Whether it’s half-term or summer holidays, I know you have been counting down to having a break from school. That means longer lie-ins (if you’re lucky), lazy breakfasts, and no dash to and from school. But if you’re going to be home for any period of time, you’re probably wondering what you’re going to do with all this extra time with your kids. So, I’ve got 13 ideas for an amazing half-term or summer holiday at home (that won’t break the bank).
1. Board Game Olympics
If you’ve got 3 or more games knocking about, a board game Olympics is a great way to entertain the family. You can make a tournament as short or as long as your tweens or teens can manage. Keep it small or invite a few friends to play, too. Give creative awards at the end for everyone such as fairest player, least lucky player, most graceful loser etc.
2. Sleepover (real or virtual slumber party)
As long as you have a cosy room to sleep in (or even a tent in the back garden) you’re good to go with a sleepover. Set a date, pick up some snacks, pop on a movie and let the kids do what they do best: laugh and play till they (finally) go to sleep.
If your child has friends that are farther away, why not have a virtual sleepover instead? All you need is a video chat app like Zoom, messenger or FaceTime and they can have as much fun as actually being together!
3. Couch co-op games
If your kids are video game crazy, it will be hard for you to tear them away during this half-term or summer break. Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Studies have shown that the kids with the healthiest gaming habits are the ones whose parents have taken an active interest in their games. Check out our favourite couch co-op games and get playing together.
4. Treasure hunters
When you’ve had enough of being indoors, it’s time to get some fresh air. A free printable nature scavenger hunt is perfect for kids. Just add a pen or crayons and you’re ready to hit a local forest with your junior detectives. If you happen upon a lake, the kids might have a lot of fun feeding the ducks. (Just don’t feed them bread. Check out this list of safe foods for ducks and other waterfowl.)
If you haven’t got a forest near you, you can adapt the scavenger hunt for a neighbourhood walk or a trip to the park. If your kids don’t want to leave the house in half-term or summer, you might need to offer up a prize for finding all the things on their list (a bit of chocolate seems to work for my family!).
5. Lights, camera, action!
Do you have a budding Spielberg in your house? With a smartphone or iPad, it’s incredibly easy to make your own films. For very novice filmmakers, get them to set up their toys and make funny voices and sound effects while you do the technical part (i.e., press record and quickly edit the clips later in iMovie for them).
Older kids will be able to do this on their own or with little supervision. My boys love to make stop-animation films with their Star Wars Lego. It can keep them entertained (and very quiet!) for hours. We use an app called Stop Motion Studio.
6. Film festival
We talked about our Marvel movie marathon before, as it was something we thoroughly enjoyed in lockdown. You could try your own marathon with any kind of movie franchise like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Back to the Future, Minions, or Spy Kids. Or set a theme like princess movies or movies about pets. Settle down with a new movie each day and make plenty of popcorn. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out our great family film list.
7. Movie night snack board
The perfect pairing for a film marathon is a movie night snack board. Take the kids to the shop and let them pick their favourite sweets, biscuits, fruit etc. Pile it together on a platter or cutting board, and you’ve got a kid’s charcuterie board they’ll remember for a long time.
8. Park life
Do you always take the kids to the same parks? I know I do! This summer or half-term, find a new park or visit a park you only go to occasionally. Maybe there’s a petting zoo or local farm you could visit with your animal lovers. Or a park with tennis courts, table tennis or basketball for your sports lover. Pack a frisbee, jump rope, hula hoop, bubble wand or football, too.
If you’re not far from the beach or forest, consider making a day trip. Find an adventure playground or even just a swing set your child hasn’t seen before. A change of scene will do you all good.
9. Eat backwards
They say that our strongest memories occur when we do something different from the norm. Who says pancakes are eaten only in the morning? Involve the kids in choosing what they want to eat as “breakfast for dinner” or “dinner for breakfast” and then let them prepare as much of the meal as they can.
Pancakes or waffles (or even bubble waffles) are a great choice for dinner because everyone can have fun with different fruit and chocolate toppings. Add a couple of meat or veggie sausages and some hash browns for bigger appetites.
Or for another spin, make a pizza for breakfast, like the Domestic Gothess. Bon Appetit!
10. Get tied up
If you don’t mind getting a little messy, summer break or half-term is a brilliant time to try a new craft.
Have you ever thought about doing tie-dye with your kids? You can buy a tie-dye kit, which has everything you need apart from the item you want to dye, and the fun doesn’t stop at colouring t-shirts. You could tie-dye a cotton tote bag, bedsheets, a hat, canvas shoes or even a pair of socks!
I recommend watching High Snobiety on YouTube for a few ideas on different patterns you can achieve with your dye.
11. Spot of tea, madam?
No budget for Claridges? No problem, you can have a high tea party at home! Get out your best tablecloth and add a vase of flowers if you have one. Don’t worry if your kids don’t like tea, you can use lemonade or apple juice in a teapot and pour it into little teacups. Serve tiny sandwiches and cupcakes. Maybe dress up and put music on to set the fancy atmosphere.
If your kids are really into it, they could even make their own invitations and invite a couple of friends (or grandma!) for a lovely afternoon tea party right in your own home.
12. Your tour guide for today is… me!
Try being a tourist in your own town. Everyone lives somewhere interesting to other people. For one day, pretend your family is on holiday and find all the best places in town. Go for ice cream, learn about something historical, pretend you’re on a walking tour.
Check Instagram for your city’s hashtag, there’s bound to be bloggers who have taken great photos around where you live. Use this half-term to take a few tourist snaps of your own. If you’re really brave, consider getting up at the crack of dawn to see the sunrise, or head out at night to see the stars come out. Maybe there’s even a lookout point for a great view.
There are sure to be lots of places where you live that you have never taken your kids before, and now is the perfect time to explore them.
13. Pillow power
And finally, are you even a parent if you don’t pick up sofa cushions 13 times a day in half-term? Don’t bother! In fact, tell the kids to grab every single pillow and cushion in the house, plus a couple of sheets, some blankets and clothes pegs. Pull the dining chairs out, remove the sofa cushions too. Make walls from the couch and drape sheets over the backs of chairs.
In short, let them go wild making and re-making a cosy den. If it’s at night, consider draping some fairy lights, and if the kids are small, they might appreciate being read to in their own little tent. Older kids will probably end up with their game systems eventually, but who can blame them when the living room has never looked more inviting.
Half-term at home
Whatever you do, remember that spending time with your kids is more important than any expensive holiday you can take them on. Make sure to snap a few photos of your half-term adventures together, so you can look back on them in future years!
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