So, it’s School Holiday time again which means a change of routine, less hours available in the day to work and energetic children to entertain. This is no mean feat for any work at home mum and a situation made all the more tricky when the weather is bad. Living in Britain we should have got used to the fact by now that it wouldn’t really be summer without some rain! However when faced with a wet day and bored children, it is very easy for tensions to rise. But wet days don’t have to mean boring days…..try some of our ideas for inside fun.
1. Turn a job into a fun and have a bedroom tidying competition. The winner could choose a DVD to watch in the afternoon, or have an extra story at bedtime.
2. Cooking is always a favourite with children. Pizzas are simple to make and tasty for lunch. For younger children just decorating a cake or biscuit is messy and fun.
3. Try a treasure hunt. This can be a simple list of items to collect or a full trail from clue to clue with some ‘treasure’ waiting at the end. With young children who can’t read use pictures of familiar objects to direct them. With older children you can make the clues more cryptic. When we play at home I always ensure there is lots of running between upstairs and downstairs!
4. Puppet shows are great way to pass some indoor fun and develop the imagination. Making puppets is simple and can be done in so many ways. Draw, cut and fold paper plates, add buttons or stickers to socks or simply print out some pictures from the web and attach to straws. Set up behind the sofa or cut out a hole in a large box and you are guaranteed lots of laughter!
5. Picnics are not just for outdoors, so have an indoor picnic. You are going to having lunch anyway so get the kids to make sandwiches, pack up a bag with all the food, lay down a rug, and pretend you are in a park or a sunny beach!
Mums are very resourceful, so if you have a good idea for a rainy day – let us know – and you could help save someone else from the rainy day blues!
Splashing in puddles is a great favourite in our house of course! Just go out and get completely soaking and enjoy it
How about getting a load of old magazines and making collages.
One thing I like to do with children is draw the shape of a face on plain paper and let them use the magazines to fill in the picture. You can make some very funny looking faces. Make sure you check whats on the magazine pages first
Vicky – Entertaining Acorns.