holidays

[mrs phasmid]

thought i'd start this in response to some posts in other threads lets pool our ideas and help each other survive or if you enjoy the hols like me, have even more fun

 

Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 July

Lambeth Country Show

Military displays, a food hall, a funfair and children's activities, as well as all the livestock you could possibly wish for.

Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, SE24 (0207 9261000; www.ubiqueleisure.co.uk ).

11am - 7.30pm, free.

 

Sunday 16th July

Spitalfields Green Fair and Community Festival

Go green at this community fete with an eco theme. There's plenty for kids though including stalls, handicrafts and entertainment.

Allen Gardens, Buxton Street, E1 (0207 3750441; www.alternativearts.co.uk)

Noon - 6pm, free

 

Saturday 22- Tuesday 25 July

Free Time at Somerset House

Four days of activities, all free, including Aletta Collins Dance Company, the Bollywood Brass Band, John Hegley reading poems and stories, workshops for older teens, and fun with bubbles and music-making for younger children.

Somerset House, Strand WC2 (0207 8454600; www.somerset-house.org.uk)

Free

 

Tue 1, Thurs 3, Tue 8, Thurs 10, Tue 15, Thurs 17, Tue 22, Thurs 24 August

British Museum, Middle East Family Summer

Drop in for a feast of Middle Eastern entertainment - play backgammon and the Royal Game of Ur and be thrilled by stories of heroes and genies. Storytelling for adults too.

Great Court, British Museum, Great Russell Street, wc1 (0207 3238299; www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk ).

11am - 4pm, free.

 

Thurs 3 - Sun 6 August, Thurs 10 - Sun 13 August & Thurs 17 - Sun 20 August

Trafalgar Square Festival

A huge variety of performances and events showcasing the capital's cultural diversity - music, art, acrobatics, dance and more.

All events are free.

 

Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 August

Fruitstock

Chillout music, plus circus skills workshops and a bouncy castle in the centre of town.

Regent's Park, NW1 (0208 6003939; www.fruitstock.com ).

Noon - 9pm, free

 

Saturday 5- Sunday 20 August

Shoreditch Festival

Kicking off on the Saturday afternoon with the Shoreditch Festival parade, this two-week party in London's trendiest quarter takes in Cuban Salsa, an African music festival, circus performers and oodles of kids events.

Shoreditch, E1 www.shoreditchfestival.org.uk ).

Free

 

Friday 11-Sunday 13 August

Portobello Film Festival

Free outdoor screenings of kid-friendly films including the third and fourth Harry Potter films.

Circus Tent, Portobello Green, W10 ( www.portobellofilmfestival.com ).

2pm-8pm, free.

 

Saturday 12 August

London Mela

The UK's largest celebration of Asian culture. This year's highlights include Pakistani rock star Atif Aslam, the Bollywood Steps dancers, Radio 1's Bobby Friction and Nihal, street theatre, children's activities and a fun fair.

Gunnersbury Park, W5 (0208 8255000).

Noon - 9.30pm, free

 

Sunday 27 & Monday 28 August

Notting Hill Carnival

One of Europe's standout events, the Carnival sets aside Sunday as 'Children's Day' - there are fewer people, less noise and it's an altogether more manageable day out. Food and drinks are available from hundreds of street stalls, entertainment courtesy of street floats, sound systems and the sheer exuberance of those who attend.

Notting Hill.

Free

 

Saturday 10 September

Brick Lane Festival

A spicy end to the summer at this celebration of Asian food and culture. Bollywood bands, rickshaw rides and stiltwalkers will be vying for space with the dozens of streetfood stalls.

Brick Lane, E1.

10am - 6pm, free.

 

Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 September

The Mayor's Thames Festival

Everything from lantern parades, carnival floats and river races to funfairs, live bands, food stalls and a fantastic firework finale at this celebration of the Thames.

South Bank and Thameside (0207 9288998; www.thamesfestival.org )

Free

[Guest flutter]

they all look great

thank you

i have no pearls of wisdom sorry

and my dd will want to spend all her hols on my bed watching tv.

X

[mrs phasmid]

draw round them standing next to the fence and let them loose with some paints (water based of course), or just water brushes and some old clothes.

 

Tents out of clothes airers.

 

A "wash the soft toy" day - fill a bucket/babybath/paddling pool and under your supervision, let them give all the cuddlies a good scrub and then hang on the line to dry.

