The PLAY Formula: A Simple Framework for a Balanced Summer Holiday (and Beyond)

Every July, I notice something change. Parents who have successfully navigated the school year suddenly begin questioning themselves.

“How am I going to keep them entertained for six weeks?”

“What if they spend all day saying they’re bored?”

“Am I supposed to be planning activities every day?”

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking something similar, you’re certainly not alone.

Here’s the reassurance I find myself offering time and time again: you were never meant to entertain your child all summer.

Children don’t need parents who can fill every hour of the day. They need parents who create the conditions for play, curiosity, connection and rest. Those seemingly ordinary moments are where so much learning, development and family life happen.

Over the years, I’ve realised that many of the conversations I have with parents come back to the same question.

What does this child have enough of, and what might they be missing?

Sometimes there’s plenty of creativity, but less movement. Sometimes children spend every day in organised activities but have fewer opportunities to direct their own play. Sometimes they’re constantly busy, yet rarely enjoy unhurried time with the people who matter most to them.

It’s very challenging for modern parents to find a balance.

Gradually, I found myself returning to the same four ingredients. Eventually, I gave them a name.

The PLAY Formula

I call it The PLAY Formula.

It isn’t a timetable or a checklist. It’s a way of thinking about what children need in order to thrive, during the summer holidays and throughout the rest of the year too.

P - Physical activity

Children’s brains and bodies are designed to move.

Movement supports emotional regulation, sleep, physical health, coordination and attention. It also provides an outlet for all the energy, excitement and frustration that naturally builds up across the day.

The good news is that physical activity doesn’t have to mean organised sport or expensive days out. Running around the garden, climbing at the park, riding a bike, building a den, dancing in the kitchen or splashing in a paddling pool all count!

The aim isn’t to hit a target. IT’s to make sure children have opportunities to move their bodies every day in ways that feel enjoyable.

L - Learning through play

Children are learning more than adults something realise when they’re learning.

Building, drawing, baking, role play, storytelling, construction toys, dressing up creating imaginary worlds or making something from a cardboard box. These activities all help children develop creativity, problem-solving skills, language and confidence.

What matters is that there’s no goal. The richest learning often happens when there isn’t a right answer or a finished product to work towards.

Open-ended play encourages children to experiment, make mistakes, adapt their thinking and discover their own ideas.

The process matters more than the outcome.

A - Autonomous (independent) play

This is often the part that parents tell me they find hardest.

Autonomous play means giving children opportunities to choose and direct their own play, without adults organising things or solving every moment of boredom.

When children say “I’m bored”, it’s understandable to feel pressure to fix it.

But boredom isn’t always a problem. If’s often the moment just before something interesting happens!

When adults resist the urge to immediately step in, children begin generating their own ideas. They build imaginary worlds, invent games, solve problems and discover interests they might never have explored if every moment had been planned for them.

We know from developmental psychology research that unstructured, self-directed play supports the development of executive functioning skills, like planning, flexible thinking and emotional regulation.

One study from the University of Colarado suggested that children who experienced more opportunities for self-directed activity demonstrated stronger executive functioning than those whose time was more heavily structured.

Of course, this doesn’t mean leaving children entirely to their own devices. Younger children, in particular, still need an adult close to provide security and support.

The goal isn’t absence, it’s giving children enough space to take the lead.

Y - Your people

Children flourish through relationships.

During term time, school can provide daily opportunities to interact with peers and adults. Over the summer holidays, that regular social contact can disappear.

That’s why making time for meaningful connection matters.

Playing with siblings, baking with a grandparent, inviting a friend over to play, exploring a forest together or sharing lunch around the table all nurture children’s emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging.

Research suggests that children who experience loneliness during the summer holidays may feel more anxious about returning to school.

Keeping those relationships going, even in small ways, helps children feel connected and emotionally secure.

Using The PLAY Formula

One of the reasons I like this framework is that it takes the pressure off.

Parents don’t need to create a colour-coded timetable or have a new activity planned every hour of the day.

Instead, The PLAY Formula offers a gentle way to reflect.

Has my child had opportunities to move today?

Have they had time to create or explore?

Have they been able to direct some of their own play?

Have they spent time with people who help them feel connected and loved?

Some days will naturally involve more movement. Others will be quieter and more creative. Some will be wonderfully social, while others offer the chance to slow down and recharge.

That’s exactly as it should be.

A note on age

The PLAY Formula can be adapted across childhood.

For younger children, aged 3-5, play tends to be shorter, more sensory and closely supported by adults. Predictable routines around mealtimes, rest and bedtime remain especially important.

Children aged 6-8 are becoming more confident directing their own play and often enjoy a balance of child-led exploration alongside activities shared with family and friends.

By 9-11, independence becomes increasingly important. Rather than planning every activity, offering a menu of possibilities and allowing children to make their own choices often leads to greater engagement and enjoyment.

The framework stays the same. It’s the way each element looks that changes as children grow.

The bigger picture

Years from now, children rarely remember that every day was perfectly organised.

They remember building dens in the garden, baking with their grandparents, inventing games with their siblings or cousins, collecting sticks in the forest, and spending entire afternoons lost in imaginary worlds.

Those moments might look ordinary to us as adults.

To children, they’re often the moments that matter most.

If your child reaches the end of the day muddy, tired, proud of something they’ve made, full of stories and feeling connected to the people around them, you’ve probably done enough..

That’s what The PLAY Formula is really about.

Not creating perfect summer holidays.

Creating the conditions in which children can flourish.

About the author

Dr Jemma Anderson is a Doctor in Educational and Child Psychology, HCPC Registered Educational Psychologist and founder of Perceptive Educational Psychology Service, based in Dumfries and supporting children, young people and families across the UK.

The PLAY Formula was developed by Dr Jemma Anderson through her work with children, young people and families and reflects current evidence from developmental psychology alongside years of clinical practice.

To work with Jemma: BOOK AN INITIAL CONSULTATION.