What’s happier than the sight of children having fun? More than anything, it’s Children’s Day and these simple and inexpensive ideas will keep kids entertained either at home or out of doors
Tell a story
Read a favourite book or make up a story together. It’s even more fun to use stuffed animals or toys as the characters in a story.
Go somewhere
It can be a park, the library, pet store, garden, berry patch or a children’s museum. Bring a lunch; make a day of it. Even a very small town can have many attractions for even very young children- soft play areas, berry picking places, maize mazes. If you’re going somewhere like a local pub or a museum, make sure they are happy with small children.
Games
Give a child an hour of your time for fun. They’ll keep you busy and love you for it! Children have an incredible mind for games- they will have favourites that they play when they can, such as spy dudes or unicorn riders. If all else fails, go on a bear hunt. Older children about age 10 may enjoy board games or things that are not as energetic as the games that younger kids may like. Don’t do anything that is too old for the kids.
Get cooking
Pick a recipe with the kids, go shopping for ingredients and cook something together that you can enjoy eating afterwards. Depending on your child’s age and interest, this could be anything from a simple sponge cake to meat pies!
Arrange a movie day
Choose a couple of favourite films, get some popcorn and put your feet up with the kids.
Sing a song together
Buy a second-hand guitar at a car boot sale or borrow one off a friend. Learning a few simple songs can keep your kids entertained for ages.
Paint
Draw a picture with the child. Take turns adding a small doodle to the picture. Put lots of pieces of cheap printing paper or newspaper down and fill a large, shallow tray with brightly coloured paints. They can then ‘paint’ with their hands, feet, or any other part of their body! Chop a potato in half, dry it out, and then carve shapes in it. Dip it in paint and splodge it onto the paper for fun potato printing.
Plant a garden
You can make a garden box or even an herb garden if you don’t have much room. Your kids will really enjoy watching the veggies sprout up, knowing they played a part in making the food.
Play soccer or some other sport together
Head to the park, or play in your own backyard. You can kick the soccer ball around, or grab another ball and play some catch.
Explore
Take a walk on the lookout for bugs, flowers or anything that catches your eye. Lift rocks. Peer into puddles. Take along a magnifying glass, eyedropper, small plastic spoons, ice cube tray, tweezers, flashlight and jars with lids. If you live in a village find a track you’ve never been down and just go exploring. Do make sure that you aren’t trespassing, though, and be mindful of property and people.
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