General Chat

Bags I use rich tea or shortcake

Going on from Jim jams thread about bored kids, thought I would start a thread so us mums can share ideas to keep the kids entertained (wet or dry) with things that dont cost the earth... Clare x

packets of biscuits (plain cheap ones) bowl of icing, sprinkles, dolly mixtures etc. Let them ice the biscuits and decorate them, messy but they love it.

My first tip - saw on this morning today... mix 420g melted chocolate with 150 ml pot of liquid glucose and mix to a paste. You can then mould the chocolate into all sorts of things. They did necklaces and a snakes and ladders board. Thought that look good fun. Might try that.... Clare x

Ahh dawn, Iremember doing that at playgroup. They used to use those water biscuits!!! Clare x

I make my own playdoh... mix up all different colours, and sometime put glitter in it to make it all sparkly!!! Clare x

Well my 'little' one is 15 but has learning difficulties..... Our favourite is to visit every charity shop in town, we have 6, and he is given £2.50 to spend. It has taken him 3 hours to trawl the shops (each at least twice :( lol ) and decide how to spend it.....Luckily when we went back to each 'favoured' shop they still had the desired 'tat' available to buy :)))) Cheaper than a day out at a theme park :)))))) Chris

Ever since my g'sons been 4 or 5 we've taken them to industrial and other museums, steam railways, walking in various parks/estates, the coast - even in winter, youngest one once went paddling in his wellies on 2 January one year he'd have been about 7 and found it hilarious when sea got in his wellies. Think simple things - my two now 11 and 14 and still quite happy to go out with us - we asked them. We dont do Alton Towers or places like that - too expensive. They both like Duxford War Museum been there twice with them and no doubt it might get mentioned soon - kids are free but cost us about £20 last time. Took a picnic and then chips on way back as over a 2 hour drive. Eldest likes the Lake District as well.

How about T-shirt's........................ Cheap T shirt from Primark and fabric paint or pens Some time the £1 shops have the framed canvas's and the paints the kids could do thier own master piece My 12 year old daughter loves playing with ourphotoshop programme on the Pc, scans in photo's and has a field day changing colours ect she has made some really good pictures

Go to your local library and join up for this years Summer Reading Challenge, the Big Wild Read. Aimed at children under 12 (though some libraries have a version for teenagers) the aim is to read 6 books over the 6 week holiday. They get stickers, bookmarks, etc for each book read, and a certificate and medal if they complete the challenge. Warning: some of the stickers are scratch 'n' sniff - do not let your child fool you into sniffing the compost heap one! I nearly threw up!

Salt Dougt,,,any cheap flour,,,,,,,,loads of salt add water,,,,mix,,,,shape to anything ,letters-- faces,,etc cook in hot oven till rock hard,,,,,,,,,and paint,,,,,big batch for less then £1,,,,,,,,

Soft talk the grandparents into looking after the kids. Only costs you a cup of tea to revive said parents before sending them home. Granpa

how about gardening.........hang on wait before you groan 2 things first give then a small terracotta pot each and either smal paint or felt tip pens and let them decorate their own pot, then plant seeds(seedlings) in each one and they can watch them grow, second get some old panty hose, get the legs off (just above the ankle) fill with wheat, stick on face (cut fom felt) sit in small bowl of water and watch the 'hair' grow. good luck, our gils go back to school tomorrow, small jig aroun the room....lol love June