We’ve devised a list of 8 top activities to keep the kids happy and occupied, using items that you either already have around the house or are easy to pop in the shopping trolley.
1. Paper bunting
All you need is string, paper and colouring pencils. Cut the paper into triangles (your job is now done). Ask the children to prepare the bunting for an event that you may have coming up such as a birthday tea or, alternatively, ask them to think of a story and tell the story in drawings. Remind them to make the string look just as colourful.
2. Icing dough
Royal icing, not just tasty and great for cakes but also an alternative to play-dough. Play-dough is brilliant, however, it does stain. £2.00 for 400g in Tesco, royal icing is versatile and can also be dyed using food colouring. Why not ask the children to mould a sculpture of the family pet and their friends?
3. Jigsaw Puzzles
When the children have exhausted the jigsaw puzzles in the house and it’s no longer a challenge, why not ask them to make their own? Either grab some A3 paper (or ideally card), or multiple A4 pieces and get them to draw a picture, a family portrait? Their favourite holiday? Ask them to make it as detailed as possible, then once this is done, to chop it up into smaller pieces and try and put it back together.
4. Friendship Bracelets
Now, we admit, this may not be suitable for everyone’s children. It requires patience, concentration and will power, but making friendship bracelets can provide both you and the children with peace and quiet. You can use, string, ribbon or wool, the children can also add other accessories on like beads.
5. Hideaway!
If we are still blessed with some good weather over the next two weeks. Challenge the children to create a den in the garden, explain to them that it must be able to shelter them from rain and that it must also be as cosy as possible. If the weather is suitable, tell them they can have a picnic in there! But don’t worry, if the weather is still miserable, move the den-making inside. Best part is, they’ll continue to enjoy ‘hanging out’ in their new hideout afterwards.
6. Board Games
When the kids are really bored of their board games, get them to re-invent it. Think of a new ‘aim of the game’, make new characters out of modelling clay, think of a new story. Ask them to write a list of rules and play it with them once they have everything in order.
7. Biscuit decorating
Rich Tea fingers are the perfect biscuit to decorate. Icing sugar, sprinkles, sweets and chocolate, they are the Achilles heel of every child. We find that one of the easiest ways to keep the kids occupied whilst doing this is to give them a theme. What about carnival? The zoo? Or even just ‘what reminds you of summer’? We know that this can be a little messy, but it can all be wiped and hoovered!
8. Drama, drama!
What about asking the children to write and act out a story. Ask the children to include an important moral. Tell them that they must make the moral of their play clear and easy to understand. They might teach you a few things…
Good luck!
