Summer Fun: Affordable Activities for Foster Families

Summer is here, and you know what that means – six weeks of finding ways to entertain your foster kids. You may already have a jam-packed holiday calendar at the ready, but if you’re scratching your head for ideas on how to make this summer one to remember without leaving your wallet empty, we’re here to help!  

Join us as we explore affordable family activities that will prevent the ‘I’m bored’ groans and help you build shared memories that will last a lifetime. 

Why planning summer activities is important 

For many children, the summer holidays are exciting – no school, a break from their usual routine, and the chance to go to bed a little later. But for foster children, who are living with the trauma of their past experiences and the upheaval of moving into care, a summer of unknowns awaits. This can be daunting, or even frightening, for children who rely on their term-time routine to feel safe.  

However, planning summer activities for kids in your care ahead of time and creating a summer holiday routine can help put them at ease because they’ll know what’s going to happen and when.  

Not only that, but activities, no matter how big or small, will enrich their lives and give them a chance to have a carefree summer doing things they may have never had the opportunity to do before. They can also help them to explore their interests, form stronger bonds with you and turn summers into something to look forward to.  

Things to do this summer with foster kids 

When you foster with FCA, you receive a generous fostering allowance, some of which is earmarked for activities with children in your care. However, it’s still a good idea to be mindful of where and how you spend your money, so you can make it go even further.  

Knowing what your foster child has been through, it’s only natural that you would want to give them unforgettable experiences. But that doesn’t mean they need to go on expensive day trips all summer to have fun and create special memories. Given the chance, children can find joy in the simplest and most affordable activities. It’s not about how much money you spend; it’s about spending quality time together without the distractions of everyday life.  

Below are some affordable ideas for summer activities to help you make the most out of this quality time with children in your care. 

Foraging for fruit  

The UK is laden with blackberry bushes and apple trees. So, if you’re looking for a free summer activity, why not grab a bowl or basket and head out on a foraging walk? You could make it into a game of who can pick the most blackberries or find the ripest apples, before returning home for an afternoon of baking tasty crumbles and pies.  

Alternatively, if strawberries are a family favourite, you could head to a local farm and pay by the punnet for strawberries you pick. If you really want to make a day of it, some pick-your-own farms offer activities for children, such as bouncy castles for a small fee and refreshments for the whole family.  

Plant a vegetable garden 

If you’re looking for a low-cost activity that will last beyond summer, growing your own vegetables with your foster children could be the perfect choice, and easier than you think.  

Supermarkets, garden centres, and online stores like Amazon stock vegetable seeds for just a couple of quid. Small garden? You could use an old wooden box or buy a small planting trough instead. And if you really want to commit to harvesting your own veggies, you can usually get a plot at a local allotment for a small yearly fee.  

Your foster children will feel a great sense of achievement when it’s time to harvest, and if they struggle to try new vegetables, they may be more inclined to give them a go if they’ve grown some themselves. 

Stargazing  

On cloudless evenings, there is something incredibly special about lying on the grass or a blanket and just looking up at the stars. There is quite literally an infinite number of things to see up in space, including many constellations that are visible to the naked eye.  

The great thing about stargazing is that it can be a learning experience too. You can buy handy guides or download free apps that show you which constellations and planets are easy to see that evening. If you want to make it even more engaging, you could buy a small notebook for your foster child to record what they’ve seen every time you stargaze. You never know, you could help awaken an interest in astronomy and science! 

Movie days and evenings 

Let’s face it, living in the UK means you’re never guaranteed good weather. So, on drizzly days, you could set up a den in the living room with blankets, pillows, and a few of your child’s favourite snacks and have a movie marathon.  

On dry evenings, you could do the same, but in the garden. All you need is your laptop and some twinkly lights, and you’ll be watching your favourite films in the fresh air.  

Local parks also often create outdoor cinemas during the summer, so check your local community Facebook pages or websites for updates on what’s happening nearby.  

Bedroom makeover 

If your foster child is living with you long-term and their bedroom looks a bit tired, summer is the perfect time to give it a makeover. You could spend some time looking online for ideas together, before heading to the shops to choose paint colours and accessories to match.  

If they have furniture that’s still in good condition, but they want it to look a bit different, you could turn it into an upcycling project. Just grab some furniture paint and change the doorknobs and it will be as good as new. If you’re really crafty, you could help your foster child make some cushion covers to give their bedroom that final personalised touch.   

Community events 

Most villages and towns host special events and affordable activities for kids during the summer holidays. Whether it’s a carnival, fete, or fun fair, they are usually free to enter and a great place for your foster kids to build connections with other children in your area.  

Local libraries, museums, and galleries also typically organise special summer events, so spend some time researching what’s going on nearby. 

What’s great about community activities is that they are usually just a short walk or drive away, saving you money on travel costs too. 

Make and take a picnic to park 

On days when you just need to get out of the house, parks are a brilliant option and fun for all ages. Some have lakes with pedalos to hire, whereas others have paddling pools and rides to enjoy. Whether you pick a lively park or one in a more serene location, you can’t go to the park for the day without a picnic!  