 

Picnics in the park always go down well with mine - even though the park is at the bottom of the garden they love the thought of staying down there all day...they normally find others to play with too to help pass the time. again i know with most of ours it would have to be supervised but a picnic in park can last a whole day

 

Depending on where you live, a walk in the woods, by the sea etc to find leaves or shells that you can use to make a collage or mobiles another rainy day.

 

Try and organise an away play day each week at someone elses house...and then have them round to play the next week - shares the mess and double the ideas. i know this could be hard but try

 

a wellie walk get out those wellies and go puddle jumping relive your youth

 

A food science day - mix some cornflour and water and watch them try and work out if it's a liquid or a solid....

 

Dye some spaghetti/rice and get them to make pictures from it - or play with it whilst it's all squidgy.

 

Buy some pasta quills and paint/glitter before making some necklaces...maybe for grandmothers for Christmas?

 

Buy some shaving foam - it's just soap in a can - let them squirt it on a table/tray and make shapes in it with their hands....cleans up very easily.

 

If you or OH have any old plain t-shirts - let them have a box of felt pens and they can design a t-shirt - they don't need to be fabric pens as they'll normally forget about it once it's made!

 

collect junk - carboard boxes, tubes etc and then get them to build and paint a crazy golf course for the back garden. You could use tennis or ping pong balls instread.

 

We have done some bark rubbings with crayons , and making pictures with toy cars rolled in paint

Lots of baking - even if is is just some cheap melted chocolate and cereal so they can make crispy cakes in their toy oven or see recipe thread for ideas

 

pavement artist day - use chalks on patio or pavement to make pictures, they always wash away with the hose and a stiff brush afterwards

 

each family member to write down an idea for each day of the week only 1 idea can cost anything other 6 have to be a cost free day then plan your days around the ideas maybe rejigging where needed eg a trip to space could become a trip to the science museum, i want to see a dinosaur becomes a trip to the nat history museum etc etc

 

find out if there is a maze near you, take a picnic and and you can all 'get lost for the day'

 

visit the library - the childrens part normally don't mind a bit of noise and more capable ones can join the holiday reading challeng if there is one

 

home cinema - draw the curtains, make some popcorn, get a couple of fav or new dvds serve icecream in the intermission

 

local farm zoo again take a picnic

 

potato printing

 

make bean bags from scraps of felt and lentils and then line up some empty boxes of differing sizes with scores on the front to throw them in or empty plastic bottles ditto to knock down and you have a great indoor/outdoor game

 

keep big things like the zoo til the end of the holidays when you have run out of steam

 

<'>

Edited July 13, 2006 by mrs phasmid

[marshmallow]

<'> Thanks Mrs Phasmid >

[jlp]

Some great ideas there

[caren]

thanks for the good info

[bid]

Mrs P, I here-by name you the forum's Domestic Goddess!!

 

Boho

[littlenemo]

Hear hear!

 

Z says: "But what about Cinders?" Pre-op Domestic Goddess, perhaps

Edited July 14, 2006 by littlenemo

[mrs phasmid]

Mrs P, I here-by name you the forum's Domestic Goddess!!

 

Boho

 

 

i thank you all for your kind words. can i just say though that while i am doing all this cooking and playing with kids my housework has gone to pot as has my figure (and according to phas my brain ) so lets have a far to busy to bother housewife[aka lazy] housework thread and a good diet for a smell food and gain pounds mum

 

<'>

[call me jaded]

Heathrow Visitors Centre is free. You have to pay for car parking but you can take a bus from the Underground (any of the terminal buses will stop at the Centre if you tell them that's where you want to go). Unlike the rest of Heathrow you can actually see planes take off and land.

[call me jaded]

A stress free day for us is Thames Valley Adventure Playground. You need to book and they ask for a donation of ?6 per child (from memory).

 

http://www.tvap.net/contactus.htm

[Bagpuss]

Mrs Phasella, couldn't agree more You are an inspiration with all the hols idea's and recipes...WOW.....my dh often watches the domestic goddess herself on TV and wonders why I can't wander seductively around the kitchen in a cashmere cardy, licking chocolate off a wooden spoon......He's more likely to find me scoffing an entire vienetta in my PJ's with dd trying to eat playdoh

 

Thanks for all your wonderful tips

[barefoot wend]

I used to pick up tester paint pots and then let my four loose on the garden shed - not only did it keep them occupied for hours but I've got the brightest and wackiest garden shed for miles around - and it's very cheering in the dull winter months!

