Category: Ideas

School holiday ideas

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Knowing how to keep children amused through the school holidays can sometimes be daunting for parents, especially when things cost so much. Here are some top tips to help take some of the stress out of it, and keep everyone happy without needing to spend a fortune.

Going out and about
During the school holidays, there may be lots going on in your local area that your family can enjoy, often for free. Check the websites of your local council and tourist information centres for local days out, or scan the local papers and community centres to see what’s going on in your area. Visit your local library and look for adverts of events. Many libraries hold events such as story time, and arts and crafts days. Libraries are also a great source of activity in themselves, with plenty of books and computers to keep children busy, plus they often have storytime for toddlers and parents.

Check to see if your local council swimming pool offers free or reduced-fee entrance in the school holidays. Museums and galleries often have new exhibitions and events running in the summer. Many art galleries put on special events for children and families – this could be just the thing to stimulate your child’s artistic streak. Check out your local leisure centre – there are plenty of children’s sports and activities they can participate in.

Staying at home
Of course, on some days, you will find yourselves stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean anyone has to be bored. You could take the opportunity to spend some time sharing a favourite game or story with your children or, if you want some more inspiration, try some of these activities. Arrange a movie day – choose a couple of favourite films, get some popcorn and put your feet up with the kids.

Get cooking – pick a recipe with the kids, go shopping for ingredients and cook something together that you can enjoy eating afterwards. Depending on your child’s age and interest, this could be anything from a simple sponge cake to a mushroom stroganoff! Dig out the puzzles, games and books and give them a go. Some good old-fashioned children’s entertainment can be really fun.

Have a look in your cupboards and play dress up with your old clothes. Sort through your clothes together and recycle the ones that you never wear and the stuff your little one’s grown out of.

Encourage the kids to put on a play or a magic show. They could even use the dress up clothes and props from around the house. If you have a camera, you can even film it, for great memories. Build a den with the kids – if the weather is ok, you could even risk doing this outside! All you need is some boxes or sofa cushions, a few blankets, and a bit of imagination.

Create a scrapbook together using photos from your family album, or torn from magazines.
The great outdoors (and the garden!)

Sunny days are great for simple activities like picnics and ball games. This can be done as close to home as in the back garden!

Don’t try and fill every minute of every day. Encourage your children’s imagination and independence – let them play in their rooms or the garden.

Games for long journeys

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The following children’s fun and games are great fun and you can always adapt them to suit your family. Most of them require very few props and rely mainly on imagination. Some may not be appropriate for car journeys as they could be too distracting for the driver but there are plenty to choose from.

Talk to the animal
Nominate a player to be an animal character for the first round. The other players have to ask questions until they guess what the animal is. The first one to correctly guess the animal gets to go next.

I went to the shop and bought…
Each player has to choose something they had bought at the shops. The first player starts by only reciting what she or he has bought. The next player then has to recite what the previous player bought, as well as add something new to the list.

The player who forgets an item is out of the game, whilst the rest battles on, till there is eventually only one shopper left!

Two facts and a fib
Each player gets a chance to make three statements – two which are true and one that is false. The other players have to try and guess which statement is the lie – number one, two three, by indicating the number with their fingers.

Word association
One player says a word and the other player responds with the first word that comes into their head. The quicker you play, the funnier it gets.

Buzz words
Children need to be quiet to listen for words in this game. Choose a word and listen out for it on the radio or announcements. As soon as a player hears the word they shout ‘buzz’! Children can also look out for buzz words on road signs or advertising boards.

Road cricket
Each child chooses a colour – all oncoming cars in their colour passing you on the road counts as a run. All children nominate one colour to be bowled out by, for example, if a white car comes along you are bowled out and the next player gets a turn at the road wicket.

Broken telephone
One player starts by whispering a message, only once, to the next player. This player then whispers to the next player and so it goes on until the last player who has to say it out loud to the group!

