Half Term Survival Guide for Parents

Plans? What plans? The meaning of the word has changed this year. Did you have any plans for the half-term holiday this October, do you have any for Christmas?

Well, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones and the tier restrictions aren’t interfering with your travel itineraries. Maybe your children were not sent home to self-isolate for a couple of weeks during these couple of months since they started school in September. Maybe you are this calm and composed family where everybody is working from home during the week and still enjoying time together over the weekend. Maybe… But even if you are lucky, calm, composed and of a cheery disposition some advice on how to make this holiday enjoyable won’t go amiss, will it? After all, even if you have the imagination of Mary Poppins, making your holidays fun takes some extra effort this year. So we asked Parent Talk advisor Joanna Miskin from Action for Children for her 29 magical tips on how to make a family happy this half term break and beyond.

Joanna says: “This may not be the October half term many of us were planning – yet another bump on the rollercoaster ride that is 2020. But whether you’re spending half-term in lockdown, juggling holidays with working from home, or rethinking your travel plans, it’s important to have some time out to focus on your family’s wellbeing.”

“As they adjust to yet another ‘new normal’, talk to your children about any worries or anxieties they have and involve them in plans you make to help them feel more in control. Above all, make the most of the situation by carving out some quality family time together.”

Here are Parent Talk’s 29 tips for having family fun together this half term.

1. Do some Bonfire Night art at home – with black paper, glitter and glue you could make some sparkly delights.

2. Board game sessions are good for everyone and a great way to show younger children how to take turns and share.

3. If you’re stuck indoors, singing and dancing are brilliant ways to exercise so put some music on and have a disco.

4. Make some bonfire night food – maybe an autumn BBQ and jacket potatoes!

5. Head out into the garden and collect some leaves before using paints to make a print with them.

6. Allow your children to choose a theme every day or week and base your planned activities around that. Focus on something you know your child will enjoy from ‘dinosaurs’ to ‘under the sea’ or ‘people who help us.’
 
7. With no trick-or-treat-ing this year you can still make Halloween a bit more special by dressing up the house. You could make some of the decorations yourselves – see who can craft the spookiest spider or ask
children to draw a friendly monster. You can also offer up a prize for the most creative costume from items around the house!

8. If you can’t get to an indoor soft play why not create one in your front room from pillows and cushions? It will burn off some energy and help physical development.

9. Help the kids have something to look forward to by creating Christmas cards for other members of the family.

10. Pretend you’re all heading off on a camping adventure and make a den in the front room with duvets, pillows and cushions.

11. Grab a packet of plain biscuits and some icing sugar and get decorating. Not only does this develop creativity and motor skills, but everyone gets a treat at the end!

12. Depending on your child’s age play a round of musical chairs or musical cushions for the much younger ones.

13. Have a mini firework display in your garden with some pet friendly fireworks.

14. Blow up some balloons and set a challenge that they’re not allowed to touch the floor during a game of
catch.
 

15. Have a tea party for teddies and dolls. Ask your child to share out food such as breadsticks with all of them, counting as they do so.

16. Karaoke is a good way to keep yourself up to date with what your child is listening to as well as being a fun activity for all the family. Download a karaoke app on your phone to get you started.

17. Ask to play a computer game with them – this will show them you’re taking an interest in the stuff that they like, as well as giving you an insight into how and what they play.

18. Turn your home into a cinema. Instead of just putting a film on, make the room dark and give your child a blanket to cuddle up underneath. Let them choose a spooky film for Halloween film too (age appropriate of course!)

19. Have a go at hide and seek either indoors or out, another activity that the whole family can join in with.

20. Wrap up warm, grab a torch and take a walk in the dark to listen to the sounds and smell the bonfire smells – you could take some glow sticks to make yourself look like a walking firework!

21. Take care of yourself and each other and have a spa day. Use washing up bowls for a foot soak before you give each other pedicures and make scrubs and facemasks from ingredients you can find in the kitchen like olive oil, sugar and honey.

22. If the sky is clear wrap up warm at night and get older children out of the house for some stargazing. The Sky at Night magazine has some tips on what you can look out for!

23. Start a book club. Choose a book that everyone will want to read and then download to a Kindle or reading app. There are often book club questions at the end to get you thinking, or you can come up with your own.

24. Create an individual, or family, vision board. This can be anything from a series of positive affirmations, to things that make you happy or places you all want to travel to. Cut things out from magazine or print items off from the internet to stick on to the board.

25. Help your teen to rearrange their bedroom – this is also a great excuse to tidy up and clear out some drawers. Give them separate bags or boxes for items to recycle, donate or keep.

26. Plan a three course meal with items that you already have in the house. Get the kids to design the menu, set the table and then get cooking in the kitchen.

27. Grab some old clothes (maybe from that bedroom sort out!) and get upcycling. Cut off old jeans to make shorts, lose sleeves or change a neckline to create something new. If your sewing skills would struggle with this, there are plenty of ideas online at sites like loveyourclothes

28. Put on an exercise DVD or find a yoga/pilates programme online and set up a little gym session in the front room. Physical activity helps wellbeing too – particularly if you can’t get outside.

29. For older children you could host a video game or Netflix party so that they can chill with friends even if they aren’t in the same room.

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