Education
5 Fun Half-Term Activities
May
5 Fun Half-Term Activities
(that won’t break the bank)
Half-term is just around the corner and we know it can be difficult to keep the kids entertained the whole time as well as supporting their home learning journey. That’s why we have put together 5 activities that can be done during the half term whether the sun is shining or the rain is pouring.
- Chalk… really, chalk? Yes, chalk.
Now, we know children don’t want to feel like they’re at school in the holidays but they won’t even realise they’re learning with these games!
Why not draw out a hopscotch on the pavement or the driveway and encourage children to count, add up numbers or even try subtraction and multiplication. They’re be having fun but they will be learning at the same time, children can play individually or play together and take it in turns.
Try and draw out a clock and quiz your child on what the time is, can they draw the hands in the correct places? Or, get children to move around the clock and use their bodies as the clock hands! If the time is 2:30, one child will stand on the 2 and another will stand on the 6. If there’s only one child, get in and play the game with them, it can be fun for all the family.
The chalk will wash away and won’t stain clothes. Mess free – hooray!
- Crispie Cakes!
Do you have any left over chocolate from Easter? Well, why not make some Rice Crispie cakes!
This is a great way to get rid of the rest of the chocolate and also a great activity to do over the holidays. If you don’t have any chocolate left over from Easter then any chocolate will do, or you can even try it with melted marshmallows, yum! Simply melt down your chocolate or marshmallows and mix in the crispie bits! You can even add pieces of fruit to make them extra yummy. With the weather getting warmer, you don’t want to spend the whole day baking with a hot oven, this is a quicker alternative without making too much mess while still having all the fun possible. You can also make these cakes with cornflakes, coco pops or other cereal that your children enjoy. We’d love you to send us some pictures if you do make them! J
- 3. Mini Beasts!
Don’t be alarmed, they’re just insects. Children love insects; ladybirds, caterpillars, you name it! Become explorers in the half term and see what mini beasts you can find! Create an explorer outfit with old clothes and get yourself a magnifying glass. Gifts For Little Hands has some great educational toys and have an amazing magnifying glass for mini beasts called the Creature Peeper, it allows children to look at insects at a closer view- you can find that here. Give children a list of creepy crawlies and see if they can find them in your back garden or in the park, collect them, look at them through the Creature Peeper and then let them free. This is a great way for children to enjoy the weather and become mini explorers.
- Creepy creations!
Now, we don’t want all of your exploring to go to waste, so why not make your own mini beasts like the ones you found whilst you were exploring. Collect items you can find in the garden or the park such as twigs, leaves, bark, pebbles, flower petals – any thing you can find! Build your own mini beats or stick them only paper or a canvas and make a picture. If you found a butterfly whilst you were exploring and want to recreate it, use twigs or sticks for the body and use some leaves for wings! Or, if you’ve found a ladybird or beetle you can even paint a stone to match the colours of the ones you found! This is a great activity that can be done inside the house or outside it’s sunny (we know the weather’s unpredictable, we’ve got it covered).
- Simple shapes!
Do you have plans for the half-term? Maybe you’re just going out for a walk with your little ones. While your out, try and point out some shapes to your child and get them to identify them. What shape is the road sign? What shape is the door or a car wheel? This is a simple way to incorporate learning into a child’s day without them feeling like they’re at school or doing work and can really help their development. Another great way of helping children learn their shapes is to cut out some shapes on a piece of paper and hide them in the garden – create a map that children can use to help find them and reward them at the end of it if they guess all of the shapes correctly and find them all. Shapes sound boring but they don’t have to be, they can be fun for all of the family on a sunny or rainy day.
Half term doesn’t have to break the bank and learning can be fun. Please let us know other ideas that you have tried so we can share them with the rest of the mummies and daddies.
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