To be almost catatonic with boredom after just one day of the half term?

[extremepie]

Got virtually no money this week as waiting for tax credits to come through.

Looks like we're in for a week of rain and I'm sooooo bored already!

Can't face the idea of sitting in the house for a week watching TV, don't drive so I'm limited where I can get to for free.

Help me!!

Libraries are great. You can get DVDs their too and often have free activities. Get some books for yourself so you aren't bored.

Hmm will check out that link, looks quite good!

Haven't had any paint in the house for years, it's just asking for trouble with ds2 :D

I know Marianne! What is the point of half terms! Especially since Easter was not that long ago I'm hanging on to my sanity by a thread after that

Made worse by the fact I don't have any family/friends in the area except my sister who works full time mon-fri so I won't get any break at all for the next 10 days or so, will be with them 24/7 :(

They haven't made any friends at school yet so no play dates or anything! Feeling stressed already and it's only day 1

Honestly,I do sympathise OP. the way I stay sane IS to get out.

The think the main problem is even 'normal' stuff like wandering around town going shopping is going to be difficult this week as we are in here middle of nowhere so everything is at least a £5 bus journey away, if not more curses self yet again for not driving :(

May just have to be content to wander around the woods near here and put up with ds1 whining that he's wet and cold and his legs hurt

They pretty much like playing with their cars and watching TV/playing on the iPad - thrilling stuff :D

TheEmpress I think I'm just having a bad day coz it's grey and miserable and I've been stuck in the house all day, can't bear another week and a bit of this!

I'm on my own with 2 DC and don't drive either. Imagination is the only way forward in this situation! I've been out in the rain for most of today. Here are some things we do, I don't live near a beach but we visit family that do and go in all weathers.

Pack food, drinks, waterproofs and get wellies on.

Park:
Snail hunt, take buckets and see who can find the most
Spot birds/ bugs/animals
Make up races round play equipment (10 swings, down slide, three times round the sandpit or whatever)
Just watch them play for a while, you can chill with a coffee
Take small bags and collect stuff (make up a rule, like things the same colour)

Beach:
Throw stones in sea
Bury 'treasure' in sand (ie a specific stone or she'll ) and they have to find it within a certain marked out area
Usual beach stuff like paddling, sand castles, fish and chips can all be done under an umbrella
Beach Olympics, draw a long jump/high jump, race lines in sand
Do pictionary in sand, draw with a stick
Same finding and collecting games as above

Ah, I would let them play, as they like extreme, with some short walks most days for fresh air. Perhaps they could sort some old cars out to play with in the garden / take to the woods and take some photos of, for car style adventures, off road.

Or if you've movie maker package they could make short films...

Have you looked at the 50 things to do before you're 11 and three quarters list here ? It has lots of ideas, most of which are cheap.

We went bird spotting today (DS is 8) and saw deer and a little egret and lots of ducks and seagulls. It cost £1.15 which was the cost of crisps and water after our trek.

Dont stand and watch them in the rain!

Chase them, pretend youre a monster, hide and seek, bikes/ scooters/skateboards/rollerblades, go searching for bug under rocks or frogs in a pond. Any lakes nearby? Go see the ducks, go litter picking, can collecting, have runnjng races.

There is so much you can do for free that if you adjust your frame of mind YOU will enjoy too.

Get them to build dens in the woods rather than just wandering around?

Use a cardboard box/ some tubes/ whatever you can think of to make ramps etc for their cars. Ds spent ages constructing a track frm windowsill to sofa then down the other side onto kitchen floor. It only took a cereal box, a couple of loo roll tubes and some sellotape.

Use tape to mark out roads on the floor for the cars.

Last year we made a shit pinata using an old giftbag. Just put a few sweets and some screwed up paper inside, taped it closed, hung it on washing line and beat it with the mop. It was rubbish but funny.

OK you have a computer and a camera (I hope, everyone has a camera on their phone now don't they?).

I think the kids need to make a newspaper of what they have done this week with lots of pictures.

So yes you might get wet in the park but you will also get some great pics of the kids splashing in puddles or feeding squirrels.

When did you last go to a place of worship? Most churches, temples, mosques are happy to have visitors and will show you round and often give you a cup of tea and some will even feed you. Cheap and educational.

Cook something or bake something, you have to eat so make it in to an activity.

Any spare pasta can be used (uncooked) to make pictures.

