for your wallet!
Den building
Kids love building dens, forts, and camps, so find your inner child with a day spent building secluded spots in the garden or indoors. You could build a tent with cosy blankets and fairy lights for reading, or hang an old sheet over the washing line weighted down with stones on each side. You could also create a cosy space in a shady corner of the garden for the kids to play with siblings and friends or have their very own al fresco dining spot. Get creative with the design; use old sheets, blankets or curtains, branches can create great wall supports, and wooden pallets make great seating.
Crafting & art
Encourage kids to create their own art to display at home. You could collect feathers, stones, and leaves for interesting 3D projects, and pressed flowers will look beautiful framed. Make summer walks more interesting by looking for wildlife and charting down what you see. You could always do some in-situ drawing of local flora and fauna. If you’re not averse to a bit of messy play, hand and footprints are lots of fun and can provide a great memento too.
Kid’s artworks in the windows will bring a smile to visitors and passers-by alike, so do hang their creations up!
Encourage budding actors & writers
If you’re planning a clear out, keep hold of any unwanted clothes, shoes, hats and other accessories for a dressing up box. You can set themed days for the kids to create costumes and put on plays for the family.
Writing stories or keeping a summer holiday diary is a good way to keep reading and writing skills ticking over, whilst photo albums and scrap books are great fun to put together and lovely to look back on.
Baking & cooking
The essential rainy-day activity – get the kids involved in preparing and cooking simple recipes. Try making healthy muffins, homemade pizzas, pasta bakes, fruit salads, ice lollies, cookies, or flapjacks. Supervise peeling, chopping and oven use closely and match the task to the child’s age. Using cookie cutters, stirring, and pouring are easy tasks that younger chefs can get involved with. You could even host a baking competition and invite friends and family to vote on their favourite bakes.
For more worldly or adventurous children, try themed evenings; cooking and tasting different foods from around the world – Mexican tacos or fajitas, Japanese noodles or dumplings, Spanish paella, Turkish kebabs, Indian daal… A way to really evoke the holiday experience!
The little things
Board games, family cycling trips, drawing, painting, dancing, cooking, reading, treasure or scavenger hunts, playing restaurants, paddling pool, water fights, an obstacle course or garden sports day… These are all fun ideas that can make each day different and memorable, whilst making use of things you likely already have. Being at home doesn’t have to be boring or monotonous if you plan ahead, mix it up, and make use of all the spaces available to you -both at home and beyond.
Don’t forget the downtime
We all know the guilt associated with doing nothing, however, rest and relaxation is key to ensuring energy levels are replenished and moods and emotions are kept on an even keel. There is nothing wrong with spending quiet, peaceful downtime together, without the pressure of an activity to do or a task to complete, so do make time for breathing space in between all the fun.
For more information on Contura, please visit http://www.contura.eu
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
- Rooster PR will coordinate comment, interview and profile opportunities for Contura UK Country Manager, Phil Wood.
- The Contura PR team will also arrange visits to the nearest Contura Design Centre dealerships or the Contura showroom in Doncaster to see the product range.
For further press information, please contact:
Elsa Findlay | Jo Kendall | Julie Aguilera
Rooster. We are pr.®
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8930
E: [email protected]
About Contura:
Contura is Europe’s leading manufacturer of wood burning stoves, offering an extensive range of classic and contemporary wood burners; from traditional insert stoves suitable for existing fireplaces, to freestanding statement models made with innovative materials such as soapstone.
Starting at £1,095, Contura stoves are premium yet affordable. Award winning, timeless Swedish design means the products complement or enhance any style of home, whilst also offering outstanding performance, maximum efficiency, practicality, and ease of use.
Designed and assembled at the factory located in Markaryd, Sweden, and manufactured to the highest standards, Contura stoves are highly energy efficient, offering powerful convection, superior combustion technology and clean burning systems. Currently, 95% of Contura stoves are DEFRA Clean Air Act exempt and thus approved for use in Smoke Control Areas.
Contura stoves can be purchased through a network of 165 independent retailers nationwide.
Contura is part of the NIBE group, a Swedish manufacturing company producing world class solutions in sustainable energy across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Contura is a founding member of the Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) in the UK.
For more information, please visit www.contura.eu.
