We're closing in on that time of year again, Half Term is just around the corner. What do you have planned to keep your kids entertained? If the answer is ‘no idea’, don’t worry, we have loads of fun ideas - none of which will break the bank!
There’s nothing worse than bored kids sitting around on computer games wasting their vacation.
Half Term should be fun for all the family! It’s a great time to do some fun activities, spend family time together, and best of all it doesn’t need to break the bank.
So if you’re a parent on a budget this Half Term, make sure you read on…
Make Spring Cleaning Fun
Ok, so let’s start with an activity in the house that mom and dad will appreciate before we venture into other ideas!
The house is upside down with laundry, toys, books and all sorts of other bits and pieces. The last thing you’re thinking about is going out to do an activity with the children and then coming home to a mess! So why not get the kids involved in a bit of a spring cleaning fun?! *note: bribing will be required so you might want to stock up on some treats from Sweetzy*
To make it fun, you could put on some upbeat music that you know your kids love and play a game of “musical statues”. Simply get your kids to pick up all their toys ready to be put away but as soon as the music stops they have to stand like a statue. This will fill your house with lots of giggles and laughter and without the kids even realising it, they’ll be tidying up!
Or, how about “follow the leader”. The aim of the game is that one person picks up items off a shelf, for example, the next person sprays cleaner on the shelf and the next person wipes it. Then you circle back and put the items back. This is another great way to entertain the kids, it gets them involved but doesn’t make them feel like they’re doing a big chore on their own.
Let’s make cleaning fun…. even if (let’s face it) it’s not!
Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked cookies?! Whether you’re a novice at baking, or whether you believe that you’re the best baker around, we can all have a go at making some cookies at home.
If you really aren’t the best baker in the world there are lots and lots of ready-made baking and cookie mixes available even from Amazon that you can simply add your own extra special treats to at home. Kids love getting their hands into the mix of cookie dough and feeling like they’re grown-up making cookies for the family.
It’s a fun and inexpensive activity that you can do at home, doesn’t take up too much time and at the end of it, you have a great treat that you can all enjoy together! You can even find discount codes for baking over on our website.
Make Their Own Bedroom Bunting
The weather, unfortunately, doesn’t always act like we’d like it to. So if you find yourself having a rainy day and the kids are getting bored, why not make some bunting for their bedroom?
Bunting is a quick, easy and fun way to decorate their rooms. It’s also a great way to get your kids to broaden their imagination and design skills to make something that they’ll really cherish and be proud of because they know they’ve made it themselves!
There are loads of different templates available if you just have a look online, or rather than go for a traditional bunting shape why not try a bunting of handprints, flags, leaves or other nature, or maybe your child’s favourite animal.
You could even visit your local craft store to pick up lots of lovely bits and pieces or have a look online at stores like Craft Company. Again, this activity doesn’t have to cost a lot! At Hey Discount, we also have loads of discount codes available for online arts and handicraft stores.
This has to be one of our favourite activities, no matter what age you are you’ll always find something at the zoo that makes you grin from ear to ear!
Whether you’re a fan of elephants, polar bears, or giraffes there is so much to see and do at the zoo. A trip to the zoo can be a half-day activity or a full day activity, it just depends on how you make the most of it. Check out Attraction Tickets to book your zoo tickets in advance for a cheaper deal.
Rather than just walking around looking at all the animals, why not stop and take the time to let your child draw some of their favourite animals. Or, have you heard of “zoo bingo”? This is a simple game that you can easily prepare before you visit the zoo that will keep your child entertained even when they start to get a little tired.
All you have to do is write the different types of animals in squares on a small piece of paper and when your child sees that particular animal they mark it off their bingo card (check online for the animals at the zoo first!). By the end of the trip, your child should’ve won bingo! You could then treat them to a toy of their choice at the gift shop for winning the game.
Walk to Your Local Park
Due to busy work life and modern technology, we don’t always make the most of our local parks. So during this Half Term why not take a trip to your local park?
There are loads of activities that you can do even on the way. For example how about a treasure hunt? You can easily draw up a map of the route to the park and then list five items that your child needs to find on the way. This can be silly things such as a big green leaf, a funny shaped stick, a shiny pebble etc.
Kids love investigating and getting their hands dirty so let them! You could also pack up some of your kids' favourite treats from Morrisons to have a picnic in the park - simple things like this can make everlasting memories.
Bike riding may not seem like it can be a very interactive fun activity for a younger child. However, there are lots of little games that you can do with your children!
You could try a mini obstacle course - all you’ll need is some chalk or even an old jumper that you can use as a marker for them to ride around. If your children are young you can even do this obstacle course on the grass rather than on the pavement.
Or, give a ‘bike safari’ a try! All you’ll need is a digital camera from a store like Currys or a mobile phone. Then give your kids a simple instruction to find a list of different items and take a photo.
They could look for items such as a tree stump, a particular type of flower, a green front door etc. The first one to photograph all the items is the winner!
Get Some Books From the Library
Everyone knows that kids have the best imagination ever! And reading books only broadens their imagination, whilst your child is learning without realising.
This Half Term you could challenge your child to read two books and then tell you what the books are about. Your child will love a challenge and will feel proud to know something about a book that perhaps you don’t, they will enjoy feeling like they are teaching you something new.
So why not take your child to your local library and let them pick out something that they want to either learn about or something that they’re interested in like space, dinosaurs, unicorns etc. Again this is something that doesn’t have to cost a penny!
Another great family activity is to visit a local museum. Not only is this entertaining for your children it can actually be super educational.
With most museums having free admission, this doesn’t have to be an expensive day out. You could involve the whole family, and even invite the grandparents along too!
There is an abundance of choice when it comes to museums; it doesn't have to be boring. If you have quite a creative child why not visit an art museum? Or if your child is into dinosaurs, then a visit to a natural history museum would make an amazing trip. Or what about a trip to Madame Tussauds – there’s something for all the family!
Hopefully, at least a couple of these ideas keep the kids amused this half-term!