Garden centres (if you can get to one without a car) can be fun lots have pets or you could buy some cress to grow on cotton wool.

Pet shops are free to look round.

Borrow a dog and take it for a walk.

Don't just mooch around the woods, make it a nature trail, can you see any wildlife? Can you see any signs of wildlife such as tracks, what are the tracks for.

And if you take some string / washing line you can build a den.

List which trees would be best to climb and why (or maybe you don't want to give them ideas).

I'm unable to buy the strimmer my garden so desperately needs, until Friday. My ridiculously house proud neighbours are getting quite PA about my lawn and I cannot fucking do anything about it until I get paid

Oh mine was the same and i scrounged a lend of my neighbours' strimmer today. Would your neighbours let you use theirs if they have one? Is there anyone could lend you one or even do it for you if they were worried about you breaking it?

She did lend me hers but it was totally ineffective as my garden is actually a section of field. So it's not lawn, it's meadow and very, very tough going. I've found a brilliant-looking industrial-type one reduced from £250 to £99 on amazon but obviously don't have a spare hundred quid until Friday. It looks terrible and I feel really guilty.
Bleurgh!

Dont feel guilty! Far too many serious things to feel guilty about in life, long grass aint one of them!

PA neighbours can just tut and scowl til next week. They're only irritating themselves.

OP... are you close to London?
Loads of free museums/galleries - keep you occupied (and dry) most of the day... Science Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A - it's an endless list. Take a packed lunch, travel after 9.30am and it's not TOO expensive.
Otherwise I suggest:
Visiting family/friends (if close) or inviting them to you
Invite a school friend over for children to play with
Painting
Drawing
Papier Mache (loads of fun over a few days!)
Sticking things like pasta/pipe cleaners/googlie eyes to paper plates
Board games
Do some fun maths - there's loads to download (free on the internet)
Lego creating
Cooking (reasonably cheap)
It's much harder when it's raining. I was hoping for a week of paddling pool! Instead today we've visited friends, tomorrow we're off to London. Then we have theatre visits, more friends, dentist/doctor appointments. Then it's back to school.
However, as a child I used to love playing outside in the garden in the pouring rain with my siblings or walking the dog and coming in and changing and feeling all cosy and dry when back inside.

Let them build a camp in the sitting room with big sheets.
Make them a picnic or let them help you make it. Eat it in the tent.
Would they make up a "show"? Mine used ot spend hours doing this.
I also used to let them put the sofa cushions on the floor and do gymnastics.
Put loud music on and have a dance- dancing about makes you happy!

You said that they were both under 8, so I am guessing that the eldest is 7? Challenge them to do a Brownie or Cub Scout badge over the next few days.

They are Brownie badges and Cub badges

Thinking of ones that are easiest to do inside, if they like books, perhaps: Booklover or if one is more artistic, Artist.

Get them doing some chores around the home, yet it being labelled as 'fun': Home help Cub badge

The Number Fun badge will have lots of ideas for design and investigation: Number Fun

Go on a walk just around where you are and do the Cub Road Safety or the Out and About badges.

That's a kindly phrased kick in the backside, SillyBilly You're right!

Loads to do:

Indoors:

• watercolour paints, pens, crayons, draw
• play dough ( can make own if none)
• den over table ( picnic lunch under, torch and books)
• bake cakes/ bread/ pancakes/ popcorn
• read books
• play Lego/ trains/ cars/ shops

Outdoors

• skipping
• hopscotch
• chalk on pavement
• wood walks
• treasure hunt to find snail/ red leaf etc
• climb trees

-park ( yes in rain. 1hr outside will give 6 hrs peace inside)

• library
• invite friends over
• take scooters/ bikes out
• football / tennis

We also used to to keep "holiday diaries". Get a blank book or staple together bits of paper and let them do a picture a day, a bit of writing or stick in something they've found on a walk or a free pamphlet or postcard etc.

They're lovely to look back on when they're older.

Some great ideas here, taking note for the future!

second the suggestion of nearby museums or art galleries. In half term they will have some kind of activity on for free every day. By the time you've got there on the bus, done it and got home that's most of a day gone.

Thank you for the suggestions everyone! I don't have a computer unfortunately but I'll see what I can look up on the tablet :)

Not near London either, in Cornwall! There is stuff to do around it's just expensive to get to but I'll see what on in my area :D

Marking place