How To Keep The Kids Entertained In Half Term

This is a collaborative post.

Half term will be here in a few weeks and of all the half terms, this is the worst! The weather has turned from summer days to crisp mornings. So it means there isn’t so much to keep the kids entertained. We don’t want them stuck in front of their kindles all day and night, so here is some inspiration for cheap or free days out. Getting the kids to go outside for some healthy fun isn’t as easy as it is in the summer. But all you need to do is make the healthy activities fun to do.

You don’t need money to have a day out with the kids, there is so much around us that can inspire us. All we need is some imagination and maybe a craft box. Read on and see if there is anything you fancy doing to keep the kids entertained in half term.

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Take A Walk In The Woods

Taking a walk in the woods is so much fun because you can use your imagination to make up stories or play games as you go. Your kids won’t even notice that this is an exercise for them. Listen to the leaves underneath your feet, it is such an autumnal sound. Sometimes if you are lucky, you find a rope swing hanging from a tree. The best rope swings are over a little stream, and it’s funny to see if anyone falls off.  There are so many things you can do whilst you are out in the woods. Here are a few suggestions.

• Collect leaves to take home and glue them onto some paper to make a leafy piece of art.
• Paint the leaves and print them onto some paper.
• Collect acorns and conkers, you can have fun with conker games at home.
• Take some tree rubbings, can you name the trees?
• Try drawing some of the scenery, it;s amazing how differently the kids will see it.
• Splash in puddles and make mud pies.
• Look for birds that might still be around in the autumn.
• Are there any flowers growing in the autumn? What are they?
• Have a picnic on a fallen tree trunk.
• Try balancing on a fallen tree trunk.
• Build a den with the things that you can find in the woods.
• Go on a bear hunt.

So much can come from taking a day in the woods, obviously, it is better if the weather is sunny. But even if it’s cold or raining, you can still have a great day.

Paint Stones And Hide Them

Painting stones and hiding them has got really popular over the years. With there even being Facebook pages devoted to it. 

Put the wellies on again and go on a stone hunt. This will get them out of the house for some exercise and fresh air. Take a picnic with you if the weather is dry, instead of sandwiches pack some pepper slices and carrots, snacks they can eat on the go. Then they won’t get too cold sitting around. Other awesome picnic ideas are here for you to get some inspiration.

Get the kids to design some and you can have a go at painting some too. Permanent sharpies work better than paint, but make sure you paint a bit of clear nail polish over them to protect them and stop the pen from running or the paint washing away. Here are some ideas of easy pictures to draw on stones or pebbles. Smooth pebbles are the best to decorate.

• Rainbows – easy to paint and kids can even do it
• Animals – Keep them simple, a sheep can be painted by dabbing a white paint brush and drawing legs and feet.
• Smiley faces – These are easy to do and they make people smile.
• Inspiration quotes – These are great for people who are feeling down. If they find the stone, it might have the right meaning for them.

Whatever design you and your kids do, make sure you share them with everyone and see where they end up.

Movie Night

Having a movie night (or afternoon) is always a winner because going to the cinema in half term can be so expensive. All you need is a printer, a streaming service or a DVD player, and some snacks. You can make some Halloween snacks for them. This is great to bond with the kids and maybe watch some of the older movies from when you were a child. So many of them are popular still now.

• Print cinema tickets and get the kids to give you them before they sit down.
• Make some boxes of popcorn for the authentic look.
• Turn on the soundbar to get the cinema experience.
• Throw cushions and blankets on the floor to make it cosy and comfortable.
• Switch the lights off and close the curtains, so it is dark and like the real experience.
• Give the kids fake money so they can ‘buy’ snacks and icecream from you. You can find some healthy snack inspirations here. 
• Draw some cinema posters to build up the excitement before they watch the movie.

Having a movie night from home is so much cheaper than having one at the cinema. It is also cosier and you won’t need to leave your house if the weather is rubbish.

Halloween preparations

Halloween isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for kids, it is one of their favourite times. Here is a list of a few things that you can do. The funny thing is that kids don’t seem to grow out of Halloween. Then as soon as Halloween is over, it is Bonfire Night.

• You can have some dressing up days.
• Download some free pictures to colour in
• Watch Hocus Pocus, Goosebumps and other kid-friendly scary films
• Make some Halloween snacks together
• Tell scary stories to each other
• Decorate your home, Poundland sell cheap decorations
• Put some sweets together for Trick Or Treat visitors
• Talk about Halloween and where it started.
• Carve a Pumpkin and see who can make the funniest or the scariest.

Make it all about Halloween for a few of the days. You can even make them some healthy Halloween snacks by using a Halloween cookie cutter and cutting out Halloween shapes on a tortilla wrap. Then pop them in the air fryer or the oven for a couple of minutes until they are slightly golden brown. Then serve it with some homemade houmous.