Much as we love our children, there can't be too many mothers who think, 'Whoopee, here come the summer holidays'! There's the build up to it, when a blind panic takes over and you think you and your family can't possible survive six whole weeks together.

But, in truth, the time usually whizzes by far more quickly than you think, and with some careful planning in advance and a little imagination you shouldn't have to hear 'I'm bored mum' too often.

Planning is key here. Try and organise now, before the holiday starts, a couple of activities for each week that you can do away from home. Arrange them evenly to break up each week, so there's always something to look forward to. Use bribes if you have to.

Organise one or two special outings to one of the many children's big attractions around the country – but they can be prohibitively expensive, especially if you have more than one child. Compliment them with local activities (you'll find them in your local paper). For instance, your library will usually have a programme of children's activities going on each week, like story telling to crafts and learning about the local environment. There are probably also some supervised walks near by, and your local gym will have a range of sport and fitness activities available, where your children can learn a new skill while you get a well-earned break.

At home, help the young ones make a holiday scrap book to show at school at the beginning of the new term. You could include things like train tickets, leaflets from museums, souvenirs and postcards they pick up on holiday, and flowers they've pressed from a country walk. And make sure you have plenty of crayons, papers and old-fashioned games like Snakes and Ladders and Old Maid cards for rainy days, when the temptation will be to sit them in front of the computer or television.

Splash out on a couple of new games that they can play in the back of the car, or download a children's story for them to listen to if you will be travelling a lot. And always keep a Frisbee in the car and some extra batteries if you don't want a favourite toy to break down when there's still two more hours left to go.

You may think you need to load the car with every gadget know, but a piece of string for Cat's Cradle, or a few word games like I Went to Market or I Spy will help avoid too many outbursts. Present them all with a goodie bag at the beginning of the journey with everything they should need to keep them occupied and your efforts will, hopefully, be rewarded. It's your holiday too, after all.

Give yourself a break

Keep supper simple, or make your partner cook for a change, and ensure that everybody is in bed on time. You could hire a babysitter, which gives you the entire evening off. Make sure you have done all the necessary housework before you start to relax. Tell your children and the babysitter only to call in an emergency - a lost toothbrush does not count as an emergency. Set your video to record any favourite programs - you should not be a slave to the TV on your night of relaxation.