What do you do with your DC during half term?

[TrickOrTreat21x]

Just that really! Wondering if 2 outings during half term is really enough or if I should be doing more with dc and filling everyday with activities?

My eldest dc has autism and adhd so finds making friends hard and doesn't ever invite them round or vice visa and he's not allowed to play out due to not understanding the danger of roads and strangers. We don't have family around bar one member so nobody for dc to really play with apart from school. (He's going to a Sen school next year so I hope this will change!)

But I'm wondering for now if I'm mixing my dc enough and doing things with them or if I should be doing more if that makes sense? Time is not an issue.

Not a lot!
We stayed home all day yesterday except for a walk to the bakery for a treat.
Today we had a friend over to play
Tomorrow will be another day at home
Thursday we will pop to granny’s house
Friday we will visit grandad and swimming
We have a day out to a farm planned Saturday
Sunday- we will go food shopping and trick or treating

Mine are 1, 5 and 6 and I work 3 days a week including half term. The 6 yo had a party last weekend and has one this weekend, yesterday we went to a Halloween arts and crafts party, we spent today at a family members and the 5yo is sleeping over (6yo wanted to come home), tomorrow we have a playdate with a friend, Thursday we are doing some Halloween stuff and meeting some friends at the park, Friday the kids are with family, probably a Halloween party over the weekend.

I try to keep mine out and about and busy during holidays as otherwise they'll constantly ask to spend their whole time on tablets or fighting

What age are they?

We tend to do something most days, but some of those will be pretty low key eg a car picnic and a short walk in some woods.

Or walk to the shops to buy cake making ingredients.

Then we do a couple of bigger things, but only if we can afford it.

This is a list of ideas

Go pumpkin picking
Hold a party or a play date
Sign up for classes
Make a movie
Eat at a new pub, cafe or restaurant
Art and craft sessions as a family
Attempt practice questions
Trip to a farm or zoo etc
Pick flowers
Swim as a family
Build a tree house
Plan a holiday
Drive to a garden centre

10 and 5. Thanks for the ideas.

I have a 4 and 3 year old so for my sanity, and theirs, we're out multiple times a day. They're currently on half term from nursery school.

Yesterday was trip to the zoo followed by a play date at a friends house in the afternoon.

Today was soft play in the morning and another play date with a different friend in the afternoon.

Over the coming days we have Halloween themed trips out and this weekend have a Halloween party to go to and then trick or treating with some local mums and their kids.

The thought of spending time at home with my young DC makes me feel sick, especially considering I did it for a year+ with lockdowns. I need to get out and socialise with my mum friends and DC need to play with their buddies too. Although it's easy for me to say/do as my DC are NT and do not have additional challenges around getting out and about like your DC. I'd say if you and your DC are happy with your current arrangements then that's fantastic and no pressure to feel the need to "do more"!

You are fine doing whatever works for your family.

We have been swimming and a couple of sleepovers, interspaced with quite a lot of minecraft. Going to bake tomorrow.

Holiday club. I haven’t been well and I’m not well enough to look after them. We’ve never done this before

I do local gardens/national trust places.
When I’m at work DH does swimming/soft play.

GPs having them one night this week.
Seeing some friends at the weekend for Halloween stuff.

We live rurally and dog walking features heavily. As does the kindle and Nintendo switch and Disney plus etc etc!

Mine are 11 and 10... I've had a 8 kids from the street at my house all day watching movies and decorating for Halloween from 10am until 7pm. As the weather is rubbish I think they will probably end up at each others houses over the week. At the weekend we are planning to do pumpkin carving and games with them all.

Two organised days, absolutely enough.

It was really lovely today to see so many school aged children just out walking with their parents and obviously enjoying it. But if fresh air in a park, at the beach is more than enough most days.

Mine were meant to go pumpkin picking on Sunday then be going to a holiday club all week that they wanted to go to plus a party. a farm and soft play on Saturday and trampolining and pumpkin picking Sunday. unfortunately we caught covid. We have being stuck in since Saturday it's being torture. I've had no energy to do much with them. I have serious mum guilt.

Cinema
Swimming
Shopping
Visit grand parents
Hair cut
Eating out
Library

We have to go out every day or I feel too hemmed in . This half term has so far been a visit to a farm , 2 visits to local English heritage sites as we have a membership and soft play . Still to come are pottery painting and the National History museum .

They are left to their own devices whilst we are working. Time and budgets won’t allow for any outings unfortunately. So they will be mostly just playing, reading, gaming, and the older ones will pootle around the locale, probably library, maybe a friends house.

We started with a weekend at the seaside. Monday I had a doctors appointment, so we didn't do much, although we did wander out to get some Halloween decorations.

Today we went to a childrens farm, picked and carved a pumpkin, fed the animals.

Tomorrow I have to take my mum to a hospital appointment, and the car to the garage, so they'll have a chilled out day at home with DH.

Thursday we're meeting up with family for a Halloween walk.

Nothing planned for Friday, probably need to do their half term homework.

Saturday I'm taking DD to watch the first Harry Potter film in the cinema, and on Sunday I'm taking DS and a buddy to soft play.

I try to keep a mix of lazy days at home (because I think they are tired and need a rest), and fun, more social days. DD is also autistic, and would be quite content to stay at home and read for the week, but DS would be climbing the walls after half an hour!

Actually I'd forgotten - on Friday I've promised them pancakes for breakfast, and a Halloween kitchen disco in the evening, and of course on Sunday we'll go Trick or Treating.

Our week is

Monday - kids have a lazy day while I work
Tuesday - youngest (7) to sports club, eldest (13) doing homework, projects etc at home, me working
Wednesday - youngest to sports club, eldest meeting a friend independently, doing her own thing, me working
Thursday - all out for the day to art gallery
Friday - all doing outdoor activity

The working bit is not my ideal, but needs must!

Working from home this week I should say- normally office based two days and home three

Oldest is 13. He has slept over at a friend's, done cinema, bowling and Maccy Ds. He is having a trip out with us Pumpkin Picking later in the week. He has been out with friends for a kick about and has 2 football matches. Other then this Playstation, Netflix etc.

Youngest is 2.5. We have or are doing...
Pumpkin Picking
Mother Shipton's Cave Halloween Event
Play Farm
Indoor Imaginative Play Session
Halloween Event at Indoor Play Village
Swimming
Play Date/Coffee
Possible Beach Walk

Youngest loves outdoors... But will add in chilled play such as stickers, colouring in and Jigsaws.

I love half term because it's only a week so no need to feel too much guilt about cramming it full of activities!
One of mine was invited to a party Sunday, we're going to the zoo Wednesday and some steam train thing on Thursday. That all feels quite adventurous so spending the rest of the time at home, refereeing arguments over every stupid little thing or short trips to the play park / forest. We'll go trick or treating on Halloween but just ourselves, no-one has offered to go as a group, boo.

I mainly wfh and send them to the park

If you’re counting the weekend

Eldest has her birthday on Saturday. She is having a meal out with friends for lunch (with me!) and then there happens to be a disco at the youth club in the evening. Youngest has his hobby and my mum is picking him up then spending the pm/ night with us.

Sunday, my Dad is joining us for lunch and once parents have gone we’ll trick or treat (possibly only youngest!)

Normally we would do something 4 days in the week, although that might include a dentist appointment, grandparents round for tea etc so not always exciting or expensive stuff. However this week we are isolating because 7 year-old is recovering from an operation so apart from a hospital appointment for 8 year-old we are having a week of crafts, Lego and playing in the garden.