The summer holidays are a mixture of excitement and dread; excitement for the kids who get time off school, and dread for the parents who have to put up with them until September. Still, with (hopefully) good weather, and some handy gadgets, those kids might find themselves happily occupied, so the parents don’t have to put up with any moaning about being bored…

RED5 LED Clock Fan with Stand
This is something for kids and adults; if you’re not loving the humidity right now, you’ll appreciate the USB-powered Clock Fan from RED5 LED. As the name indicates, this is a two-for-the-price-of-one purchase, as the mini fan also tells the time. There are no batteries required – all you need to get the fan working is to connect the USB cable to your laptop.

Simultaneously, the built in LEDS will show you the time as the fan blades are spinning. And if you need to adjust your fan, it has a very handy flexible long neck to get it in the perfect position. Not only is it practical for keeping you cool, but it’ll also make sure you’re not late for anything. All this for only £13!

Griffin Kazoo MyPhones
These adorably fun animal-themed headphones are great, not just for looking cute, but keeping the kids busy. With soft cushioned pads and volume-limiting circuitry, the Griffin Kazoo MyPhones are safe for children as young as three years old to use, so parents don’t need to worry about them damaging their ears.

Or, if you’d rather use them to block out the sound of your children’s whining, they’ll look very trendy on adults too! They’re also available in a variety of cute designs, including a monkey, frog and penguin, at £17.95.

X4 Quadcopter with Camera
If you want to kick the kids out of the house for a bit, the £39.97 camera-equipped drone will be sure to peak their interest. The X4 from Hubsan records HD footage via its 2.0 mega pixel camera and also stores a micro SD card. Not only does it look really cool – and make you feel like a bit of a spy – but it’s also stable model and great for both beginners and the more experienced navigators.

It’s also small in shape, which makes it perfect for gliding and doing some cool flips if you’re feeling confident. You can recharge it via USB, with charging taking up to 40 minutes, and the drone lasting around 10 minutes in flight. After you’re done flying, you can take out the SD card and put it in your laptop to see a bird’s eye view of what your drone has recorded.