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Original poster

i want to make a memory today - suggestion??

166 replies

Mimstar · 02/04/2013 10:48

Okay I want to do something spontaneous today. I want to do something with 4 year old DD which will make lovely memories, something unusual, something we don't normally do. Something a bit crazy.

Last time I felt like this, within an hour we has jumped on a train to the lake district and we boyght fresh bread and cheese and ate them by a lake, drawing everything we could see with our coloured pencils.

Unfortunately, its too cold to sit by a lake today ans I want to make a new memory :) needs to be cheaposh, budget of 30 quid!

Suggestions gratefully received!

OP posts:
Solopower1 · 03/04/2013 01:10

walks

AmericasTorturedBrow · 03/04/2013 03:38

Fire station idea is brilliant! This kind of stuff does and should make up the fabric of life. But I suppose the spontaneity bit is mainly for us - I'd you plan ahead and keep it a secret such surprises still seem spontaneous for DC.

This has inspired me though. I have a very very very rare morning alone with DS tomorrow (DD is in daycare and he's on spring break), I was planning on one of those paint-a-mug type things then remembered we have a small plane airport nearby and seeing as we're picking friends up later from the much bigger airport, I've decided we'll just do a plane day. Told him earlier our plans (and that we had a tiny bit of shopping to do first) and he suggested we also have a picnic - so I'm going to just let him choose whatever he wants for his picnic so the whole picnic thing is his (I can get some proper food in him at dinner time!)

I think I might be more excited than him!!

Eebahgum · 03/04/2013 07:54

I love this thread and hope I can remember some of these ideas when ds is old enough to enjoy and remember them (currently 6 months). In the meantime might try some out with dp in the spirit of spontaneity. As a child I have fond memories of building dens with my sister - in our bedrooms with sheets, pegs and a couple ofclothes horses. Also a memorable walk in the woods where we were asked to find the most interesting thing we could - a boy we were with found a milk crate and win by a mile over our leaves and stones.

xigris · 03/04/2013 08:17

Thanks Americas. I'm going to call our local ambulance and police stations too (nothing I assure you to do with uniforms ) to see if we can visit those too. The fire fighters at our local fire station said that they loved it when children visit and that they see it as an important part of their job Smile

fuckwittery · 03/04/2013 08:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ETsmum · 03/04/2013 09:38

Thanks op for starting this thread :). I have been inspired and ds and I are off into town to by some yummy food for an indoor picnic. Going to dig out the picnic rug and spread out in the lounge with lots of nibbly bits later :)

jeee · 03/04/2013 09:45

Go for a walk in the woods, and watch your four children disappear among the trees. Smile indulgently as they gallop through the undergrowth. Then realise a few minutes later you can't see any of them. Shout very loudly. Start crashing through the woodlands. Shout again. Panic. Run down the paths asking everyone if they've seen four children. Discover the children back at the car.

A very memorable afternoon out.

SamraLee · 03/04/2013 09:54

Cheap and easy idea is to paint your bodies with food. Can buy baby puree or make yourself, for colorful, messy and delicious fun!

Solopower1 · 03/04/2013 10:07

Lol Jee! Grin

My mother always could see us, of course. We weren't that good at spying!

Though once my dotty uncle took my own kids into the woods and really did lose them. They weren't hiding or being naughty. He just wandered off. When he came home without them and I asked him where they were he said airily 'Oh they'll find their way home'. I was furious with him and raced out to find them. They were fine, and hadn't realised they were lost. But that's beside the point.

TwoPoundCakePuncher · 03/04/2013 10:11

Subbing to read when ive been and wiped DS1's bum, for i dont want that to be the memory for today Grin

bluevwcampervan · 03/04/2013 10:36

My eldest dd (now a teenager) used to love finding snail shells and then trying to stick them on the back of slugs - she spent hours in the garden.

We used to make up a mini beast garden using a container - we even recreated our own garden.

