Things to do when it is wet

Ok we are only one week in to the Summer holidays but with the poor weather we have been having it seems twice as hard to keep the kids happy and amused throughout the day.

I can’t remember how many times I heard the phrase “Mum, I’m bored!” on the second consecutive day of heavy rain last week, so I sat down with one of the other Mums and we decided to put a list of activities together that would at least keep us sane for a few days.

Wet Weather Days

Cooking for Kids

Teaching children to cook from an early age will set them up for life, helping them to learn about healthy eating and nutrition as well as how to be independent. Check out some of the major supermarket websites for recipe ideas.

www.tesco.com/recipes/

www.asda-recipes.co.uk/

Sainsburys Recipe Finder

Waitrose Recipes

Marks and Spencers Recipe Cards

Writing a Book or Journal

When a child learns how to read it’s a wonderful thing. And the best way to encourage reading is to stimulate an interest in books from an early age. What better way to do that than to have your kids write their very own journal or book this summer? Who knows, they might become the next JK Rowling…

Indoor Beach Party

We just love this activity in our household. Invite a few friends round and host an indoor beach party. Getting in a tropical state of mind will lighten the load even if it looks like there’s a hurricane brewing outside, and a good party will get in a great mood! Who says you can’t have fun in the sun when it’s raining outside?

Dry Weather Days

Visit a Farm

Whether you want to take the kids along to Pick-Your-Own fruit or watch cows being milked, there are some great times to be had at local farms. There are lots of City Farms all over the country, check out http://www.farmgarden.org.uk for a list of participating venues.

Take a Bike Ride

Kids just love cycling. So why not pack a small picnic, dig your bike out of the garage and have a fun day out with the family. The National Cycle Network has details of lots of local rides - see www.sustrans.org.uk or why not try your local Council offices - they often have local ride guides that you can pick up for free.

Visit a Castle

The National Trust has six-weeks of varied activities over the Summer holidays at many of its historic houses and castles. You will lots of things to do including teddy bears picnics, nature walks, face paintings and medieval battles. If you are still stuck for ideas check out the National Trust’s Inspirator - simply add your postcode of the area you would like to visit and let the website find you places to visit and activities to take part in. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk for more details.

Learn to Swim

Summer holidays are a great time for adults and children to learn to swim. Some councils have recently introduced free swimming sessions for kids - so it is worth checking with you local pool for details.

Volunteer

For older children and teenagers there are some great opportunities for volunteering or taking on work experience. www.work-placement.co.uk/ has lots of great ideas for seeking Summer work - and although it may be too late for organising anything for this year - why not get in early for next Summer or even over the Winter break. The Summer Jobs website at www.summerjobs.co.uk/ has information and advice for anyone looking for Summer work in the UK and abroad. When we looked earlier this evening there were postings for fruit picking, car valeting and even vacancies for working at some of the biggest Summer Music Festivals.

Useful websites

www.kidsites.com - brilliant activities for the younger ones

www.kidslikeit.co.uk - is an interactive website built by kids for kids

www.ideasforthekids.co.uk - full of suggestions for family-friendly places to visit

www.summeractivitiesforkids.co.uk - a website packed with fun things for toddlers to 12 years old t try

www.letsgowiththechildren.co.uk - a website that has something for everyone with its free database of 9,000 attractions and days out.

We would love to hear from you if you have any other great ideas and we can add them to our list.

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