Maps
Children can use maps to trace out their journeys or one player can have look at the map and then choose a town on the map. The other players can then have a look at the map and take turns to guess the secret destination.

Different Birthday Party ideas

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Looking for a children’s birthday party with a difference that won’t break the bank? Here’s our roundup of some amazing attractions and venues from across the UK that are sure to provide lots of lovely memories of their big day!

Farmer Palmers Farm Park, Poole, Dorset
£14.95 per family
This lovely farm offers so much fun for little (and big!) animal lovers alike. You’ll get to see live milking demos, pig races, have a go on a bouncy castle and more! Tickets include one child, two adults, food and drink, a tractor ride and full use of the park… which would normally retail at £35 each!

AMF Bowling, Various Locations
From £7.99 per child
What could beat a round of bowling for a fun, competitive and much loved classic kids birthday party? Fab food is all included in the price too!

Go Ape, Various Locations
From £17 per child
Swing, zip, balance and jump your way through the trees on the Tree Top Adventure courses, suspended high above the forest floor. Younger adventurers will love Tree Top Junior, a lower and easier version.

Adventure Wonderland, Christchurch, Dorset
Various Price Packages Available
With over 30 fab rides and attractions, Adventure Wonderland offers lots of fun for everyone! Battle it out on the Battle Boats (be prepared to get wet!), go on the Dragon’s Drop Megaslide or even go see some adorable animals in the Cuddle Corner Farm.

Mattel Play! Albert Dock, Liverpool
£15 per child
With over 13,000 square feet of themed exciting entertainment, including well known characters such as Thomas and Friends, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder, kids will love exploring this amazing play centre! Yummy party food is included.

The Rainforest Cafe, Piccadilly Circus, London
£15.50 per child
Bringing together the fascinating sights and sounds of the jungle, this fab cafe is the perfect place for a wildlife mad partygoer! See the animals brought to life, experience thunderstorms and, of course, eat lots of super yummy food too!

Go Air Trampoline Park, Ty-glas Avenue, Cardiff
£16 per person
With 60 minutes of pure trampolining fun in their open space, 40 minutes in their dedicated special party room, socks, invites AND food (you’ll get either a choice of Papa John’s pizza or a delicious deli sandwich), Go Air is the place to take your active little ones looking to blow off some steam on their big day!

Funky Monkeys, Cityside, Belfast
From £8 per child
With jungle themed play rooms, an interactive kitchen area, car track with crazy coupe cars and more, Funky Monkeys will not disappoint and is sure to provide lots of fun on your little monkeys big day! There’s a range of party options available to suit all needs, so be sure to check out their website!

Waterworld, Newquay, Cornwall
From £17.99 per person
With a 6 lane 25m pool, tropical fun pool, 2 water flumes, cannons, tippers and a snake fountain, this is the perfect place to host your pool mad little ones party! Prices include unlimited pool use, small buffet package, free return for the birthday child, 50% off future visits for all guests and more!

Sea Life Centre, Great Yarmouth, Norwich
From £10.50 per child
Sea Life is fab for aquatic mad little ones! Price includes entrance to the centre, a dedicated VIP tour by one of the crew, hot meal, free local annual pass for the birthday child, free downloadable invites and more!

Where kids can eat for FREE

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Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
There are several Gordon Ramsay’s Restaurants which offer Kids Eat Free for every adult main course ordered, including Maze Grill Mayfair, Bread Street Kitchen and The Narrow in London. Giraffe World Kitchen

Countrywide
From Monday to Sunday, all day long, kids eat free with every main meal purchased! All you need to do is simply download and print your voucher from their website.

Damon’s Restaurant
Kids under 12 years old can enjoy a free main course from the kids menu which available from Monday to Saturday 12-6pm at Damon’s restaurant.

Coal Grill and Bar
Kids aged 10 and under can enjoy a free meal from Coal Kids Menu per adult spending £10 or more, available from Monday to Friday 12-5pm.

Morrisons
Morrisons offers one free kids meal (for under 16 years old) with any adult hot meal (over £4.50) from 3pm every day.

ASDA
Kids can eat free on weekdays after 3.30pm for every adult meal purchased worth £4.

The Real Greek
The Real Greek offers free kids meal on Sundays for every £10 spend by an adult.

Ease your kids back into the school routine

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Bring back the Bedtime Routine
At least a week before the start of the new term, get the children back into their term-time bedtime routine. If they have become used to going to bed later, the easiest way to reinstate an earlier bedtime is to get them up earlier. Choose a time and stick to it each morning in the lead up to going back to school.

Reintroduce Reading and Writing
Do a little reading and writing practice each day which will get your little one back into the swing of things. It’s also a great confidence booster as they settle back into school.

Make a Memory Box
If your little one is sad that the holidays have come to an end, get them to create their very own fun memory box containing their favourite school holiday memories. Explain that they can look in the box at any time to remember all the fun times they had, plus this could be the start of a lovely tradition.

Plan something fun for October Half Term
Although we’re all feeling sad that the holidays have come to an end, the good news is that it’s not long until the next one. Why not plan a fun day out with your little one for the October half term which will give them something to look forward to!

Check for ‘Forgotten’ Homework
Quiz the kids and get them to check their bags/homework diaries for any forgotten projects and/or homework which needed to be done during the school holidays. Kids have a great habit of forgetting until the very last minute and then conveniently blaming their parents.

Talk about School
Start talking to your child about their new teacher/class. Remind them of names, where their new classroom is and what year group they are now in. This will help them to think about the changes ahead and will give them time to talk through any worries with you before they go back to school.

Be Positive
If your child worries about school, always try to talk to them about it in a positive way. Your attitude towards learning, friends and teachers will set the tone for your child as giving positive messages will build their confidence.

Painted Rocks

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Over the last couple of months kids have found a few painted rocks. The craze is like one big treasure hunt in which you’re encouraged to find painted rocks and then rehide them so the game continues. It’s a great way to encourage the kids to get out and about too.

Where to find rocks to paint

If you can’t find any rocks around then you can buy them on Amazon or sometimes DIY or gardening shops will sell them. Large rocks with a flattish side work well, but any shape will do.

How to create your own painted rocks

There are two main ways to paint rocks, either using acrylic paints or using special pens. A common choice are permanent pens such as Sharpies. But if you don’t want your kids and furniture to be permanently marked use Posca pens instead, these are slightly more scratchy to use than some other pens and are easier to get off clothes.

It’s common to to put on the back of rocks to include some sort of instructions for what you want the finder to do next, usually the case is to share a photo to your local Facebook group so they could see if it had been found!

Varnishing your painted rocks

To varnish your rocks use PlastiKote Clear Super Gloss Clear Sealer which is a spray varnish – this stops all your designs disappearing if they get rained on! As this is an aerosol spray you’ll want to use it outside and well away from the kids, use a plastic bag to protect your garden from getting varnished too.

Where to hide painted rocks

We think there are two ways to look at hiding your rocks: firstly you can really hide them so that someone has really got to try hard to find them. Secondly you can put them somewhere a bit easy so they’ll actually be found again.

If you’re not already a member of your local rock hunting group then make sure to look for one on Facebook – a quick search of your town or county’s name and rocks in the search bar normally does the trick and you’ll often see that a lot of your local friends are in whatever the most busy local one for you is. Hopefully when your rocks are found someone will share a picture in the group and it’s fun for your kids to see their design being found

4 takeaway tips for hiding painted rocks:

Don’t hide rocks close to roads or other dangers, like canals or lakes.
Remember to write instructions on the back for whoever finds it, something like share a photo and then rehide works well.
Don’t make your hiding place too hard – you want it to be found after all!
Make sure you hide them in public spaces, not private property

The Story Museum

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If your kids love stories then this is the place to be, with all the fun of an Interactive story Museu. Step off the page into a world of colour, characters and literary delights. You’ve discovered The Story Museum!

Address
42 Pembroke Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 1BP, England

This is a place like no other with a labyrinth of immersive and classically themed rooms. Topple down the rabbit hole and take your place at the mad hatter’s tea party in Wonderland. Wild about Colour soaks up the vivid kaleidoscopic vision of 60’s illustrator, Brian Wildsmith to stunning effect. And of course the ultimate in adventure – open the cupboard door, squeeze past fur coats and out into snowy Narnia! Just be sure to say hello to Mr Tumnus.

The museum regularly produces new installations in collaboration with illustrators, and parents bring their littluns back time and time again for poetry and storytelling, or screenings of Disney classics in the museum cinema. The essential draw, however, is the incredible dressing up room. Choose from an entire universe of costumes, step out onto the red carpet and hear your self-appointed name announced for all to hear!

Immersive experiences based on children’s books, including the unmissable Narnia
Possibly the world’s greatest dressing up box.
An array of activities including cinema, storytelling and dance

Summer Holidays in the South West

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Adventure Wonderland – Christchurch, Dorset

2nd August 2017 : Meet & Greet Peppa Pig
17th August 2017 : Paw Patrol Marshall and Skye

Mini thrill seekers will love Adventure Wonderland! Designed for kids aged 3–10 years, this fun theme park has lots of rides suitable for youngsters, including the ‘Jabberwocky’ helter-skelter slide, a Runaway Train, Flying Elephants, Ghostly Galleon and Yoyo Swings and lots more! Better yet, there will be some very special guests visiting Adventure Wonderland this summer so be sure not to miss everyone’s favourite little piggy Peppa Pig on the 2nd of August, Paw Patrol’s cheeky pups Marshall and Skye on the 17th of August and Fireman Sam on the 29th of August.

Liberty’s Owl, Raptor & Reptile Centre – Ringwood, Hampshire

Liberty’s is home to a large collection of birds of prey, reptiles and creepy crawlies! You’ll get to see some owls, hawks and eagles, as well as pythons, bearded dragons, snakes, tarantulas and much more! You also have the chance to see these amazing birds and see them in daily programme of falconry shows.

Museum of Witchcraft – Boscastle, Cornwall

This fascinating museum, which is home to the largest collection of witchcraft artifacts and regalia, tells stories of magic and the history of witchcraft! For rumbling tums, head to the on site cafe where you can pick up some yummy food and drink.

Eden Project – Par, Cornwall

These two enormous geodesic conservatories, located in a 50 metre deep crater, are home to the Humid Tropics Biome and the Warm Temperate Biome. Set within the breathtaking location of Par, this attraction is not to be missed by budding gardeners and conservationists eager to see the largest rainforest in captivity, stunning plants, exhibitions and more!

Heartlands – Redruth, Cornwall

This unique park, which covers 19 acres, includes state-of-the-art exhibitions, climb-on sculptures and gardens! Creative little artists will love the arts and crafts activities on offer. Pay a visit to the Totem Circle, which is used as a performance area through the year. Kids will love the Adventure Playground where they will find amazing funnel slides to speed down as well as plenty to climb on and over!

Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park – Poole, Dorset

Budding farmers will love Farmer Palmer’s! They’ll be spoilt for choice with indoor and outdoor play areas, bumpy tractor trailer rides plus plenty of cuddles with cute animals. Active ones will love the bouncy castles and the Maize Maze (open July to October) to get lost in. Take a quiet stroll on a beautiful woodland walk to take in some lovely scenery!

Clip ‘n’ Climb – Exeter, Devon

Are your kids ready for an adventure? Tackle the Jungle Gym, reach new heights on the Skyscraper, take the Speed Climbing challenge or light up the board on the Checkerplate. This is a great children’s activity to build confidence and team building skills!

Gloucester Ski & Snowboard Centre – Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Little adventurers will love this indoor sports centre, which features a huge 230 metre main slope and a nursery slope for lessons! There’s also lifts, a snowflex fun park for the children and a Big Airbag for practicing freestyle manoeuvres!

The World of Country Life – Exmouth, Devon

Your little farmers will love immersing themselves in rural life at The World of Country Life! Wander through a Victorian Street, marvel at the transport and agricultural machinery of yesteryear, and meet some cute and cuddly animals in the pets centre. There’s also adventure playgrounds, a giant slide, trampolines, crazy golf, as well as an indoor Pirate Ship Adventure and a safari train that runs through a forty acre deer park!

Family beaches to explore

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Studland Beach, Dorset

This National Trust owned beach, located a short five minute chain ferry journey from Poole Harbour, is a lovely family day out! This beautiful beach has four miles of protected golden sands and a stunning view of Old Harry Rocks and the Isle of Wight. It’s perfect for a variety of watersports and for exploring lots of exciting wildlife, including deer, insects and birds! For rumbling tums, visit the Knoll Beach cafe.

Bournemouth Beach, Dorset

This famous activity and event packed beach offers something for all of the family… even a zip wire from the pier to the stretch of seven glorious miles of sand! Hosting events such as the Bournemouth Air Festival, Arts by the Sea and more, you’ll be spoilt for choice! Head to one of the many cafes and restaurants nearby, including West Beach and Harry Ramsden’s for traditional fish and chips by the sea!

Luskentyre Beach, Scotland

Luskentyre Sands, located on the west coast of South Harris in the Outer Hebrides, is a stunning beach boasting beautiful white sands and amazing green-blue water. You’d be mistaken for thinking you’re in the tropics! Luskentyre is a dog friendly beach.

Montrose Beach, Angus

This famous beach runs north from Montrose to the mouth of the North Esk River with beautiful clean sands. With a short promenade and lots of parking available, as well as a Seafront Splash play area, this beach makes for a lovely family day out! The beach also has a shop, amusement centre and family run cafe nearby.

West Cliff, Yorkshire

This picturesque Blue Flag beach is the perfect seaside escape. With free and pay and display car parking available nearby, as well as Whitby’s train station a short walk away, this beach is easy to get to… after a stop for fish and chips in the town centre that is! West Cliff has cafes, toilets and a lost child centre, as well as a first aid post. See if you can spot the famous Whale Bone Arch!

Druridge Bay, Northumberland

This seven mile stretch of glorious sand has lots of sand dunes and rock pools to explore, as well as the 100 acre Ladyburn Lake with surrounding woodland. Pop into the nearby cafe (open on weekends and during the summer holidays) or their visitor centre for more information on the fascinating wildlife you can spot in Druridge Bay many nature reserves!

Formby Beach, Liverpool

This beautiful beaches dunes are a certified Site of Special Scientific Interest! You can even spot some prehistoric human and animal footprints and visit a red squirrel reserve… the last one of its kind in the UK! Ice creams, snacks and drinks are available from vans on site during peak periods.

Barafundle Bay, Pembroke

With crystal clear blue waters, this popular National Trust owned beach is the perfect place for a more relaxing day out. It’s your very own staycation Mediterranean escape! There’s no direct road access to the beach itself, but this allows you to take in the beautiful surroundings on a fifteen minute walk from the car park to the coastline.

Constantine Bay, Cornwall

Whilst more commonly known for being one of the most popular spots for surfing in the UK, this stunning beach has lots to offer for families! With unbeatable views of the Cornish coastline, this beach also has lots of rock pools… perfect for exploring and discovering how many beach critters you can spot! Dogs are allowed all year long.

Botany Bay, Kent

This Blue Flag beach offers amazing views of the white cliffs and impressive chalk stacks! When the tide is out, it’s perfect for fossil hunting and rock pool exploring. There are kiosks on site selling ice creams, or you can pay a visit to nearby cafes offering hot food and drinks. Dogs are not permitted on this beach from 10am to 6pm from May 1st until 30th September.

