Entertaining kids for free!!!

School holidays can be a double edged sword.

On one hand, you don't have to jump out of bed at the crack of dawn to get the kids dressed and lunches made as you race the clock praying you can get them all in the car and into their class room before the first bell. You don't have to spend and hour every morning trying to help with reading groups and homework sheets all the while trying to keep an eye on the two toddlers playing on the toys and hoping the baby doesn't eat half a ton of sand.

You do however have to keep the little darlings entertained for an extra 6 and a half hours a day. This can be a very tricky predicament when one is on a low income and also has to arrange activities suitable to a range of different ages. You can't take a 1 year old to the big boing (a play centre for older kids filled with trampolines and foam pits) any more than you can take a 12 year old to a Peppa pig concert. Well not unless you want them to stage a hostile takeover and lock you out of the mini van.

As such I have had to become very crafty when it comes to holiday fun. Coming up with activities without doing the same thing everyday and not allowing the kids to watch unlimited TV. I find it's best to create a plan. A calendar on the fridge with activities pre organised and back up plans at the ready in case someone gets sick or the weather decides to throw a rainy day your way.

First up, cooking. Getting the kids involved in the kitchen is not only fun for them, you have to do it anyway, so you may as well make it a game. Admittedly this can lead to an awful mess and sometimes if not properly supervised, some very questionable muffins. But after a few lessons you will be pleasantly surprised how quickly they pick it up. Even Miss 1 likes to stir and "help" add the ingredients. One good baking session can not only make snacks for the whole week but also keep them busy and entertained for a whole morning.

Next up on my list of holiday activities is the park. The local park is a great place for the kids to burn of energy and if well organised you can almost get a whole day in without the kids getting board. I always take snacks and or lunch. Plus I try to organise to meet a couple of other mums so that not only do the kids have some friends to play with, but mummy can talk to at least one other adult. As much as Miss 12 likes to think she is a grown up, real adult time is a necessity, otherwise one may go insane. I also like to take along games and toys, its a pain at the end of the day to pack away and make sure you haven't left any behind but it's well worth the extra time it buys you outside.

I also love craft time. This activity can last for hours. I stockpile stickers, glue, scrap paper and leftover note books for the school year before. Even setting up for this activity is an activity. I get Master 9 and Miss 12 to tear up paper and cut shapes for the little kids to glue. Hopefully to the paper but sometimes to themselves or others. I also have a collection of $2 shop stamps. If you ever want to see a look of pure contentment on the face of a 2 year old, hand them a bucket of stamps and a table covered in butchers paper and let them go for gold. Hours of entertainment at very little cost. Plus after craft time, I leave the paper on the table for dinner time then roll the whole thing up and chuck it in the bin. One less thing to clean at the end of the night is a winner in my book.

On rainy days I have a huge list of indoor activities that can keep them busy. I do break them up with a movie here and there, especially when the little ones are napping. No one wants 4 kids playing hide and seek when the babies are sleeping and their favourite hiding spot is under the cot.

Their favourite game is probably search and drop. I'm not sure where I heard about this game, but it is a great time filler and being that it is completely free, I love it. You start by getting a toy bucket and filling it with a selection of different toys. I like to use Fisher Price Little People and dinosaurs for the little kids and basically anything for the older kids. You then count all the toys together so everyone knows how many are there. You then get all the kids in one room while you hide the toys all over the house. Little hint, don't hide any in the bathroom, they will undoubtedly end up in the loo if found by anyone under the age of 4!!! Trust me on this. After hiding all the toys, making sure to hide the older kids toys in absolutely ridiculous places you then sit down for a cup of coffee(hey, I take five minutes peace and quiet wherever I can get it) then you set them loose, for every toy that they get back in the bucket they earn 2 minutes TV time. To add an extra challenge you can put a time limit on the game.

This game is also really good to get them to clean up. Instead of hiding the toys, you find the nearest toy box and reward them for every toy they get in the box in five minutes, also works for laundry and rubbish. Kids will do anything for a reward, especially TV time.

Afternoons are the trickiest part of our day here. Those who have not had a sleep are starting to get grumpy, the older kids tend to be less helpful and more troublesome and as it starts to get closer to dinner time they all start to get hungry. That's when you pull out afternoon tea with a twist! You could probably use any kids game but we use Tumbling Chimps at the moment. The kids play the game as per the rules. But after every go they get to have a little treat, a grape, a rice cracker or anything else bite sized. This makes the game more fun and gets the kids to all stay in one place while they are eating, now some of you are probably saying, well kids should just have to eat at the table no matter what, but when there is 6 of them and one of you, short of duct taping them to their chairs, it's a bit of a challenge. Especially with Master 6 who likes to flap and move when he eats, something he cant control with his ASD and once he is on the move the others follow, so this is a great distraction for all of them.

I have come up with and "borrowed" heaps of ideas for kids activities that cost next to nothing. These ideas not only keep the kids happy on holidays, but also buy you some much needed down time.

If you like any of these ideas and would like some more. Leave me a comment and I will do another post.

Thanks
Mumofmany!

Source: wallpaper safari