Why not spend the evening before you go cooking up some delicious treats to take with you? Cupcakes, sausage rolls, and mini pizzas all make brilliant picnic food and will give you another low-cost activity to enjoy with your foster child the night before.  

Have a summer party  

Heatwave forecasted? That’s a good excuse to throw a summer party. You could invite local foster families to join in the fun or just keep it a family-only event to bond.  

Whichever you choose, many children in foster care may have never experienced a party before, and if their birthday isn’t for a while, throwing a party just for the sake of it could mean the world to them. 

Get the paddling pool out, set up a buffet, and fill your freezer with ice cream. If you have young foster children, party games like pass the parcel and musical statues never get old, and for older children, water fights and karaoke will have you all laughing. 

Check our FCA’s calendar of events and activities 

At FCA, we host events and affordable kids’ activities throughout the year, so contact your local centre to find out what we have organised. Whether it’s a local trip to the beach, bowling, or our Big Sing Off choir competition, we help you and the children in your care connect with other foster families, have fun, and build memories that last the summer and beyond. 

If you’d like more tips about fostering, check out our News & Blogs page, where you can also read real stories from our current foster parents and find out what else is happening at FCA.  

Ready to start your fostering journey? Call us on 0800 023 4561 or submit our online enquiry form and we’ll be in touch. 

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How to Teach Your Foster Child to Swim 

Swimming is a life-saving skill that many of us take for granted. Not only does it allow us to participate in fun water-based activities, but it also offers numerous health benefits. Most importantly, knowing how to swim can prevent drowning if we unexpectedly fall into open water.  

Whether you foster short-term or long-term, teaching your child to swim can enhance their mental well-being, keep them active, and help safeguard them near open water. But how do you go about it? In this article, we dive into the reasons to learn how to swim, explore the barriers children in care may face, and provide tips on accessing swimming lessons in your area.

Learning to swim

Why teach a child to swim?  

What age should a child learn to swim? 

Swimming is part of the National Curriculum. In England and Wales, children are supposed to start learning how to swim between the ages of 7 and 9. However, the number of children who can swim in the UK is declining.  

Nearly a third of children transitioning from primary to secondary school cannot swim. Contributing factors include the COVID-19 pandemic, pool closures, and fewer schools having the resources to facilitate swimming lessons.  

As a result, it’s often left up to parents and caregivers to decide whether or not to enrol children in swimming lessons. This can be influenced by factors such as their financial circumstances, commitments, and their own ability to swim.  

As a foster parent, part of your role is to encourage children in your care to develop life skills and support hobbies that enrich their lives. So, if your foster child can’t swim, here are some reasons to teach them. 

Learning to swim reduces a child’s risk of drowning 

Safeguarding children in your care is fundamental to being a foster parent, and teaching them to swim could help keep them safe. If you live close to a lake or plan on visiting the beach this summer, teaching your foster child to swim could help reduce their risk of drowning.   

According to the Royal Life Saving Society child drowning report, between 2019 and 2023, incidents of children drowning doubled. Of these children, 51 drowned in inland open water and 23 in locations such as the ocean and swimming pools.  

Although learning how to swim will not completely eliminate the risk of drowning, one study stated that it reduced rates of children aged 1 to 4 drowning by 88%.

Swimming can be a fun form of exercise 

Although learning to swim is a skill that can save your child’s life, it’s also a fun way to encourage them to stay active. Swimming is a low-impact, full-body exercise that increases cardiovascular fitness and strengthens the muscles.  

The good thing about swimming for children is that it can easily be made fun, so they don’t feel like they are exercising at all. Many leisure centres provide family fun sessions where children can play with toys and floats. They won’t even realise the positive impact it’s having on their bodies while they’re having so much fun.  

Being able to swim also means they can go to water parks with slides, where they’ll combine swimming with walking up the stairs to get on the rides. They’ll also be able to take part in other water-based activities – such as kayaking, surfing, and paddle boarding – that will improve their fitness. 

Swimming can have therapeutic benefits  

Teaching your child to swim could positively impact their mental health. Like any exercise, swimming releases endorphins that reduce stress, make you feel good, and help you sleep better. It also allows your child to take a break from their phones, screens, and other distractions so they can fully immerse themselves in the moment.  

If your foster child becomes a strong swimmer, they’ll be able to swim in the sea and specific lakes, which means they will also reap the benefits of swimming in nature.  

These all contribute to positive mental well-being and can prevent anxiety and depression. 

Overcoming barriers to swimming for foster children  

Before jumping into the deep end, it’s essential to consider the possible challenges children in foster care may face when learning to swim

swimming for foster children

Trusting their swimming instructor 

Many children in care have experienced abuse or neglect. This can impact the way they see the world, making it difficult for them to trust new adults, including swimming teachers.  

