The holidays are fast approaching, and it’s a great time to bond with your children. We often start the holidays with great gusto and have lots of exciting trips planned but sometimes children want to chill and value just being at home.
It’s best to put a little bit of advanced planning in to holidays and avoid boredom. Having fun isn’t always about spending money; it’s often about spending quality time and having an arsenal of activities to keep your children out of mischief.
Here are some cost effective simple ideas, these tips will keep your children busy for hours.

Water painting
Who says you need paints and pencils to create a masterpiece? Fill up a bucket of water and give your child a big paintbrush that they can use to paint the house, shed, patio, bricks….they’ll love watching the water stain everything a different colour and going back over the bits they’ve missed.
Sculptures
Make use of all those used boxes and containers by encouraging your child to create something unique. You could give them scissors, glue and paint and set them a theme (robots, rockets and princess castles are usually popular) or simply let their imagination run wild and get them to come up with something totally individual.
Make a cardboard house.
Who needs bricks and mortar to build a great house? A couple of big cardboard boxes (one for the building, one for the roof) is all you really need to create a mini child-friendly house and your children will adore decorating it with pens, paints, glitter and crayons. If there’s space in their rooms, you could move it upstairs and let their toys live in it for a week or two, plus they’ll love showing it off to all their friends.
Hopscotch.
Remember that from your childhood? Simple, a great way to burn off energy and great for number recognition, burn off some of your energy too by joining in.
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts don’t need to cost anything – start a craft box containing empty household boxes and tubs, wrapping paper and ribbons and you and your children will soon be able to create mini masterpieces to treasure or give as gifts.
Painting
Painting big pieces of paper is a fun way to spend an hour or too. You could pencil in some faint shapes for them to colour in or leave them to create their own designs. If they like it enough, you could even use it as a mural for their bedroom wall
Obstacle courses
Obstacle courses are surprisingly easy to recreate and you can customise them for children of any age.
Scavenger hunts.
You may think that hunts are just for outside play but there are so many great hiding places indoors. You can get the children to play in teams or independently. Turn it around and get the children hide things and you find them.
Collages
You could ask your child to make a collage out of items they’ve collected from the garden/days out or give them recycled card, paper and materials to create their very own masterpiece. Another easy way to ensure lots of fun without a penny in sight.
Finally ……
Playing balloon tennis. You will need the long balloons for your rackets and a couple of round balloons for your ball.
Don’t let the balloon hit the floor.

Have fun!

With many thanks to Di Williams of nannyplus agency for guest writing this blog. (www.nannyplus.co.uk)

If you would like help from a professional and accredited Nanny Agency, Norma Lewis Nannies Agency is happy to provide you with a bespoke and personalized service.If you would like to find out more about us and the way that we work, please see www.normalewisnannies.co.uk, or call 02089508611/ 020 70 60 40 50, or email norma@normalewisnannies.co.uk

Tags: amusement school holidays. school holidays children play