Day with 5 year old without younger sibling - ideas?

[GeorginaA]

ds1 (5) breaks up from school on Thursday so will have Friday off while ds2 is in nursery. I thought it would be nice for the two of us to do something special together, but with the weather forecast being spectacularly dismal, I'm a bit stumped for ideas.

It needs to be:

a) pretty cheap - we're a bit strapped for cash at the moment, unfortunately :( So, entertainment on a budget!

b) not the cinema. He hates the dark and the noise and he gets too scared of the plots... we've just had too many unsuccessful trips to make it any sort of treat for him unfortunately :(

c) weather-proof!

d) available in Worcester or near environs.

e) out of the house - more for my benefit than him, I've just been going stir-crazy recently and need a change of scenery. So although doing some art activity or cooking or something equally difficult to do while younger brother is around would be great for him, I'd like this to be a break for me too!

Any ideas? I don't seem to be having many lightbulb moments of late!

A walk in some woods with a list of things to collect on the way? Wellies, hats, hot chocolate in a flask, cake in the car on the way home?

Or a visit to an aquarium?

Funnily enough, he does woodland walks at school (they have a "Forest School" session every other week - well cool)...

The only aquarium I can think of nearby is the SeaLife centre in Birmingham but that was pretty pricey :(

Sorry. I'm not being deliberately awkward, promise

Could you go ten pin bowling and get those cushion things put on the sides of the lane?

Dvd at home? On sofa?
library and read a load of books and bring some home?

Oooo bowling is a good idea - there's a bowling place near us. Wonder how much it costs for a game?

Library is an excellent idea too - ours has a little museum attached which I find deathly dull, but ds1 thinks is awesome

Why can I never think of this stuff?!

\link{http://www.worcestercitymuseums.org.uk/central/actind.htm\Worcester City Museum} - Footsteps of Giants Festival?

Ooo fab, JanH! That sounds interesting :)

Well it doesn't start until 3.30pm, but maybe you could do something else in Worcester first (eg bowling) and then go to the museum?

I will google some more

Whatever you decide to do, i hope you have a fantastic time.
I relish the time that I have alone with DS1 (age 4) without DD2 (age 1) around. I love them both dearly, of course, but it is lovely to just take him out and do something special with him - it reminds me what a fantastic little boy he his and how grown up he is getting.
BTW - I get loads of time alone with DD2 when DS1 is at school, so I am not being mean.
Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a fab time

Ceramic painting?

I know exactly what you mean JoPG - I get loads of time with ds2 but hardly any with ds1 on his own.

Hope you had a lovely day with DS1. What did you get up to in the end??

Royal Worcester do plate painting -DD went there for her 6th birthday and loved it.

They have dozens of designs already outlined on the plates so he can choose one of those and doesn't have to start from scratch.

Very therapeutic for grown-ups too!

oops, sorry - only just realised that today was the day, so to speak!

Thanks folks :)

We went bowling and had a FAB time (cos it was an INSET day rather than half term holiday, we got the play as much as you like for £5.50 each - so we played about 5 games!) Are now both shattered so collapsed in front of the telly - don't think we're going to be making it to the library!

Thanks for all the ideas... going to store up some of the others for next time we get a day on our own :)