As parents, we sometimes approach the holidays with some trepidation, fearful about how to safely occupy or entertain our children during their time at home and about the expense that this may incur. Yet we needn't spend a lot of money when planning holiday-time activities.
Children do not need sophisticated toys to be imaginative or expensive outings to theme parks to have fun. In fact, it is often while playing with the very simplest of resources and natural materials that children are at their most creative.
In this age of developing technology, there is a temptation for children to sit passively for long periods in front of a screen. Computers, televisions, games consoles and hand-held electronic games are playing an increasingly dominant role in children's lives, often to the exclusion of more active play and social interaction.
Childhood inactivity, along with poor eating habits, is contributing to an increase in the number of obese children and can lead to health problems later in life. It is vital that young children have opportunities to be active throughout the day and plenty of physical exercise so that their bodies and brains can develop properly.
As long as children are clothed appropriately and protected from the sun and cold, there are very few days that they will be unable to enjoy being outside. And nor do children need access to a large garden to be able to enjoy exciting outdoor experiences. There are many ways of engaging children in high-quality play and learning in a small yard.
Below are some ideas for indoor and outdoor activities that are easy and cheap to organise. Also included are ideas for making the most of your local area.
All the activities suggested, while promoting learning in a wide range of curriculum areas, should be fun and interesting to children - hopefully, you will recapture some of the enjoyment of those happy childhood days too!
Out of the box
Provide cardboard boxes and packaging such as tubes, packets and drums (supermarkets might be able to give you some), masking tape, pens and string for your child/ren to use:
* as furniture, for example, as kitchen units and shop counters in their role play
* to build castles, cars, trains and so on
* to make a puppet theatre
* to make a 'garage' for bikes and scooters, using boxes as ramps and petrol pumps
* to make a 'stage' and 'microphone' and put on live performances. Provide a CD or tape recorder or encourage children to make their own instruments.
Bucket and brush Provide plastic buckets filled with water and decorators' brushes of different widths for:
* making marks on concrete or tarmac and writing names with brushes
* 'painting' walls, fences or bikes.
On a roll
Provide lengths of plastic guttering, cardboard tubes, masking tape, large buckets, washing-up bowls, seed trays, large cardboard boxes, small balls (for example, table tennis balls) and toy cars, which your child/ren can use to:
* build ball and car runs by arranging bowls, trays and boxes at different levels and tubes and guttering on varying inclines.
A close look
Provide plastic pots (for example, recycled dessert pots), plastic magnifying glass, plastic fork and spoon for:
* searching for creatures such as caterpillars, worms, woodlice and spiders
* looking closely at, comparing and talking about features of 'minibeasts'.
Sticks and stones
Provide bags or baskets and trays, in which to:
* collect natural objects of interest (inside or in the garden or park)
* make patterns or pictures with natural objects such as stones, twigs, leaves, conkers or with objects such as buttons.
Curtain up!
Provide a table, chairs, lengths of fabric (scarves, bedding or curtains) that your child/ren can use to:
* create tents, caves and dens
* make puppet theatres
* dress up in various character roles.
At a pinch
Provide salt and a shallow baking tray and encourage your child/ren to:
* sprinkle a layer of salt into the tray
* make marks with their fingers in the tray, draw pictures and write their names
* shake the tray gently to make the marks disappear and start again!
Cakes and biscuits
Provide play dough*, chopping board, bun cases, rolling pin, bun tin, baking tray, biscuit cutters, and kitchen utensils suitable for making patterns, such as forks and potato mashers, for your child/ren to:
* play at baking 'cakes' and 'biscuits'
* make dough models
* make imprinted patterns.
* Play dough is very easy to make at home. To make it you need: 2 cups plain flour, 2 cups water, 1 cup salt, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar and food colouring.
Mix all the ingredients together in a pan and heat, stirring all the time.
The mixture will go lumpy before binding together into a ball. Knead it until smooth and leave to cool before giving to children.
Puppet show
Provide wooden spoons, pens, glue, wool, pieces of fabric, paper and card for:
* making story character stick puppets
* giving puppet shows.
Paper and pens
Provide clipboards, paper and pens on a walk and encourage your child/ren to:
* draw from observation, for example, flowers, farm animals
* make marks to record every time a bus passes or they see a bird.
On ice
Provide cube trays, fruit juice, water, milk, plastic jugs, lolly sticks and fruit and encourage your child/ren to:
* cut up fruit into small pieces (with adult support)
* mix the liquids
* place fruit pieces and lolly sticks in ice cube sections
* place the ice cube trays in the freezer
* taste their lollies when frozen.
Picnic time
Plan a picnic in the park:
* Involve your child/ren in deciding on a picnic 'menu'. Encourage them to be creative and allow them to try out new ideas for sandwich fillings.
* Encourage your child/ren to make shopping lists of items needed.
* Take them shopping, with their lists, to buy food and drink for the picnic.
* Encourage them to prepare and pack the food. Talk about how many plates, cups and items of food are needed and help them to count one for each person.
* Use your walk to the park as an opportunity to encourage your child/ren to look and listen. For example, look out for signs of spring and listen closely to the different sounds such as birds and cars.
* After the picnic, provide plates, cups and real or toy food for them to engage in picnic role play.
Story time
Use a story as a starting point for a walk around the local area:
* Read your child/ren a story such as The Treasure Hunt by Nick Butterworth (Picture Lions, 5.99)
* Use elements of the story as a focus for your walk. For example, plan a treasure hunt, like Percy the park keeper in The Treasure Hunt, and invite other family members or friends to take part.
* Look at and make maps of the area with your child/ren. Encourage them to make marks to represent landmarks.
* Talk about the story, its characters and events that take place.
