To think the February half term is shite?

[dontforgettofloss]

I have 4dcs, two of them teenagers and an 11 and 6 year old, not a lot of money, and the weather is awful here, I don't know what to do to entertain them!
Any ideas?

"You're not entertainments manager at Butlins - let them crack on with being bored, it will allow them to develop their inner landscapes"

orangewasp where is the like button?

My dcs Re similar ages, 2 teens, 8 and 5.

Mine are off to visit my Mum for the week.

I shall be mostly lolling around in bed reading books and eating sweatmeats.

I love the feb half term: it's my birthday and, being a teacher, I get the full week off to do whatever I please (well, as much as I can get away with having two young children along for the ride).

If they enjoy the holidays too much then it's harder to get them back in to the school routine. Being a bit bored never hurt anyone.

Move to Scotland, we've just got a long weekend and then 2 weeks at Easter.

Where are you all who only get 2 days for half term?

We're not off for another week yet. I thought we'd visit some places like a snowdome and take advantage of going when their local schools are back and get off peak prices but they've just increased their prices for 2 weeks instead (without offering any extra activities/events for the second week from what I can see) so I think we'll stay at home and hope the weather is ok for trips to the beach!

Check to see whether your younger two have any craft kits left over from Christmas!
As others have said, there will probably something "organised" at the library for your youngest. Get the 11 year old, and possibly the older ones, to read and choose some new books whilst that is going on.
Our garden centre usually do something (eg treasure hunt, with a small chocolate prize) suitable for a 6 year old.

It is also (I think!) Pancake Day and Chinese New Year next Tuesday and Friday respectively. So you could get the DC making and tossing pancakes of various wild and different flavours, do some Chinese crafts with the smallest two (eg make a Chines lantern, practise Chinese writing, learn a few facts about China and how to say a few Chinese words etc) and have them make a Chinese meal for dinner (with fortune cookies, and eaten with chopsticks!).

have a reading hour in the afternoon. everyone reading and doing nothing else. no distractions.
the teens will have school work to do, no matter what they tell you.
writing stories.
go for long walks
baking /pancake making.
lent starts next week. it is a time for alms-giving so get them to think about what they can do to benefit their local community.
rock painting and hiding in the local area.

Get wrapped up, get out in the rain to local park, beauty spot, duck feeding on a resovoir etc. My dad raised 3 children alone nearly 50 years ago. Not 2 penny's to rub together. He is from Ireland, we were raised in a city. We never had a single boring day. Just get out. If it's wet get wet. If it's cold get cold. We spent hours just running about in the local parks etc. Give it a go op x

Mine are sitting GCSE and A-Levels this Summer so I;m making them do revision ( cue eye-rolling and tutting)

I have 2 weeks off (Annual Leave) hurrah , going to visit the Parents , no rest for the wicked

DD went to a birthday party today, we went to the Sainsbury's café with my mum for supper, haircut for DS2 and chill out day tomorrow, then they're off to my aunt's for 2 nights (first time DS2 has been away from home or me), mostly pyjama days after that I think.

Hi Dontforget

Usually, I love the holidays...I have two dc's with an age gap (11 and 4) and sometimes I find this aspect difficult - finding an activity that appeals to them both but normally a bit of craft, junior cinema (cheap tickets) and swimming seems to go down O.K. I do understand where you are coming from in a way...I always thought it was my responsibility to entertain the dcs but what is making it especially difficult for me at moment is that I am heavily pregnant...which makes it hard to get around/have energy to get out and about. So, recently, I have had to rely more on screens and down days and a few of these are good too. Not sure about teenagers - my goal is to at least get out for an hour or two in the day because otherwise it would be screens all the way...all day for my pre-teen left to her own devices.

Oh and baking biscuits/cakes always go down well too...unfortunately, I feel less inclined at the moment because of late pregnancy x

We are skint at the mo. This week we are learning to cook (on a budget) each of them have to choose buy and cook a meal twice for around a fiver for 5 of us. We have played a few board games already and we are trying to learn how to draw a portrait. The rest of the time they are allowed on screens for about an hour and a half a day but the rest of the time I'll leave them to be a bit bored. They scene get to make there own entertainment. It's actually really good for us to be a bit bored. Slows down the brain a bit in this age of 24-Hour entertainment

Unless you’re going away, February half term is the lazy half term. It’s too cold, to close to January and usually the children are knackered. I’m working some of it, but other than that it’s movies, playing, cuddling under a blanket and having a long relax. And that’s okay!

May half term is usually good weather, Easter is seeing lots of family, Summer is full of activities, October usually has Halloween activities and other things going on and Christmas is exhausting. February - give them an iPad

i am sure holiday are for chilling out and relaxing.let them do what they want, even if threy get fed up.

I work in a school and I'm afraid that we've not got many activities lined up.

I have a hospital appt.
They have the dentists.
We do have 2 cinema trips, but one's the meerkat codes at the local vue (which has dropped all prices to £5 a ticket) and one's the local cinema that's always that cheap.

And a walk around the city after we've been to the dentists.

That's it. The rest of the time we will chill.

I have no plans to entertain mine this half term. When I am working I doubt very much dh does either.

They have no problem entertaining themselves, especially not at that age.

My mum also used the line 'only boring people get bored'.

I have never understood why so many parents have a weeks worth of activities planned. I think a short half term week is short enough to just enjoy the downtime, with walks out for bored children who need to let off some energy.

let them entertain themselves for goodness sake. Don't they read books? Cant they get involved in housework, shopping, cooking?

I actually think teens need the time off to just rest and sleep and play mind numbing games. I was always of the 'something to do each day' parenting brigade but this has eased off with age. I enjoy the down time too. I am just sick to death of the dark dismal days and looking forward to summer. Hate the seasons just want it to be warm.

Mines in holiday club for 3 days while I work.
The other 2 days we'll be baking, relaxing, having a friend to play for an afternoon, planning our spring/summer garden (she's horticulture mad!) and trying to get to grips with the sewing machine she got for Christmas (might also necessitate a trip to Hobbycraft).

Yanbu. We can't go out and my lot are going to go stir crazy. I think I'll be spending a lot of time in the garden shivering under a load of layers trying to wear out my 3 year old.

There are lots of cold-weather activities that don't cost much, obviously, depends on where you live but:
Baking and other cooking.
'challenges' for the kids - set the 11 yo the task of choosing, shopping for and cooking a 3 course meal for you all. 6yo can do something like, maybe, plannig a cheap day out, write a timetable, organise everyone, write lists :)
Go on a bike ride/ walk/ borrow someone else's dog to take for a walk.

11am cheapy cinema showings, home movies as others have said, TV and crap foodathon,

Stage and put on a show/ performance together

Have a reciprocal (crucial, that) playdate/ sleepover for the 6yo/ 11yo.

I love school holidays, but realise am fortunate to be able to afford some activities and probably tempered by fact that I am often working during them, and kids in holiday childcare, so time off seems special.