4 ways to maintain routine during the summer holidays

The busyness of the holidays make it seem like there is no place for any routine. Bedtimes are often drawn out later and later, leading to later and later starts to the day. Before you know it, it’s 2pm, nobody is dressed, nobody is bathed, and you can’t remember the last time anyone brushed their teeth. Sound familiar?

Letting them pop their Tonies on their Toniebox in even the busiest bits of family life can help keep their minds focused, bodies rested and life running smoothly. Not to mention, it creates fantastic fun all at the same time!

Why are routines so important?

Simply put, little ones love routine. A routine is like a rhythm that you and your family follow. The biggest advantage of a routine is that it creates touchpoints throughout the day that let their brains know when familiar things will happen, like breakfast, quiet time and bedtime. A familiar routine creates feelings of security and safety for little people. It also gives a helping hand to whoever is taking the lead for the day, like mum, dad, grandparents or even a babysitter.

So let’s take a look at how their Toniebox can keep us all sane and happy this summer holiday…

Make to-do lists

Some families may find it helpful to organise the day with “to do’s”. Get your little ones involved by recording lists together on their Creative-Tonie with the mytonies app. It’s the perfect way to engage their brains and create independence. The lists can be simple and contain self-care tasks too… Get dressed, check. Brush teeth, check.

You can also try adding some creative and cognitive activities, such as ‘20 minutes of reading’ or ‘play in the garden’. We love The Perfect Ribbit from Twinkl that can easily be assigned on to their Creative-Tonie. It’s the perfect tale to listen to outside. Tapple the frog, changes from frogspawn to frog and needs help learning how to do the perfect frog sound. You can also print copies of the Twinkl book so they can read along while listening.

Stay active 

We’re bringing the PE class to them so get ready for some moving and grooving with Tonies’ Coach Hippo! He’s here to teach some healthy habits with his mindful musical adventure, all about healthy eating, moving your body and positive affirmations.

Popular catchy Tonies like Encanto and The Jungle Book are also great for getting those hips wiggling. That’s super important for developing motor and social skills, as well as building strong bones and muscles.

Never stop learning

It’s important to keep those ABCs and 123s going during the holidays. Their Toniebox and Tonies are the perfect screen-free way to make learning fun. Just by listening to a mix of their favourite songs and stories, they’ll be hearing thousands of new words every day. There’s a range of stories to try out, from well-known authors such as Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl. According to the clever folk at The National Literacy Trust, listening to audiobooks improves vocabulary and literacy skills, it’s a proven fact!

Over on the mytonies app, you’ll also find lots of free brain-busting quizzes, free colouring sheets, puzzles and mazes that they can easily assign to their Creative-Tonie. They’ll have a blast, learn new things, and be ready to tackle the new school year head-on.

Be firm with bedtime

However difficult it may seem to squeak in those 7-8 hours a night, good sleep habits are just as important in the school holidays. Help them wind down with the Sleepy Friends Tonies - this trio has soothing sounds, bedtime tales and classical musical journeys to lull them to slumberland. 

And for that ‘one last story’, pop the Sleepy Sheep Night Light on to their Toniebox, this soft and squishy night light, can be used on or off their Toniebox. Pre-loaded with 90 minutes of beautiful melodies and you can even record your own personal messages. Did you know snoozing whilst listening to a story helps improve their memory? Some of our favourite bedtime tales include Winnie The Pooh, The Gruffalo and Peter Rabbit. Trust us, it makes waking up in the morning a whole lot easier!

Try transitioning into your summer holiday routine slowly. Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go exactly to plan! We’ll leave you with this brill idea from a member of our tonies® family…

“I record what we’re going to be doing that day on our Creative-Tonie. A morning report on the weather, daily activities and what’s for dinner. My son loves waking up to this in the morning.“ - Amelia Walker