[mrs phasmid]

Mrs Phasella, couldn't agree more You are an inspiration with all the hols idea's and recipes...WOW.....my dh often watches the domestic goddess herself on TV and wonders why I can't wander seductively around the kitchen in a cashmere cardy, licking chocolate off a wooden spoon......He's more likely to find me scoffing an entire vienetta in my PJ's with dd trying to eat playdoh

 

Thanks for all your wonderful tips

 

cashmere sweater ?25 t###o - soon reduced by hot wash to felt children used it for a hol project after

wooden spoon 50p from el cheapo's - paint and use as puppets

 

melted chocolate -eaten it before then

 

eating vienetta in your pj's priceless

 

 

someone after my own heart

 

 

<'>

[Bagpuss]

[mrs phasmid]

more cheapo holiday fun [and these are actually all theraputic fun although i didn't realise it when i did this at first]- this time some rainy day tips

 

MAKE YOUR OWN JEWELLERY

go into your local charity shops and gather up some of the cheap beaded jewellery. break strands over a bowl get some darning needles and shirring elastic and let the kiddies make their own jewellery. much cheaper than buying beading/jewellery making kits.

 

MAKE POM POMS

cut 2 circles out of card [ double the card over and cut both at once to get same size] and then cut the middles out of the circles, leaving a shape like a polo[mint not car] wind wool through and over until hole in middle completely closed. snip around the edge of wool and carefully ease card a little apart. wind a long thread of wool around centre between two sides of card, pull tight and knot securely. remove card. experiment with some of the glitter/furry wool around at moment - great for keeping for xmas tree decs

 

GET GRANNY INVOLVED

we all know the story "give him/her to me i'll soon sort them". well do so! persuade granny to teach them to knit/ crochet for an afternoon. you go for a lie down

 

MEMORIES

get a cheap scrap book and let them go through the old photos - you know the ones you've never got around to putting in a scrap book yourself/doubles/slightly unfocused/pets etc. with a pritstik some cheap fancy cut scissors[1.99 from my el cheapo for 4 pairs with different edges]

 

KIMS GAME

put some different items on a tray [ however many you think your child could have a stab at] cover tray with a cloth and make child close eyes. take 1 item away and uncover tray - ask child which one is missing and give a treat[ i use a pack of jelly beans and they get ONE bean everytime they guess right]

 

POTATO PRINTING

get some rolls of lining paper from local diy. cut large potatoes in half across the middle, cut simple shapes into the cut side and dig out OR cut simple shapes and cut excess potato away. dip into thick poster paint and away you go [keep printed paper makes nice homemade wrapping paper] expand this into hand/foot prints if you dare

 

have fun

<'>

[mrs phasmid]

ITS NEVER TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT THAT DREADED WORD X..S SO GET THE KIDS GOING OVER THE HOLIDAYS. YOU KNOW AS SOON AS THEY START THIS HEATWAVE WILL FINISH AND RAIN OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS WILL BEGIN FOR THE NEXT 6 WEEKS

 

any nice jar,there a certain brand of coffee that comes in a very nice jar with a pop off rather than screw lid. my mum in law gets this and gives me the jars, fantastic for making pressies

 

1. BODY SCRUB - GREAT AS PRESSIES AT ANY TIME AND YOU CAN MAKE IT TO FIT THE PERSON INDIVIDUALLY

Fill a jar 3/4 full with very coarse sea salt, add a cinnamon stick and a star anise , a few cloves and the zest or finely grated peel of half an orange or grapefruit. Add a few tablespoons of sweet almond oil, or other good quality, non-scented oil, and a few drops of an essential oil of your choice (grapefruit is nice and uplifting).

 

You can make any variation you like - for instance, lavender flowers and a few drops of lavender oil, rose buds and rose oil, the list is endless!