In order for a child to feel safe enough to explore the world and try new things, they first need to build a secure relationship with you. At FCA, we use therapeutic foster care to help children understand their experiences and begin their trauma recovery. Our training programme also equips you with the skills and knowledge to build a trusting relationship with the child in your care. 

When your child is ready to begin swimming lessons, you could help them build trust with the swimming instructor by introducing them to each other beforehand. Your child may also feel more secure if you join them in the pool during lessons. Having a trusted adult by their side can provide comfort if they feel scared, frustrated, or uncertain.  

Sensory overload 

When children experience prolonged abuse and neglect, their brains adapt to help them survive. One way they can adapt is through hypervigilance. Hypervigilance allows the child to quickly assess their surroundings for danger, which means they absorb sensory information more easily. As a result, environments like a swimming pool – where the smell of chlorine, water splashing in their face, and crowds flood their senses – can overstimulate them.  

To help your child, consider enrolling them in one-to-one swimming lessons or lessons with a smaller group. Before they start, you could take them to the swimming pool – not to swim, but to allow them to acclimatise to the various sensations. When they’re ready to begin learning to swim, you could start with shorter sessions, gradually increasing time spent in the pool as they become more confident in their surroundings. 

If they don’t like the sensation of water in their hair, ears, or eyes, you could also buy them goggles, earplugs, and a swim hat to make them feel more comfortable.  

Fear of swimming 

Children in care who have moved homes multiple times may have never been swimming before or had lessons interrupted. Some children may have also had a negative experience of swimming, all of which could make them afraid of getting in the pool.   

If you’re thinking about teaching a scared child to swim, talk to them about how they feel about it and find out if there is anything you can do to help them feel less afraid. You could start with small steps, such as watching a swimming lesson together, so they know what to expect before getting into the water themselves.  

Talk to the swimming instructor about your foster child’s worries so they can understand and adapt the lessons to their needs. You could also visit a leisure centre that has a small pool with steps rather than ladders, so they can gradually move into the water at their own pace. If this feels too overwhelming for them, you could begin even smaller by splashing their hands and feet with the pool water.  

Confidence struggles 

Many children in care struggle with their self-esteem and confidence. Don’t forget to praise every small step they take and offer reassurance and empathy if they are scared, frustrated, or unsure.  

You could help boost their confidence by enrolling them in swimming lessons that award attendees with certificates for each milestone they reach, such as the Swim England Awards. Having a certificate to take home and proudly display will also give them a sense of accomplishment and could encourage them to keep going.  

Another way you can support their confidence is by ensuring swimming becomes routine. Knowing when, where, and why things happen can put children at ease. So, whether you teach them to swim yourself or enrol them in lessons, ensure you make it routine by taking them to the same place on the same day and time each week.  

Swimwear  

If a child has experienced sexual abuse, wearing traditional swimwear could make them feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or frightened. So, it’s essential to prioritise their sense of control over their body and clothing choices.  

Let them choose the type of swimwear they’ll feel most comfortable in. They may prefer full-coverage options, such as a long-sleeved swimsuit or a two-piece swim top with trousers. You could also buy them an over-the-head swim towel that they can leave on the poolside and quickly put on if they feel uncomfortable. 

We’re here to help 

If the child in your care refuses to start swimming, that’s okay. You should never force a child to do something they aren’t comfortable with. However, at FCA, we help you understand why they feel the way they do.  

When a child can’t verbally express their thoughts and feelings, they may communicate them through their behaviour instead. Our therapy services and Team Parenting model help you look beyond your child’s behaviour to understand what’s really going on.  

Don’t forget to tap into our supportive community, where you can connect with other foster parents who can offer advice based on their experiences.  

Accessing swimming lessons 

Although many leisure centres are closing due to a rise in operating costs, there are still plenty of swimming lesson providers throughout the UK.  

If you’re fostering a child short-term, some swimming pools provide drop-in swimming lessons that allow you to pay as you go. Your child may also benefit from intensive swimming courses that usually run during the school holidays.  

Some leisure centres and private pools also offer classes specifically for children and young people with sensory needs and disabilities, offering one-to-one sessions with carers and children. You can find out more about swimming lessons in your area on your local council website, through a quick Google search, or using the Swim England swim school directory.  

Paying for Swimming Lessons 

The cost of swimming lessons varies depending on whether they are provided by a local leisure centre or private companies, as well as the class size. For example, a one-to-one swimming lesson with a private company will cost more than a group lesson at a leisure centre.  

When you foster with FCA, you receive a generous fostering allowance, which will help you cover the cost of swimming lessons for the child in your care. You also have access to our foster parent rewards platform, where you can receive discounts on swimwear retailers and health clubs with swimming pools.  

Some local councils offer free or discounted swimming lessons for children in care, so it’s worth contacting yours to find out what they provide. 

Start your fostering journey today 

If you’re considering becoming a foster parent or want to transfer to an agency that’ll be by your side throughout your foster journey, get in touch today. Our friendly team are ready to welcome you into our diverse community and help you transform young lives. 

barriers to swimming

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