[saildrive]

Guess this topic hasn't been explored before so I decided to write about it. School vacations are here and most of us do plan or have a 'to do' list in advance, while some fail to do so for whatever reasons.

I am looking for various options close to Mumbai city where kids (6+ to 16 years) could have a jolly good time. Mobile phone / iPad / PS4 are well known evils which I encounter (surprisingly it hasn't been mentioned so far, does that mean my kids are brats!?

I have a 16 and a 7 year old (boys) and extra curricular activities are hard to come by, Mumbai's scorching heat is another such excuse to keep them inbound. I remember the days when we (as kids) played from dawn to dusk forgetting to eat our meals even - sun, moon, rain didn't matter at all.

Long story short - the objective of this exercise is to look at exciting avenues / places where families, kids can have a good time. Also perhaps listing them in a way which helps us look at the city / location and the top 5 odd spots to explore. My kids loved Kidzania (Ghatkopar), but these days schools take them there so repetition too is not exciting.

Since holiday season has just begun, I was planning on taking them to OWG Paintball (Andheri West); do update your views and experiences which should help in listing top 4-5 places of interest for daddy's and mummy's.

[aargee]

Here're some ultra useful activities...
1. Cooking
2. Washing clothes/utensils
3. Housekeeping (keeping home tidy including sweeping/vacuuming & cleaning bathroom)
4. Learn a new Indian/foreign language online (many free courses)
5. Learn history through internet
6. Watch documentary movies
7. Learn basics of house repairs, plumbing, painting, gardening, carpentry basics, fixing cupboards etc (all free online)
8. Practice meditation
9. Have a group reading as family
10. Morning or evening bicycle riding as family

Addendum for automotive heads...
a. Browse TBhp
b. Learn to ride a motorcycle/car on non paved roads
c. Watch YT engineering channels related to automotive

[GTO]

Being Team-BHP, how about listing some petrol-head activities too?

- Have your kid accompany you on an early Sunday morning drive while the rest of the family is sleeping? Appreciate the machinery, the views & also great conversations.

- Go-karting.

- +1 to Aargee. Watch car videos on YouTube.

- If you have to play video games, why not car & bike games?

- Get some model car kits & have your kid build them over the holidays.

- Catch up on some car movies? Start with Fast & the Furious, then Gone in 60 seconds.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by GTO

Being Team-BHP, how about listing some petrol-head activities too?

Add washing the car and motorcycle together with a nice hose down after. Kids love this stuff

[ruzbehxyz]

YMCA Mumbai has various extra curricular activities for children and teenagers in all age groups. These include swimming, martial arts, basketball, badminton, table tennis, dancing, camping etc.

The best part of the YMCA is that the prices for all activities are very reasonable and the service provided is very good.

Various branches of YMCA:

1. International House
2. Andheri
3. Bandra (At Khar danda)
4. Borivali
5. Central (Colaba )
6. Chembur
7. Ghatkopar
8. Navi Mumbai (At Belapur CBD)
9. Procter
10. Students

Website: https://ymcabombay.org

On the main website, you may not get all the programmes listed for a particular YMCA unit. You will have to physically visit your nearest YMCA to check out the various programmes offered.


In addition to the YMCA centers, there's also a campsite near Mumbai at an exotic location.

www.ymcacamplakeside.org




Various programmes:

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by saildrive

Guess this topic hasn't been explored before so I decided to write about it. School vacations are here and most of us do plan or have a 'to do' list in advance, while some fail to do so for whatever reasons.

A great thread. Thanks for putting it up. My son is nearing 2 years but is a fairly active kid. And there are times when we are unable to cope with his energy levels. He loves to play football but due to harsh summers (temperature has hit 42℃), we keep him indoors.

Originally Posted by aargee

Here're some ultra useful activities...
1. Cooking
2. Washing clothes/utensils
3. Housekeeping (keeping home tidy including sweeping/vacuuming & cleaning bathroom)
4. Learn a new Indian/foreign language online (many free courses)
5. Learn history through internet
6. Watch documentary movies
7. Learn basics of house repairs, plumbing, painting, gardening, carpentry basics, fixing cupboards etc (all free online)
8. Practice meditation
9. Have a group reading as family
10. Morning or evening bicycle riding as family

Addendum for automotive heads...
a. Browse TBhp
b. Learn to ride a motorcycle/car on non paved roads
c. Watch YT engineering channels related to automotive

That's a good list of things to do. What one must avoid is too much of TV time or videos on mobile, children get hooked to electronic devices very easily.

Originally Posted by GTO

Being Team-BHP, how about listing some petrol-head activities too?

- Have your kid accompany you on an early Sunday morning drive while the rest of the family is sleeping? Appreciate the machinery, the views & also great conversations.


- +1 to Aargee. Watch car videos on YouTube.

- If you have to play video games, why not car & bike games?

- Get some model car kits & have your kid build them over the holidays.

- Catch up on some car movies? Start with Fast & the Furious, then Gone in 60 seconds.

Good suggestion. Will definitely try out these things once he starts understanding these things.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Add washing the car and motorcycle together with a nice hose down after. Kids love this stuff

Ha ha. My young one loves to do this.

[Victor-whiskey]

Originally Posted by saildrive

Guess this topic hasn't been explored before so I decided to write about it. School vacations are here and most of us do plan or have a 'to do' list in advance, while some fail to do so for whatever reasons.

I am looking for various options close to Mumbai city where kids (6+ to 16 years) could have a jolly good time. Mobile phone / iPad / PS4 are well known evils which I encounter (surprisingly it hasn't been mentioned so far, does that mean my kids are brats!?

