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!
Feel Good February
Feel Good February
Make plans as a family
Don’t forget to check out our What’s On guide for things that you can do as a family elsewhere in the magazine and for later in the year in our frequently updated listings online at www.primarytimes.co.uk/REGION/listings
Superworm Trail – High Lodge, Thetford Forest **Gary this will be different for each one**
Forestry England locations across the country are hosting a brand new adventure based on the classic Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler story. Aimed at families with children aged 3-9, but suitable to be enjoyed by all; the trail encourages you to discover the small but mighty creatures in the much-loved story and learn about the heroic feats of minibeasts in the forest. The trail is self led but a trail activity pack can also be purchased.
Find out more at www.forestryengland.uk/high-lodge (Gary this weblink will be different for each one**
2 Minute Beach Clean
Why not get out and enjoy the best that our coast has to offer and make a difference at the same time but taking 2 minutes to help clear litter and debris from your local beach. If you want to you can use your phone to record it and log on the ‘Beach Clean’ app. Some locations will also already have their own litter stations with pickers and bags that you can use if you do not have your own. Find out more at www.beachclean.net
Stargazing
Wrap up warm and make the most of the last of the dark early evenings by engaging in a bit of amateur astronomy. You do not necessarily need any telescopes or prior knowledge with the Forestry England’s beginner’s guide, perfect for families (https://www.forestryengland.uk/resource/beginners-guide-to-stargazing) or by using free apps such as Star Walk 2 or Sky View Lite.
50 Things To Do Before You are 11 ¾.
The famous National Trust challenge for families to engage with outdoors is still a great way to have fun and explore nature as well as helping children grow in confidence. See the list here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/50-things-to-do
Birdwatching
If your family has been inspired by January’s ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’, then why not carry it on. If you are looking to venture slightly further afield, then take a look at your local RSPB facilities which often include birdwatching huts, viewing platforms and trails as well as events suitable for the family. Find your nearest location at www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events
Windowsill gardening
The colder months are a perfect time to get your kids to experiment with starting to grow plants indoors and you do not need much space or expensive equipment to do this. Often you can re-use items from around the home. See this guide from the Growing Healthy Kids blog here: https://growinghealthykids.co.uk/6-ways-to-grow-on-your-windowsill/
Snowdrop trails
February is the prefect month to enjoy a vast abundance of these seasonal favourites. See our guide to where you can enjoy them locally but make sure that you double check for any restrictions or visitor limits.
www.primarytimes.co.uk/REGION/snowdrop-trails-in-REGION-2022
Have an adventure walk
Make the most of dry days by putting a few extra layers on and getting out exploring. Don’t forget to download the ‘what3words’ app, a fantastic tool which creates a unique combination of three words if needed for navigations and emergencies
Children’s ‘adventure bag’ checklist ideas
- Child-sized backpack
- Child’s binoculars
- Notebook/sketchbook and small selection of pencils/pens
- Water bottle
- Activity book such as an ISPY book or nature spotter guide
- Bag for litter picking
- Small hand sanitiser
Get active
Many local sports centres, gyms, physical activity sections and local sports clubs will be running activities and clubs throughout the winter as well as their regular schedule of classes including swimming. Make sure you follow them on social media for more information.
**Gary – please can we have this paragraph in every magazine EXCEPT Norfolk as they don’t have it in their region**
Have you heard about the Tennis For Free classes which bring free fully inclusive sessions to communities across the UK. Find out about opportunities to take part in **REGION** here: https://www.tennisforfree.com/sites/region/england-south-west/
Wildlife Watch Activities
Created for children and families by The Wildlife Trusts, the Wildlife Watch website is a treasure trove of engaging, accessible conservation activities that can be carried out at home and whilst out-and-about with detailed downloadable instructions. These include rockpooling tips, how to make seed bombs as well as plant and animal spotters.
Find out more at www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/activities
Enjoy a family film at home or at the cinema
Late winter is a perfect time to chill out with a film whether that’s with a DVD or streaming services at home or at the cinema. Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformia is now out on Amazon Prime and Sing 2 will be released ready for the half term break.
Crafting at home
Follow our frequently updated Pinterest page (www.pinterest.co.uk/primarytimeswriteplacemedia) for lots of easy craft ideas to do at home, many using reusable, cheap and eco-friendly materials.
Board and card games
Games at home are a great way to bond and for younger members of the family to learn new skills which may include problem-solving, memory and cognitive abilities as well as being fun. Our team at Primary Times **REGION** recommend the following: any Orchard Toys games, Dobble, Connect 4, Ticket To Ride, Top Trumps and Monopoly.
Science Experiments at home
YouTube channel The Dad Lab (www.youtube.com/TheDadLab) have some great ideas for science experiments that can be carried out at home. Alternatively, The Royal Institution have released some great ideas demonstrated on video (www.rigb.org/families/experimental)
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooks are a great, easy way to get kids being creative, taking stock of memories and provide unique keepsakes for years to come; the only limits are your child’s imagination. Kits are available online and via craft stores or you can use your own craft supplies to get started. We love these tips from the Paperchase website (www.paperchase.com/the-journal/things-to-do-with-the-kids-at-half-term-scrapbooking/)
Creative writing/storytelling at home
If you have a budding writer at home, the Oxford Owl website (www.home.oxfordowl.co.uk/kids-activities/creative-writing) has some great tips for kids on how to find inspiration, develop characters as well as challenges and templates to complete.
A member of our team particularly recommends Rory’s Story Cubes as inspiration for verbal and written story creation. These dice with images, readily available from many bookshops and online retailers, can be rolled to help generate stories using the pictures featured and many different themes are available.
Mindfulness and relaxation at home
It is becoming increasingly recognised that mental wellness practices such as meditation and mindset awareness can be hugely beneficial tools in helping children and young people to cope with tough times and every day situation. The much loved ‘Cosmic Kids Yoga’ channel has an increasing number of videos in its Zen Den series that demonstrate and explore these techniques. Videos include concentration exercises, how to deal with anxiety and emotional awareness. Videos are available via YouTube (www.youtube.com/CosmicKidsYoga) or on a subscription basic via their app.
Kids’ cooking
The childrens’ subsections on BBC Good Food website is a great way to get kids confident with cooking skills under adult supervision with ideas that are rated according to difficulty and more unusual ideas as well as the norm. A number of recipes are also vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.
General baking: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/kids-baking-recipes
No bake recipes: www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/no-bake-recipes-for-kids
Without flour: www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/kids-baking-recipes-without-flour
Pastry recipes: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/kids-pastry-recipes
Bread recipes: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/kids-bread-recipes
Winter Olympics
If your children were enthralled with the Olympics in Beijing last summer, the Winter event continues until 20th March and then put a date in your diary for the Winter Paralympics taking place from 4th to 13th March.
Find out more at www.olympics.com/beijing-2022 and www.paralympic.org/beijing-2022
New book releases for February 2022
Marmalade: The Orange Panda by David Walliams
The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh
The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant
A World Full of Journeys and Migrations by Christopher Corr, Quarto Generic and Martin Howard
A Pocketful of Songs by Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson
Mirabelle in Double Trouble by Harriet Muncaster
Draw With Rob: Amazing Animals by Rob Biddulph
Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll