With the May half term almost upon us, you can smell summer in the air, and those lovely light evenings make it the perfect time to start planning some fun activities for a well deserved break!
Here are 7 ideas for how you can make the most out of your half term holiday.
1. Start a New Book
One of the best things about a holiday (in our opinion) is having the chance to dive into a new book, and let yourself be transported to a new world. Do you have a book that’s been on your shelf for a while, just waiting to be picked out and read? Now might just be the perfect time to pick it up and spend some time immersed in it! If you don’t have a particular book in mind, why not head to your local library and choose a selection to read over your break? Libraries are the most fantastic free resource, and librarians can also help you to choose the right book for you based on your interests. They can also provide you with audiobooks if you would prefer to listen to one!
Another idea to mix up your reading, is to ask a friend if they have any books to recommend, and do a book swap with them. Not only does it mean you can have something new to read, but you are also able to share your own taste with a friend. There is nothing better than someone enjoying a book that you have taken the time to recommend to them! Perhaps you could also spend some time discussing your book choices after you’ve finished reading them, as it can sometimes make us see our books in a different light when they’ve been experienced by others. If the weather is nice, why not take your book to be enjoyed in your local park or in the garden! Which leads us on nicely to…
2. Get Outside!
With the weather hopefully warming up, and now that you’re not spending all day indoors at school, it’s a great idea to make the most of all the fresh air you can! With the mornings and evenings being lighter, why not try and get out for a walk as soon as you wake up? It’s proven that the morning sunlight has multiple benefits, including Vitamin D production, as well as your sleep at night because of the regulation of the circadian rhythm. For such a small act, it’s amazing what can be achieved for the whole body both mentally and physically! If you’re revising or doing homework, make sure you give yourself a short break to get some fresh air – even a walk around the block will do wonders for your productivity and for boosting your mood.
3. Make Time to Socialise
Even though it might feel like you’re socialising a lot when you’re at school or college, spending time with friends outside of term time is really important so that you can nurture your friendships, as well as having the chance to spend some quality time with a friend, or a group of friends in a relaxed environment. Having a plan in sight is great so that you have something to look forward to, and it doesn’t have to be a big plan, by any means!
There are lots of free things you can do, from going to a local park or museum, to having a walk somewhere new and exploring with your friends (of course making sure that you have the permission of a parent or guardian!). There are countless ways for you to make the most of your time off with your pals. If you are able to, you could even head to the cinema and see a film that you’ve been excited to see! Making time to socialise is a great break from revision or homework, and, not only does it help to strengthen your friendships, you will also feel great after spending some time laughing and having fun with the people you care about.
4. Pick Up a New, or Old, Hobby
The lovely thing about having time off is that you have a bit of extra time on your hands to get back to the things that you really love, or even spend time teaching yourself a hobby or craft that you’ve been wanting to do for a while. For some people, this might be baking or cooking, and there are tonnes of free resources online for all sorts of recipes. Whether you want to try a viral cookie recipe, or want to teach yourself how to cook at least one new dish, now is the perfect time to do so. A parent or guardian might even have a cookbook that you can use, and you could surprise them with a meal for the whole family!
It might be the case that you have a half-finished project from the Christmas holidays that you wanted to finish, like a Lego build, or maybe you want to teach yourself a practical yet enjoyable skill like sewing, so that you can repair much loved clothes or design and create new ones! YouTube is great for guidance on lots of crafts and hobbies, from jewellery making to learning a musical instrument. The beauty of it is that if you find out it’s not for you, you can pick up something else instead, but you’ll never know until you try!
5. Picnic
This could be the perfect way to combine getting outside with socialising, or you could even take a picnic lunch to your local park or outdoor space as a nice revision break! You might want to go somewhere further afield with your family, maybe to a beach or to the countryside if it’s accessible to you, and take a selection of fun foods to make a day of it. You and your friends could all chip in and each buy a picnic component, but there’s equally something lovely about taking a homemade sandwich and eating it outside when the sun’s out, and it really makes it feel like summer is on its way!
6. Go On a Day Trip
A lovely way to feel like you’ve taken a mini holiday whilst staying at home over the half-term, is to go on a day trip to somewhere that’s easily accessible. Maybe there’s a beach a short bus or train journey away from you, and when the sun is shining, where better to spend the time than paddling in the waves and breathing in that sea air? There might be an exhibition on at a museum that you’re interested in seeing, or even just a heading to a museum to see the permanent collection, as the great thing about museums in the UK is that a lot of them are free! Whether you want to see some art, some artefacts, some new scenery or even go to see a play, taking a trip away for the day can be really inspiring, as well as fun and exciting! Just don’t forget to get the permission of a parent or guardian!
7. Revision and Homework
Ah, the dreaded ‘r’ word! It wouldn’t be a May half term without the prospect of some revision or homework, but the half term break is actually a great time to do it! There are lots of different ways that people like to approach revision, and there is no right or wrong way to revise if it is the most effective way for you personally, but there are a few things that might make the process a little easier! Firstly, try and get a plan together at the beginning of the half term in terms of what needs to be done in order of importance, and this can be applied to both homework and revision. It is very tempting to want to switch off straight away now that you have a bit of a break, but whilst you’re still in a type of ‘work mode’, try and utilise it to ensure that you get yourself as organised as possible without compromising any time to try and relax, too.
Making a revision timetable will be incredibly useful, and this can be carried through to your exams, too, and getting your notes into some form of order will only help you in the long run!Whether you’re revising for your GCSEs or A Levels, or have some end of year tests, try to remember that, as well as wanting to work hard for your exams, and that they’re of course important, it’s also vital for your wellbeing to give yourself some time to rest and recover, as the weeks following the half term will be busy and at times a little stressful. If you’re able to approach your work and exams in a calm and considered manner, it will be all the more beneficial in the long run!
We hope that you enjoyed this little list of things to do over the half-term break, and that, whatever you do, you’re able to enjoy some time off in the sunshine (don’t fail us now, British weather!).
Blog Post Crafted by Cicely
Cicely works on our Admin Team, and also tutors extensively.
In 2020, Cicely discovered her love of teaching, and has been tutoring English Literature and Drama ever since, as well as running a drama school audition help service with her friend and fellow actor to help prospective drama school students with their audition speeches.
Cicely has had her poetry published in anthologies and online, and in her free time is an avid reader. She loves living by the sea, a good podcast, and taking long walks in the countryside.