No sun doesn’t mean no fun!

The weather may not be what it should be in the summer holidays, but EMMA GILL has top tips to keep your kids entertained

IT looks like the gloomy weather is here to stay for now and if you’ve got a little one to entertain during the summer holidays, you might be struggling for ways to pass the time.

We’ve put together just a few simple suggestions to keep you both busy. 1. BUILD A DEN

Most parents can remember building a den as a child, usually with nothing more than a table, some cushions and a sheet.

Above, Play-doh is good fun, whatever the weather. Below, potato printing

Let your child’s imagination run wild as they pretend to go camping or try to keep warm inside their very own igloo.

You could always be the scary animal on the outside of the tent.

And if you’ve got a torch don’t forget to make some animal shadows too. 2. SOCK PUPPETS

You may already have a puppet show or some puppets you could use inside a cardboard box.

If not, then get an old sock and make your own.

Whether you have some stick-on googly eyes or just some scraps of paper, you can make your own character that your child will love. 3. WALLPAPER PEOPLE

If you’ve got an old roll of wallpaper, or any other paper for that matter, lie your little one down on it and draw around them. It’s amazing how long they will spend colouring themselves in afterwards.

They might also want to make a wallpaper mum, dad or grandparent too. And why not? 4. POTATO PRINTING

If it’s good enough for Daddy Pig then it’s good enough for us.

Most of us have got an old potato lying at the bottom of the cupboard.

Hopefully, it will still be in a fit enough state to carve a shape from to use as a paint stamp.

Make some patterns and you could end up with a piece of art to treasure. 5. PLAY-DOH

Play-Doh is another old favourite and can keep them entertained for hours.

Whether they want to make their own dinosaur, elephant, car or castle, the possibilities are endless.

If you can manage not to stress about the colours being mixed together it can be a whole lot of fun.

And if you haven’t got any Play-Doh it’s pretty simple to make your own. All you need is: 2 cups of plain flour 1 cup of salt 1 tablespoon of oil half to 1 cup of cold water

2 drops of liquid food colouring

Mix the flour and salt then add the water, oil and food colouring. Knead the mixture well, adding a little more flour if the consistency is too wet.

Don’t forget to share your ideas for keeping the little ones entertained – and we’d love to see your creations.

Send your comments to: Email emma.gill@ trinitymirror.com or post your photos on our Manchester Family web page (see left).