With half term fast approaching and the likelihood of being home more than previous Autumn school holidays, we thought we’d share with you some inspiration for family activities to enjoy during the October break.
Pumpkin picking and decorating
Halloween is guaranteed to be different this year but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy it as a family.
Have a family trip to a local pumpkin farm (just Google ‘pumpkin picking near me’ and lots of choices should come up) to pick your pumpkins and then spend an afternoon around the kitchen table decorating them.
You don’t need to put it in your window or on your doorstep, why not light the candles inside and enjoy your decorated pumpkins in the house instead this year.
Baking
Baking at home with the children can be a whole lot of mess but if you’re up to the challenge, it’s really nice to see your children get the satisfaction of mixing the ingredients and then watching it cook.
We love making Fruity Flapjacks which are really easy with the added bonus of being pretty healthy. They’re also the perfect snack for your stomp in the fresh air! Click here for the recipe.
If you don’t have a sweet tooth, why not involve the children in making dinner? Hopefully if they’ve helped to make it, they’ll be more likely to eat most of it too and they’ll get a real sense of achievement having dished it up for the family to enjoy.
Fly a kite
There’s nothing more fun than flying a kite on a windy day. Head to the beach or an open field to get pulled along in the breeze and practise some new stunts.
Having blown away all the cobwebs, you’re all guaranteed to come home with smiles on your faces, unless of course you lost your kite to the wind!
Go for a good stomp
Make the most of a dry sunny day and get outdoors in the fresh air and open space.
While you’re on your walk, why not pick up some Autumnal leaves to use for crafting on another day.
You could also make a treasure hunt for the walk by writing each child a list of things they need to spot on the walk to keep them interested and their eyes open to the surroundings.
If you’re all wrapped up in warm clothing, why not make a morning or afternoon of it by packing a blanket and picnic or hot chocolate along with some sweet treats to enjoy half way.
A crafting day
School holidays’ usually mean at least one wet day so get creative with the leaves you’ve collected on your walk. There are so many different ideas you can to do with them.
Clear the kitchen table and set up craft stations with lots of activities. Start off with some leaf rubbing and then identify which tree they’ve come from. Make some leaf animals using the different shapes and colours or perhaps do some leaf paint printing (similar to potato printing) to create some wrapping paper.
Star gazing
With the evenings drawing in and cooler weather, Autumn often means clearer nights that are perfect for star gazing.
Grab your warmest coats, hats and gloves and head outside to the garden or nearest park to see if you can spot all the well-known constellations.
There’s even a meteor shower this month (Orionids Meteor Shower) and the 21st and 22nd are when it’s supposed to be at its clearest.
We hope you have a great half term and would love to see any photos of your activities, especially those around the kitchen table!
Photo courtesy of The Thomas Family.
