Half Term Help from Northwich Parents

Half term is here but it’s going to be a bit more challenging than normal! With cinemas, shops and soft play centres closed, what are we going to do with our little ones?! 

Luckily help is at hand, we asked Northwich parents to share their tips so that you can plan a week of fun activities even during lockdown!  Read on to discover some great ideas including kitchen discos, bowling alleys and geocaching! 

Sarah Jane Jones
Go on a family rainbow walk. We have so many lovely open spaces to make the most of in and around Northwich. How many different colours can you find? Record them with your phone camera and make a collage when you get home.

Lorna Coy
We made a bowling alley in the hall out of drinks cans. Had hot dogs and popcorn to complete the experience

Stacey Harms
Empty cardboard boxes and pens, paints etc. Lots of baking cookies. Walks in the park seeing who can do the most steps.

Emma Naylor
Family games! Monopoly, chess, the game of life, a game we created ourselves called dogs, the 5 second rule, uno, dobble – we love them all. We’ve been working and the kids have been at school throughout the pandemic so our family time is more precious than ever

Christina K Hodson
I am trying to keep our play interesting and fun so I’m cutting out shapes from coloured paper and hide around the room. After all shapes are found my children would count them and draw their own designs. We use any recycling materials to build models and collage.

Kate Pugh
I’m going to make a plan for the week filled with indoor and outdoor activities so we have something to get up, get ready and look forward to. We can switch activities round if the weather isn’t great also

Allison Princess Reid
Old wallpaper rolled out with lots of making things ( paint with cars and balls , pens and pencils ) or putting dolls in the bath to give them a wash or go out for a family walk to the park x

Tracy Baddiley-Watson
Old roll of wallpaper or backing paper. Roll out across the floor, plenty of pens, crayons and paint, it’s like a never ending sketch book! cheap and cheerful and keeps the kids entertained for hours! Winner winner

Beth Hardy
We cut 4 holes in the top of a cardboard box, and coloured around them with numbers 10 20 30 40. We used old Christmas baubles and the kids had to throw and try and get them in the holes! The one who got the most points won! Kept them busy for HOURS (and I had to say goodbye to a few baubles )

Lyndsey Barker-Hewitt
Turning our kitchen into a restaurant for the weekend , the kids research, create and design the menus and theme. Decorating to create a nice restaurant atmosphere. Choose a good music playlist and then help to cook and serve the food. We all get dressed up and pretend we are going out. Hours of entertainment.

Katherine McDermott
Scavenger hunts! Plenty of time outdoors trying to find treasure, keeps everybody entertained and tires us out.

Stephanie Mellor
It’s gotta be a kitchen disco!! … Cheap disco lights from Amazon… glow sticks and then crank up the tunes!!!!

@kimfallows Making own superhero stuff- from creating own masks, designing costumes to making cuffs & rockets.

@Laura.harris9 Lots of crafts and some nice walks, I might try & shuffle some of their toys round too – find some bits that have been forgotten about ❤️

@larissa.dominy I love seasonal hunts! Make a list of flowers in bloom this time of year, types of leaves/trees, birds you might spot, wildlife tracks etc. You can be as creative as you like, maybe add boxes to tick and pictures, even weather charts for older children. Take the list on an outdoor walk with little one/s and see what you find when your really looking. Happy adventuring ☃️

@soph11m Geocaching has been a great boredom buster for getting my son out and about for walks in the fresh air, it is a fantastic way to get some exercise with the added extra of outdoor treasure hunting! (Weather permitting! ❄

@jentoms80 It’s all about baking and walks for us! We bake cupcakes and talk about how we will decorate them on our walk……keeps everyone engaged and we get a treat when we are home!

@gemphoenix1 We will be baking, den making, film watching, puzzle playing, duck feeding, park playing and watching films with hot chocolates! What else is there to do?! X

@sophienelson13 Making dens is always a hit for our little ones! Stick a sheet up over some furniture and they’ll be entertained for a good hour or more! Also lots of park trips and walks in the fresh air

@staceylouisguest Lots of lego building and having a competition to see who can build the most unreal thing.

@hartfordchildcare We’ll be doing a lot of pancake play – pancake tossing races (with beanbags), designing our dream pancakes, making and eating pancakes, sensory play with flour, role play pretending to make pancakes in the play kitchen, pancake games, pancake stories etc!