Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Family Fun Without The Sun
As the evenings become darker, you may start to think about half term and those chilly weekends with the kids. With 79% of 5 to 7-year- olds already spending around nine hours a week online, many parents are looking for inspiration to entertain and engage with their children away from screens and devices. The good news is that there’s still plenty of low tech, affordable, family fun to be had, whatever the weather. From getting creative with drawing challenges to crunching through leaves in wellies, you’d be amazed at the learning opportunities which present themselves when you’re ‘off the clock’. The colder months can be a great time to help your kids warm to new experiences.
Waterproofs and wellies
A report from the National Trust has found that fewer than a quarter of children regularly use their local ‘patch of nature’ to play in. Wet or chilly weather doesn’t need to keep you indoors; wrap up, add wellies and head to a local park or forest. Bring a few small party bag fillers with you for a treasure hunt, or print off pictures of things for your children to find in the woods. Cheer them on as they race to find conkers, spot squirrels or collect sticks. For very little ones, you could write out the letters of their name and help them find them. It’s always worth taking spare warm socks in case of need, and flasks of hot chocolate or a little cake wrapped in foil are an easy way to keep everyone happy. Having the hot water on for when you get home is also a wise precaution for over-enthusiastic puddle jumpers of any age.
Throw a party
Everyone loves playing party games, so why wait until birthdays or Christmas? With the average family spending just 34 minutes per day together, it’s important for emotional and social development to help everyone reconnect. Classic family party games are simple enough for even the youngest children to join in with, and whether you play for pride or cheap and cheerful prizes, there’s lots of fun to be had. Finish it off with a party tea; sausage rolls and sandwiches followed by jelly and ice cream. Perfect!
Artistic activities
Creative hobbies have been shown to help children's physical and mental development but there isn’t always time to get the paints out on a busy weekday. Wet weekends are an ideal time to encourage your kids to get creative whilst improving their fine motor skills too; this is particularly useful during the holidays when children can get out of the habit of writing regularly. Whether it’s drawing, building a blanket den or helping you sew on a button, let your children’s artistic side run free. If your child is learning an instrument, encourage them to put on a mini performance; it’s a great way to build their confidence and see how far they’ve progressed.
With a little planning and creativity, the autumn and winter months needn’t be all about the TV. Encouraging everyone to get outdoors, play some classic games together or unleash their inner artists will help the whole family let off some steam together. Not only can it be relatively cheap, but they also offer great opportunities to support your children’s classroom learning by building confidence, motor skills, and emotional development. Gold stars all round.