Brolly good fun for the kids if the weather takes turn for worse
YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH THESE HOL SUGGESTIONS
SIX weeks. Six weeks! It’s a long time to keep the kids entertained, isn’t it? And there’s still four weeks to go!
It’s okay when the weather is good and you can just open the doors and let them outside to play all day on the trampoline, messing about with water, bikes, and all the other paraphernalia clogging up your shed.
But, as has been proved recently, you need to have a few rainy day activities up your sleeve to keep your brood occupied during the long summer break.
Here’s our top tips for how to stay busy in what we optimistic types call “liquid sunshine”.
1. WRITE A CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY LIST USING CATALOGUES FOR INSPIRATION
Okay, it’s a bit early but if you give your kids a catalogue they can flick through and start writing lists, perhaps even cutting out the pictures to decorate the list.
If your kids are older, you could even give them a budget and get them to create a list that comes in under budget - bit of sneaky maths practice at the same time!
2. MAKE RAIN CATCHERS
Everyone’s got a couple of old jam jars hanging around, so why not decorate them and put them outside for a set period of time to collect the rain water?
Bring them in and measure how much rain has fallen in that time.
If we get a week of rain you could even do a chart to compare how much rain has fallen.
Turn that rain into something positive!
3. GET WRAPPED UP AND GET OUT THERE
On the lines of turning the rain into something positive, children (and adults) don’t melt in the rain!
Get your wellies on, get the raincoats out and go for a walk in the rain. Splash in puddles, jump around in the mud and burn off some energy.
You can also look for wildlife that likes the rain, eg worms and slugs or even birds - they still come out to eat, rain or shine!
4. TELL STORIES
You could all snuggle up on the sofa together and read your favourite books or you could take it a step further and make up your own!
Either appoint a storyteller or take turns to add a bit to the story - you’ll be amazed about the twists and turns your story will take.
Although if it takes the path that ours always take, my six-year-old just kills off all the characters and laughs. Sinister.
5. LEGO CHALLENGE
We’ve all got boxes and boxes of Lego, haven’t we?
Get it all out, tip it onto the floor and challenge the kids to make something with it.
You could give yourself time for an extra cup of coffee by telling them the challenge that they have to make something and can’t stop until they’ve used every single bit.
6. JUNK MODELLING
A friend of mine swears by having a box of junk that kids can make something out of.
Old kitchen roll inners, foil, shiny sweet wrappers, boxes, string, absolutely anything.
You could challenge the children to make something out of it, either with a theme or completely open ended.
With younger kids, you can’t go wrong with a big cardboard box.
Often they don’t even need to decorate it - using their imaginations it can turn into a space rocket, a car, a boat...
7. PHOTO FUN
This needs a little bit of pre-planning but I love it!
Take photos of each member of the family, head and shoulders only.
Print them out and have them ready for a rainy day, then give each person a picture of another member of the family.
Using scraps of paper, foil, wool or whatever you have to hand, make silly ‘props’ for the faces, like beards or glasses and decorate the pictures. Much hilarity for all!
8. BLANKET DENS
All kids love making dens so let them turn the living room upside down, take all the cushions off the sofa, get blankets, duvets, pillows and cushions creating blanket playing for rainy the summer and make a big den.
You can then enjoy a picnic in the den or even watch films with popcorn and snacks. Hide from the world!
9. BAKING
aboard
No cheating with packet mixes, get back to basics and make something!
You could start off with cakes, or if you want to make the activity last longer why not try something breadbased so you can watch it rise?
Cakes can then be decorated and eaten! If your children really get into cooking, you could pick a recipe together from a book, go and buy the ingredients and make it together which is also a great way to get them to try new foods.
10. BOARD GAMES
Bring on the competition! Get out the board games and challenge the family to a games marathon.
Monopoly, Hungry Hippos, Dobble, Ludo - oops, sorry, that’s called Frustration these days, isn’t it? – Top Trumps or even ordinary playing cards.
Just don’t let me be the banker
11. MUSEUMS
Most of our museums are free these days and many of them have special activities for families, so if you’ve had enough of being in the house, a trip to the museum will help to alleviate the boredom.
12. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
As always., I’ve saved my favourite for last...
I absolutely love this one and at some point it’s definitely going to happen in my house this summer, rain or shine!
All you need is a ball of orange or red wool.
Send the kids to their rooms while you set it up, then choose a room and make a Mission Impossible style challenge, tying the wool all round the room. Your kids then have to get through the room without hitting the lasers.
Touch the lasers and you have to start again!