Fun Summer Days out

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Bear Grylls Wild Survival Academy – ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable
29th July 2017 – 3rd Sep 2017

Kids will love joining in with this brilliant, fun, exciting Summer Academy, where they can become real life explorers and learn survival skills, attempt challenges and have a go at an assault course! There will be live shows demonstrating how animals and humans can survive in extreme conditions.

AirSpace Trampoline Park, Various Locations

Spend a session bouncing, flipping and jumping at Air Space! This brand new attraction has over 100 interconnected trampolines all waiting for you to spring about on. As well as freestyle sessions you can join in with games such as dodgeball, football and basketball – just bouncier!

Thames River Services, London

Take the family on a cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich Pier and back! The River Thames has a long and interesting history to be explored, as do all the fantastic landmarks along the way! You’ll get to see the likes of Cutty Sark, The O2 Arena, Tower Bridge, The Shard and more!

Longleat Safari and Adventure Park, Warminster

There is so much to see and do at this amazing safari and adventure park! Take a ride on the wild side with their Safari Drive, as well as walk with penguins, visit the meerkats and hop on a cruise to see the gorillas on Gorilla Island. You’ll be given the chance to feed some Rainbow Lorikeets, deer and even giraffes!

Dinomania! – Bristol Zoo Gardens, Bristol
27th May 2017 – 3rd Sep 2017

This magnificent dinosaur exhibition is the perfect entertainment for kids and it’s at the Zoo gardens until September if you don’t get chance over the half-term holiday! Follow the dino trail, dig for fossils and chat to experts who will be able to answer all your questions!

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth

Come and learn all about the Royal Navy as it is today and get an insight into what the future holds! Step on board historic ships such as HMS Victory and HMS Warrior 1860. You won’t want to miss the new‐look Mary Rose museum, which gives insight into Tudor life!

ArcelorMittal Orbit General Access and Slide, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London

Climb the UK’s tallest sculpture and ride the world’s tallest, longest and fastest tunnel slide. Enjoy the twists and turns as you take in London’s skyline at speed thought the ‘clear sections’. This is without a doubt, the best place to see the city from above, allowing you to discover a beautiful view of some of the country’s most famous landmarks!

The London Bridge Experience, London

Experience London’s gruesome history first hand with this interactive character led adventure tour! Be prepared for thrills, laughs and frights as you are regaled with stories from the past. Meet some of London’s most horrifying characters as they lurk in the ‘lanes’ including Jack the Ripper and Ben

Kensington Palace Family Fantastical! – Kensington Palace
18th Aug 2017 – 20th Aug 2017

Once upon a time amazing performers and brilliant minds visited this palace to entertain the princesses that one lived there. Families can visit and be entertained watching the magnificent English National Ballet perform ‘Sleeping Beauty’ while the Science Museum will perform one of their fab shows guaranteeing plenty of fun and laughter!

Oxygen Freejumping, Various Locations

Kids will be jumping for joy after a visit to this brilliant indoor trampoline park! They’ll get to bounce sky high in open jump sessions and burn off lots of excess energy!

Cheddar Gorge, Somerset

Come and explore stunning stalactite caverns and see the dramatic cliffs which rise 450 ft above the ground. There are two very different caves to explore, a museum, cliff top walk and lookout tower!

Fleet Air Arm Museum, Ilchester

Get up close to Europe’s largest Naval Aviation Collection, featuring some of the most powerful and interesting naval aircraft to have taken to the skies! With the museum being located on a working naval air station there is even the chance of spotting real naval aircraft taking flight!

The Gruffalo and Friends: The Art of Axel Scheffler Family Trail – Mottisfont Abbey & Garden, Hampshire
15th July 2017 – 3rd Sep 2017

This Summer don’t miss the opportunity to bring the family here to explore the wonderful grounds and follow a fun family trail looking out for the Gruffalo in his den! Along the way there are puzzles and activities to join in with as well as a Stick Man climbing area the kids will love!