It feels as though this winter lasted forever, but at long last it appears the ice is gradually beginning to thaw and spring is well and truly happening whether we’re ready for it or not. With the arrival of sunshine and longer days comes the need to entertain the children for what seems like hours longer than usual. Inspiration not coming naturally? We’re not surprised, raising human beings takes a lot of brain power, there’s not a whole lot of room left for creativity. Never fear, we have your back. Here are a few ideas…
The National Trust is one of the most wonderful things about living on our beautiful little island, they’ve got a whole host of properties right across the country just waiting to be explored. You can check out their website to find a list of locations near you and find out more about each individual site. They’ve often got some great activities on location for the little ones, keeping them busy running around while you soak up some historic anecdotes and idyllic landscapes.
Not all of the days in spring will be sunny. In fact, a fair few of them may well be drizzly and miserable, and you’ll still need something fun to occupy the days. Enter: crafts. Thanks to Pinterest, you’re only ever a few clicks away from a genius kids crafting idea. Here are a few of our favourites for Spring…
“Wellie wanging” is well and truly a thing, wikipedia says so. All you need for a wellie wanging tournament at home is some wide open space (your garden or the local park should do the trick), the kids’ wellies and a decent underarm. Everyone will have a whale of a time throwing their shoes as far as they possibly can.
This is a great way to encourage the kids to invite some friends from school or nursery over, and a lovely chance for everyone to dress up and have fun together! Gather everybody together on 1st May for music and laughter – you could even make a maypole if you’ve got time.
Doing our bit for our animal friends is a great way to keep the little ones quiet on sunny weekends, and a fab opportunity to teach them a little bit more about the world around us. RSPB have got some advice about making nestboxes for birds, you could plant flowers for the bees or make homes for hedgehogs – the possibilities are endless and very much mutually beneficial!
A visit to your local farm or petting zoo is bound to go down an absolute treat with the kids, especially if they don’t have a pet at home or don’t get out to see animals too often! If you don’t happen to have somewhere like this nearby, perhaps look for long walks that would have you walking past cattle.
Make a game out of washing the car or weeding the garden – or anything else that might need doing. Thank us for this one later!
An obvious but often overlooked activity – swimming! Bonus points if you can find an outdoor pool with water slides.
Whatever you choose to do to keep the family smiling through the sunshine this year, make sure you don’t lose a single memory with The Family Book!
