Ideas for spending time with children

[CopperLion]

i don’t have kids of my own but have a nephew (8) and niece (3). For Christmas this year I’m going to give them each a personalised book of vouchers with 12 x things we can do together. They get to ‘cash them in’ as and when they would like to do something.

can anyone help with ideas for fun things to put in the books? I’d like most to be inexpensive but a few can be more. I’d also like them to be similar but I think a few should be different because of the age gap. The idea is that they do it separately, not together - though I guess they can choose to do together if they want (they are siblings).

ideas so far are cinema, swimming, a kids theatre show, a sleepover at my house, baking at my house, a trip to the playground and an ice cream (3 yo). What else could o put in them??

TIA 🙏

Geocaching? Probably better for 8 yo, but if you pick destination well younger one may well enjoy. Is a variation on a walk in the park really, with the excitement of finding hidden stuff!

Teddy bears picnic? Could bake together then have the picnic?

Transport day? Ride on bus and train and tram and underground, depending on where you live? I used to do this as a childminder - under 5s were free, and so just paid for me and took a picnic.

Science day? Make bath bombs, exploding coke and mentos, red cabbage indicator solution and test household liquids, lava lamps (oil, water and food colouring in a jar, add alka seltzer so it fizzes, ooblek (cornflour and water to make non Newtonian fluid)

Crafting day - buy kits from Baker Ross, or say felt and cut shapes to see, potato printing, salt dough.

You had lots of ideas...just posting to say what a wonderful auntie you are ❤️

Ice hockey is really fun for school age children

Pond dipping
Pedalo ride
Back garden beach - sand pit, paddling pool or sprinkler, inflatable toys, ice cream
Video games with the 8yo - if you already have a console you can rent games
Make paper boats and race then on a pond
3yo - go on a scavenger hunt and make a nature crown
get a (library) book of kids' origami/craft
"dn" in charge day - they pick the activities, food etc. you can give the 8yo a small budget too
home cinema
outdoor chalk drawings
go to a jumble sale/charity shop with a fiver
save loads of cardboard boxes and build a robot or castle (8yo) or build a tower and knock it down, repeat for 2 hours (3yo)
8yo - campfire cooking - collect dry sticks and make a fire in an old colander, cook a tin of beans or banana and chocolate
Visit a fête/Christmas fair