 

2. SWEETIE JARS

decorate the outside of the jar with either glass paints or permenant markers - fill with boiled sweets

 

3. CANDLE HOLDERS

decorate lightly as above but add some scented tea lights

 

 

4 go to charity shops and find old wooden photo frames, give them a quick sand down - boys love doing this- and repaint and add a nice photo of yourselves

 

5. i mentioned in another post about getting rolls of lining paper and decorating it yourselves to use as personalised wrapping paper

 

6. buy some little terracotts pots, use poster paint orany left over emulsion and sponge paint the pots or decorate as you wish, maybe with a garden theme, ready to be planted later with crocus, hyacinth or narcissi bulbs

this is a good site for green fingered kids http://www.flowerbulbs.co.uk/magicofpotting/

 

have fun

 

<'>

Edited July 25, 2006 by mrs phasmid

[mrs phasmid]

1. Local fire stations will often let you visit and look round if you phone in advance.

 

2. over 100 places offering 2for1 vouchers to print off for East anglia

 

www.letsgoeastofengland.com/index.php

 

 

3. The Windermere Rotary cub and the RAF are putting on their annual FREE Airshow on Sat 29th & Sunday 30th July this year, based around the Glebe at Bowness.

 

More details can be found www.windemere-rotary.org

 

also lowestoft has a free airshow in late july/aug we went the other year and it was awesome [very noisy and crowdt though] with lots of free side bits as well eg army/airforce/navy freebies etc

 

4. find your local pick your own, take a picnic and plenty of drinks

 

5. feed the ducks - take a picnic some paper boats to float and if there is a bridge play pooh sticks

 

6. car boot sales - give them some money and a challenge eg to get the most for the money/ most intersting object etc and have little prize for winner[ from car boot] also good place for picking up cheap garden games such as swingball or badminton

 

7. in kent? On a really hot day driving up to Belevedere splash park is a great thing to do with the kids and there is a good park opposite for when they're done with being wet.

http://www.bexley.gov.uk/service/par...plashpark.html

 

for people in east anglia lowestoft also has one of these with a light show in the evenings

 

8. web sites for ideas for the capitol

http://www.kidslovelondon.com/kll/index.htm

l

http://www.londontown.com/London/Great_museums_to_visit

 

http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/kids.htm

 

 

have fun

 

<'>

[mrs phasmid]

CALLING ALL YOU HOME EDDERS OUT THERE

 

YOU MUST HAVE SOME IDEAS TO POST HERE

 

<'>

[Guest flutter]

well i am now on holiday, kids not yet, and it involves:

soo much clearing out

cleaning

washing

ironing

do we get holidays ???

[Daisydot]

Mrs Phasmid, you are a mine of information - quite amazing. Here are some cheapish tips from me.

 

1. Make a plate of bubbles, or a washing up bowl full, using some washing up liquid and let the little ones try to pick the bubbles up. Works well with toddlers but older kids like it too ! Actually, a pot of bubble mixture keeps mine amused for hours. Mind their eyes though.

 

2. Lay out a roll of lining paper in the garden. Put out some trays of paint (save those tin foil trays or old plates). Let your kids put their feet in the paint and then walk all over the lining paper. Tip: Have hosepipe (or a bucket seeing as there is a hosepipe ban) ready to slosh them down before they attempt to go back in the house.

 

3. Any sort of tent - put it up in the back garden if you've room or if not make a tent out of chairs and bedspreads. Have their lunch / tea out there.

 

4. If the little ones have a ride in car - give them a bucket of water and a sponge and get them to clean the car - just like Dad

 

5. A teddybear's teaparty

 

6. Make pizzas. Get Value pizza bases from Tesco's and some passata and cheese, then you could add whatever toppings you like - this usually goes down well with my nine year old. Tea gets made at the same time.

 

7. Give them a tape recorder and a blank tape and get them to make their own show. Me and my cousins did this nearly thirty years ago and my aunt still has the tape which she delights in playing to us every now and then. We pretented to be "The Goodies". It kept us amused for hours.

 

8. A treasure hunt. Hide clues all round the house with a prize at the end. Clues could be pictures if reading was a problem.

 

9. Suggest the kids do their school homework - I find this usually produces a flurry of busy children who amazingly find lots they would rather do !!

 

10. I save up all my cereal boxes, cartons, loo roll middles etc before the holidays and get some sellotape. One of my sons will spend hours making robots and things like that.

 

11. One of my son's teachers suggested he keep a diary of the summer holidays - still trying that one but the whole diary was about six words long last year. Still, some might take to it.

 

12. Try some Brain Gym with the kids - you can get books about these exercises and they are supposed to be beneficial for integration of the brain.

 

AND DONT FORGET, ATTEMPT TO HAVE A FEW TREATS FOR YOURSELF, EVEN IF IT IS JUST CUTTING YOUR TOENAILS IN PEACE AND QUIET - THE VIENETTA IN THE PJs SOUNDS GOOD.

