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Trying to fill the days positively - half term (and lockdown weekends) with school aged DC

2 replies

parrotonmyshoulder · 17/02/2021 08:41

DC are 8 and 12. Really struggling to spend time together at the moment as their needs and wants are so different. One has been at school all term, the other hasn’t.
Has anyone got good ideas? We’ve had millions of movie marathons, watched new series on TV, played board games, walked everywhere. Baked just about everything we can. Most of this separately with one or independently.
I know everyone is in the same boat (or much, much worse). I just want to try to enjoy the next few days of holiday!

OP posts:
mootymoo · 17/02/2021 08:44

Teach them to cook, then put them in charge 1-2 times a week eg they make a list etc. Great life lesson - obviously older one takes the lead but stress they can help you. Have you got bikes? Cycle rides are a good alternative to walking.

AshMeri · 17/02/2021 09:15

I've ordered some paint to arrive today and have asked DC to go through the craft cupboard - we've got lots of stuff they can paint already - canvas, cardboard letters, etc. They'll do an art thing every day, whether it's a Draw with Rob or a craft project from t'internet.

I've challenged them to pick one toy a day (e.g. Gravitrax, Anki Overdrive, karaoke machine) that they've not played with for a long time and play with it - either separately or together. They've got so much and I regularly despair at how they sit gathering dust while they complain about being bored.

I'm going to look for an online escape room to do at some point this week.

Going to find some YouTube videos of rollercoasters and rides through the mountains etc and make them stand in front of the TV.

When it stops raining I'm going to get them to refill the bird feeders. I've asked them to research different bird boxes - which native birds need the most help in our part of the world and what type of bird box they need and where to put it. Then I will buy it and they can paint it and we'll put it up.

They are both growing things but I'm not sure I'd recommend this as (a) once you've planted the seeds everything goes super slowly and (b) if each sibling has their own plant pot all hell breaks loose when one plant pot full of seeds germinates and the other doesn't...

On that same note they generally get on really well but I think it's healthy for them to do some activities by themselves so some of the above will be done by one, while the other will do something else. Then they'll swap.

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