I could fathom the following list ( Not persay to Mumbai but in general) :-
1. Buy an old moped, rebuild it as a summer project and involve your both boys thoroughly. Probably they would learn the nuances of motors (Aren’t we petrolheads).
2. You can involve yourself with them and read a good book. “Rich Dad poor Dad” is a very simple series to start with.
3. You can introduce them to calisthenics and meditation. I am sure they would be benefited greatly.
4. All three of you can learn a new language( foreign or computer language).
5. Why not all of you learn a new game( probably hockey or basketball). I am sure all of you will benefit.

Though the list is endless, these are few I could muster up at a short note.
Thanks

[Bee]

I've a couple of suggestions for age groups at both the ends of the spectrum (6yo & 16yo)

1. For small kids (aged 6 yrs and above) one can buy something like this:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0089IOWE0/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_x4LZCbZWHTHJ9
It's basically a building set which can be used for making cars, bikes, cranes and whatnot. For young kids it is quite a hands-on experience with provided nuts, washers and brackets. Plus, gives them a chance to let out their creativity.

2. Now for the teenagers (15 yrs and above) one can take them for paintballing along with their group of friends. Nowadays everyone is familiar with shooting video games on the PC and the new mobile gaming trend
~read PUBG ( - _-)
It's a pretty fun and physical activity and not difficult to get a hang of. Some places have arrangements for playing after sundown too!

[Dieseltuned]

Since you are from Bombay, I would like to suggest a few

1. Take them in a city tour especially around Town or SOBO. A lot of heritage and history around the area. Kids must appreciate the heritage of our cities which we are fast losing. There are special tours)walks organised which start early morning and end by noon thus beating the heat.

2. Take them on a double decker bus ride. The first row on an upper deck is an exhilarating experience and the younger one would live it. Take VT to NCPA route which plies via Marine drive.

3. Take them trekking to kanheri caves / vajreshwari Temple near vasai.

4. A drive tour of Bombay covering SOBO, JJ flyover, sealink, eastern freeway

5. Take a ferry ride to Golden Pagoda and essel world. Ferries are available from Malad and Borivali. The bird park at esselworld is top notch and one if it's kind in India. Personally been there with my daughter.

6. Visit the planetarium. The shows are very well curated and gets the kids intrigued about the stars and the planetary system. Avoid going on weekends.

7. Visit the prince of Wales museum. One if the best museums we have in India. You can visit their website to find out about any special exhibits/shows

8. Take a ferry to elephanta islands. Take the first boat out at 08:30 so u beat the heat and ensure to get the upper deck even if u have to pay extra. It's definitely worth the views of Bombay harbour.elephanta caves are worth it.

9. Take a ferry ride to alibaug. Even if u do not intend to stay at alibaug the up and down ferry ride is worth it.

10. Visit a good bookstore like kitabkhana or crossword and let the kids loose in the world if books.

I hope that's enough for one vacation month

[kkg]

I have made a YouTube channel called "Hey Guglani" for my 7 year old girl and occasionally make various vlogs featuring her. I encourage her to make vlogs and face the camera as it not only enhances her confidence and vocal skills plus the memories would stay for life time on YouTube.

As for these summer vacations, We plan to do various morning activities for the channel like :
1. Plane spotting near IGIA.
2. Train spotting near GT road.
3. Cleaning the cars using Japasu duster.
4. Breakfast ride on our classic Jawa. (if it arrives)
5. open gym session in our nearby colony park.
6. Visit to a hill station and documenting it.
7. Watching 5 min stuff on YouTube and then DIY ing it.

and there could be many more things that she would like to do by herself and I would film and post. The idea here is to let her enjoy herself.

[karuvally]

I have a humble request. Please spend time with your kids and take effort to understand where his/her interests lay. Then think hard how you can contribute or help with the passion that your child has. If you do so, he/she will thank you for life.


I am writing this as I am tired of seeing people stuck with wrong jobs and not knowing what they should do with their life other than Movies.

[COMMUTER]

My kid has taken well to cycling. I had made sure that there is a cycle that is one size bigger than required which provides additional challenge. This makes the art of cycling involving with a constant feeling of thrilling challenge alway present.

[gkveda]

Leave them to live and play with their neighbor friends. Let them mingle and play whatever they like to play with whatever rules they make for themselves or without any rules.

While all the coaching oriented games bring out some amount of discipline in them, what they grossly miss in all these summer camps and coaching oriented games is, the REAL CHILDHOOD

In my view, all Games becomes part of their "CURRICULUM" if you put them on these "COURSES"

So, I leave them to live in their WAY. Of Course, we can ask them to support us whenever we do household work, car cleaning and all other activities. But, this cannot be "ASSIGNED" Activities to them.

[rulerofsun]

My Kid is nearing 3 and the only thing he wants to do is go on Drives and does not want to come back.

I love the outdoors and love to go fishing and camping but the better half thinks he is a little too young for these and there is always the danger of water no matter how many kife jackets you use.I have orders multiple kid tents for him and he is a happy camper in the living room. He assembles and disassembles the tents himself.

Another thing kids love is music and dance. There are many dance camps nowadays and they are relatively reasonably priced. I am starting his swimming lessons from tomorrow.

For the teens i really suggest that they learn some life skills, swimming,cooking, needle work, ironing clothes. (Seen Many kids who move into a hostel or shared living after their 12 STD and struggling with good food,washed and ironed clothes etc..)

Regards
RoS

[Swap_Abarth]

You can take them to early morning trek to Karnala or Matheran. Where they would connect to the nature and also will get good workout. Swimming is also a very good activity. You may enrol them in good swimming facility nearby.