The half term weather may be wet and windy, but keeping your kids happy doesn’t have to be hard work. With a little imagination and a few simple supplies, it’s easy to create your own indoor family fun.
Make a mess
Little fingers love playing with squidgy play dough, so why not follow this simple recipe and have a go at making your own? All you need is vegetable oil, salt, flour, cornflour and food colouring. Once your kids have finished playing with it, pop your homemade play dough in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
If you have fond childhood memories of creating things with paper mache, you’ll love showing your kids how to make Twin Mummy and Daddy’s paper mache masks. For this activity, you’ll need some PVA glue, a jug of water, a balloon, a newspaper, some white paper, a pen, paints and glitter.
Older kids and teenagers who love getting creative with colour will enjoy having a go at dip dying a t-shirt, cushion cover or even a cheap pair of white shoes. All you need to provide is a pair of rubber gloves, a bowl, a measuring tape, some blue and pink dye and plenty of salt.
Inspire imaginations
Is your child a music lover? Then how about booking them onto The Strings Club’s Half Term Holiday Camp? Based at Mere Green primary school, this award winning experience encourages kids of all abilities to engage with music and includes free hire of an instrument. Childcare vouchers are also accepted.
If you fancy a trip to the theatre at half term, don’t miss the Jaguar Charity Pantomime Society’s annual club pantomime at Sutton Town Hall. Peter Pan is showing every day at a variety of times to suit all the family.
February half term wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the cinema, so why not check out what’s on at Sutton Coldfield’s Empire cinema? If you’re on a budget, the Empire Juniors programme offers families the chance to catch up with recent releases for just £1.50 per person.
Alternatively, you could hold your own family movie night, complete with homemade popcorn!
Bring out the board games
Rainy weather provides the perfect opportunity to try out that family board game you were given for Christmas, so put away the iPad and encourage everyone to join in.
You might encounter a little resistance to start with, but don’t let this put you off, as your kids will soon realise that there’s nothing like bonding over a board game. All age classics that will get your kids giggling include Pictionary, Junior Scrabble, Boggle, Snakes and Ladders and Cluedo. If you have a deck of cards, we also recommend introducing your kids to a game called Spoons. It’s fast, noisy and extremely addictive!
Get your bake on
There’s nothing like baking to warm you up on a chilly day and most kids love getting their hands covered in cake mixture. We love this cute gingerbread cookie recipe from Rainy Day Mum, but if you’re looking for a cake that delivers one of your five a day, you can’t go wrong with blueberry muffins.
If you’d rather stick to savoury snacks, these easy dips are perfect with pitta bread and some crunchy veg sticks. And if your kids are keen to cook tea with you, pitta pizzas come highly recommended. To make them, spread tomato puree onto pitta bread, decorate with your favourite toppings and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Build a den
It might be too cold to camp out but it’s surprising what kids can create with a collection of boxes, sheets, blankets, cushions and a couple of chairs. Why not challenge them to build a den, then spend the afternoon decorating it with fairy lights, artwork, bunting and a keep out sign?
If it’s sturdy enough, you could even allow your kids to spend the night in their den. Simply kit them out with torches, sleeping bags, midnight nibbles and their favourite toys for an indoor adventure they’ll remember!
What do your kids love doing on rainy days? We’d love to hear your ideas!
