Half term can be a tough one to negotiate. Most of the time, it’s one week off in the middle of term and it feels a bit like no man’s land. It’s not really long enough to plan a trip away (I say this because usually you’ll need to do a bit of life admin during this time too, like getting the kids to the dentist/optician, or replacing their school shoes).
The other problem with half-term is that most attractions are hot and busy. You can forget about soft play, or anything that’s reasonably affordable because other families will also have the same great ideas as you. We once made the mistake of going to The Deep on a rainy day in half-term and it was packed. It made it really hard to see all the different animals and heat seemed to make the kids a bit grumpy.
Half-Term Adventures
When it comes to half-term, you need to get inventive. The usual places are off-limits and you usually have some energetic children to wear out who are overexcited about the fact they’re not at school. Outdoorsy activities tend to be my go-to. There’s something about the fresh air that really seems to help burn off their energy and make them feel like they’ve done something really valuable.
Below are my favourites for half-term adventures. When you need to fill those days between doing the stuff that you need to with the stuff they think is fun.
Get out the gazebo
A gazebo is an incredibly versatile investment. Not only are they easy to put up, pack away and store, they’re also probably much cheaper than you think and can be used all year round. If you don’t have one, you can buy a pop up gazebo here.
Once you’ve got your gazebo out, you can do almost anything in there. It’s a fab place to set up the hot tub on colder days (let’s face it, you usually get a half term in October and February, meaning the weather is never at its best). The steam from the hot tub will warm the tent, and the gazebo itself will shelter the kids from the wind and rain (it always rains during half term).
If you have smaller children and the hot tub isn’t a good choice for them, you can set up some messy play in the garden (under the gazebo). Again, your child will be protected from the elements but you won’t have to worry about cleaning your floors inside the house. Sand and water tables fit well in the gazebo, and if they’re feeling in a messy mood, you can also set up a mud kitchen without worrying about the dirt!
Nature walks
It might be chilly and damp out, but if you can wrap the kids up in some weather appropriate clothes then you can take them anywhere. There are some wood and a boating lake near us, and when it’s chilly, they get ignored.
Search blogs for a printable nature walk checklist, before taking your kids on a scavenger hunt. Children are usually unfazed by the weather (unless it’s chucking it down) and will enjoy the challenge of looking for pinecones while they also get chance to run off some steam.
Blanket Forts
If the weather really is too cold to venture out, then there’s no need to leave the house. Build some blanket forts, decorate them with fairy lights and hole up with some good films. Making hot chocolate with marshmallows, popping some popcorn and grabbing a family pack of crisps will help make the home cinema experience even better. We recently wrote about our lovely cosy night in, if you need some pointers.
*Collaborative post