5 kids, pouring rain, what to do for 10 hours!

[BigGlasses]

I’m looking after 5 kids today , my own 3 and my friends 2, they are 11,10,10,9,9. It is pouring with rain here, forecast to continue all day and I am completely stumped on what to do keep them entertained.

Cinema- they have seen everything suitable at the moment.
Soft play - too babyish
Trampoline park - £55 for an hour seems a bit excessive
Baking - there is 5 of them, i’m not mad!

I have had a really busy week at work and haven’t had a chance to put any thought into it. Any suggestions? Please help, it’s not even 9am and they are currently attached to their tablets, they can’t do that for the next 9 hours

Paper aeroplane competition.

You must have board games?

eek. I can feel the pain of this!
Depending on the kids. Could you send some of them/ all upstairs to create a show?

You could set up stations for them to do things in rotation. Board games, craft, video games, baking (including making lunch?)

You could make it into a competition....

Get them to write and perform a play, with songs! Lots of dress up, some silly make up, props, lights... Could take all day! Film it, get them to edit on their tablets.

Pictionary - get them to make their own lists for the other team.

Play pass the parcel with a Brussels sprout in the middle

Have you got Lego or Playmobil? Get them to write and film and edit a film on their iPads using the Playmobil/Lego. They could create the action for a script that's already written, like this

Ok, cooking is a great shout though.

Get them to plan a meal, around a theme (possibly movie based).

Research recipes, write shopping list etc (can you get them to shops if needed?)

They split into pairs/3s and cook 1 ‘course’ - main, dessert, snack & drink etc.

Screen movie during meal.

Or swimming?

I’d be tempted to split it into a timetable (they don’t need to know this) with scheduled lunch/drinks/snacks.

Eg 9-10 tablet
10-11 board game
11 snack
11.30-12.30 Tv on-each child chooses an episode
12.30-1 lunch
1-2 make a den with duvets in the lounge
2-3 Lego

Etc etc but that’s the teacher in me.

If the rain stops-send them all outside for fresh air!

Or get them to make their own board game - come up with the concept, design the board, write the rules, test the game?

I like the plan a meal idea.
Any jigsaws around?

I think kids that age who are friends can come up with their own ideas and just play in the house. Get them some nice food and maybe put a film on TV if they are getting tired by the late afternoon.

I think kids that age who are friends can come up with their own ideas and just play in the house. Get them some nice food and maybe put a film on TV if they are getting tired by the late afternoon.

^^ This!!!

Let them sort out their own entertainment fgs. Limit tablet time though!

Thanks, i’ll dig out some board games. And maybe be brave and try cooking. They are at that in between age where loads of stuff is deemed ‘babyish’ . They would love to spend the whole day on their tablets i’m sure but after an hour their behaviour starts deteriorating ( I know from experience with my 3)

Waterproofs and welly boots and go splash in the rain / play in a park 😁

Do you have a Wii? We've kept four kids entertained for a good few hours playing on the switch this week. All moving about jumping up and down and all talking to each other about the game.

Board games.

Junk modelling? Make some 'cars' and a ramp and see which goes the furthest?

Just let them get on with it. I'm sure they have plenty to do on a normal day at home.

No need to plan everything to the nth degree.

The thing about the plan a meal thing is that it can take aaaages ... which is good!

Say you have a Harry Potter movie marathon theme. Then they need to Pinterest research all the meals and snacks and drinks. Much discussion! Then you need to tone down their ambition when you check the cupboards Then planning/buying/making etc.

Then they need a den for movie watching etc

If you have the kit (waterproofs and wellies) I'd be inclined to head out. Love the woods in the rain although for us it's a drive to get there

Swimming

Make their own pizza for lunch

Home cinema (popcorn etc...)

Of course you'll need to do a supermarket trip for supplies.... which will kill an hour and get them out the house.

Weather set to turn here come the afternoon so I'm running mine out to the park now for a few hours.

Sounds crazy, but if you can do it a table of put a plastic sheet down, paper
We do 4 parts glue to 1 water. Tear up computer paper and use the recycling boxes and old socks to stuff things.

I would also have a timetable! But I would drag them off the tablets and collaborate. Come up with a list of ideas between you all and then shuffle them into some kind of order.

It does depend on the dynamic but mine would spend hours ‘putting on a show’ sorting costumes, dances, rehearsing etc.

Baking, if you can’t face the baking bit... then you make some gingerbread dough, they roll and cut out shapes, you bake and when they are cool, DC decorate them.

I would make them do some maths or literacy (but I’m mean!) even if it was a speed times tables challenge. There are loads of resources on line you can print out.

Paper mache

My 10 year old is big on drawing at present, could you get them to all draw the same thing, even if it's a random pile of kitchen stuff? I'd be locking the tablets away after 30 minutes as well, they need time away from screens and can find their own entertainment by working together away from the screens.

What's all this 'get them to...'??

Tell them they can have an hour on screens then it's tech away. Then leave them to it! Let them go out in the rain- extras have brought coats right?

Why on earth would a group of kids that age need scheduling?

Making shadow puppets could be good too. Could do to a theme.

Lego challenges?

Pancake making and fillings, design their ideal bedroom, making rainbow ice lollies, make a movie trailer with soft toys and an iPad if you have one.