 

Daisydot

Edited July 23, 2006 by Daisydot

[Stephanie]

Ours is all about planning in advance ... get the "things to do with kids" books out and write a list of what we want to do ... split between paid activities and free activities per week. Then we write them on the wipe board calendar - "picnic at the park", "visit Grandma", "go to London Zoo", "Tesco's","play at home" etc etc.

 

That way, he is less stressed because he knows what is happening way in advance. If we have to change the dates around due to weather etc, he is ok with that as long as I change it on the wipe board accordingly.

 

It helps to avoid that "what shall we do?" scenario and gets us up and dressed early - otherwise we would all be in our PJ's until lunchtime watching Playhouse Disney!

 

My eldest gets tired in the afternoons so we always try to get an earlyish start so we can get back for my toddlers nap time and so he can spend some time on his beloved computer.

[barefoot wend]

This is one that my kids invented for themselves - but not one I suggest you copy.

 

They decided to play with the wine bottle vaccuum pump that they found in the kitchen drawer - I should have realised something was up as it was sooo quiet.

 

Youngest decided to use it on his face and now has big and very perfectly round purple circles on his cheeks which look very bizarre.

 

And we've got to go shopping - think we'll get a few strange looks - oh well! It's only the first official day of the holidays!

 

Barefoot

[mrs phasmid]

This is one that my kids invented for themselves - but not one I suggest you copy.

 

They decided to play with the wine bottle vaccuum pump that they found in the kitchen drawer - I should have realised something was up as it was sooo quiet.

 

Youngest decided to use it on his face and now has big and very perfectly round purple circles on his cheeks which look very bizarre.

 

And we've got to go shopping - think we'll get a few strange looks - oh well! It's only the first official day of the holidays!

 

Barefoot

 

 

this is not just a childs game , when phas jr was about 6 months he had one of those toys with the rubber suction bit on the end, well phas, bless his heart, decided to have fun one day, licked the bottom of the toy, i think it was on bird on a swing, and stuck it to his forehead . this made phas jr really laugh so daddy kept it on there for about 1/2 hr, nodding his head to make it bounce. mrs phas was equally amused when phas took it off and was left with a round bright red mark that lasted for three days . needless to say phas was not

 

 

<'>

[barefoot wend]

Just a big kid then?

[mrs phasmid]

try here for loads of ideas

 

http://familyfun.go.com/

 

PAPIER MACHE

 

You will need the following:-

 

PATIENCE AND A SENSE OF HUMOUR,- WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE THESE IN ABUNDANCE

AREA TO MAKE MESS

OLD CLOTHES

LOTS OF OLD NEWSPAPERS

BIG BOWL OR BUCKET

A FEW BALLOONS

 

PVA GLUE FOR STICKING

THICK POSTER PAINT FOR DECORATING, CAN ALSO MIX PVA WITH THIS ALSO

 

All you need to do is blow up the balloons and tie.

Then get your children to help rip up the paper - MAKE A MESS WITH PERMISSION

Dip the paper in the PVA and stick on the balloon to cover the balloon a few layers thick. it helps if you stick all one way and then next layer all other way, then you can keep track of how many layer you have done

Let it Dry - possibly over night.

Then pop the balloon and you have a paper ball shape

You can then decorate it in many ways depending on the age of you children

IF THEY WANT TO THEY CAN THEN COVER IT IN PVA AND LET IT DRY LIKE A VARNISH

 

HAVE FUN

 

<'>

[bid]

These ideas are probably better for older girls (mine are 9 and 11).

 

Last year I bought 'value' jeans, fabric paints and sew-on jewels. We found a website with ideas for customising jeans, printed off some ideas and some handy design templates.

 

I got the girls and their cousin to draw their design first on the templates before they attacked their jeans...

 

They really enjoyed doing this, and by involving them in shopping expeditions for the fabric paints, etc, and looking on the internet for tips, the whole project occupied quite a nice chunk of time! And my youngest still wears her customised jeans

 

This year, they rediscovered the old beads that they used to make into necklaces when they were younger and asked me to show them how to sew them onto fabric. So far there has been utter peace for two days as one is sewing them round the hem of a skirt, and the other is decorating an odd scrap of Aida fabric

 

Happy sewing!

 

Boho