How to make moving house during school holidays fun

You may have concerns about getting the kids involved when you're move house. Rather than dreading a move whilst your children are on holiday, why not harness your child's natural energy and enthusiasm so that they're excited and raring to go when the removals van arrives.

Talk to your children in a positive way about your imminent move. Tell them that it will be an exciting new start and moving to a new area will provide lots of opportunity to explore. You could also turn packing their stuff up into a game and challenge them to sort out their toys as thoroughly as possible and see just how much clutter they can get rid of. Provide them with some nice, new storage - something colourful and fun - and ask them to pack their things neatly. New things are exciting and it will be much more fun than putting things into boring old cardboard boxes, and will probably be easier to transport too.

Encourage them to label their boxes and, if they're old enough, get them to write a list of the contents so that they know exactly what is where. Children really enjoy a sense of sharing responsibility and acting like a grown up, so let them help and life will be easier for everyone.

When you arrive at your new place, show the kids around and introduce them to their new bedrooms. It's a great time to talk about decorating and colour schemes, as this will help to remove any qualms or nerves they have about being in a new environment. Allowing them to put their stamp on your new house will be exciting for them, and will help them settle in quicker.

Once the removals people have placed the bulk of their furniture in their rooms, give them their boxes and allow them to unpack their stuff. It will be fun for them to decide where everything goes and everything that they unpack themselves is another thing that you don't have to. If you have older children then this task will occupy them whilst you unpack downstairs and keep them from under your feet, but younger ones may need an adult to keep them focused. The more you include your kids, the better they'll settle in, so give them small tasks to complete and it will keep them happy.