My youngest dd4 is in the middle of setting up a toy shop and pharmacy (?????) in her bedroom ...

I love the possibility of a police station visit! We also love picnics in bedrooms!!!

Solopower1 · 03/04/2013 10:45

Two of mine had snail races up the walls.

MortifiedAdams · 03/04/2013 10:49

I want to get this thread added to Classics - there's too.many amazing ideas and inspiration for it to disappear in 30 days before I have had a chance to do half.of it

TwoPoundCakePuncher · 03/04/2013 10:52

I agree re: Classics, some great ideas :)

TwoPoundCakePuncher · 03/04/2013 11:08

Ok so today me and my 3 DS' are going to make a den in the garden, then we are going to make a picnic and eat it in the den! Smile

JollyPurpleGiant · 03/04/2013 11:29

An inside idea:
We raided our recycling bin recently and sellotaped the stuff together to make a post box and a rocket. We taped crepe paper on top.

You can also post letters to yourself. Or to a friendly mner who would send you a nice postcard back :)

lucysmam · 03/04/2013 11:47

We are going to make our own afternoon tea later in the week instead of wait to save up......off to scour local charity shops for a tea pot in a bit. that way dd2 can join in without me worrying about behaviour.

going to bake some cakes first though.

will probably pinch some of the other ideas here too like the direction choosing in the forest......there's a small wood a bus ride away that i know well enough to take the kids using my bus ticket so am going to do a picnic one day later in the week and off we go

my two like just jumping on a bus randomly and seeing where it goes sometimes....usually nowhere exciting but a cuppa in a cafe and turn around to come back is enough excitement at 3 & 6yo anyway Smile

Lucyellensmum95 · 03/04/2013 11:56

Two easters ago we spontaneously went down to Bedgebury Pinetum in Goudhurst (kent) - its quite a trek from us but it was fab. Packed a picnic and were tres organised. Absolutely wonderful day - one of those rare warm days, there are 10 playgrounds in a woodland walk - you can literally take all day. Watch the daredevils lunatics doing the "go ape" thing with heart in mouth thinking, you are not getting me up there, no way jose! We made a Den as it seemed to be the thing to do - they were everywhere. Then there is the actual pinetum area - stunning azaleas, rhodedendrons and all types of, um, pine trees, i think - huge lake - its brilliant. It has now become our easter pilgramage - we had to go last easter and DD flatly refuses to go any other time of the year Hmm She is very miffed this year as we are now complete with bike rack and tagalong bike it has just been too cold for the sort of day that we want to spend there. We said maybe next weekend, but am praying for it to warm up a bit before the end of the easter holiday. Would definately recommend to anyone in the south east - its free entry but you have to pay £10 to park, its well worth it though. Forest bike trails and there is bike hire if you don't take your own. It is a good memory for us.

mumnosbest · 03/04/2013 11:59

Making a den has to be at the top of my list of memories. Either in the garden, woods or under the dining table then eating picnic lunch together in the den.
Food painting is fun. Get the kids to make disgusting mushy purees (peas are great, as are berries), paint plants and trees then watch the birds or if you're lucky squirrels clean up the mess :)

Lego days are great too!

Lucyellensmum95 · 03/04/2013 12:01

My best memories of my dad is that he used to pick me up from school on Thursday if he was working nights (on the railway) and we would get on the train to go to margate (where he was based) to collect his wages - i was allowed to go on one ride (always the up and down horses) at Dreamland. There was a zoo too and one day there was a man with a lion cub on a lead - he wouldn't let me stroke it though, my dad made a Hmm face at him. Grin Dreamland isn't there anymore, although i think the scenic railway is. Margate is sort of enjoying a bit of a revival and we often visit the turner gallery - would definately recommend their Sunday workshops for kids. Definately recommend avoiding the shop - stupidly expensive.

I really wish this weather would improve

xigris · 03/04/2013 12:13

Lucy Bedgebury Pinetum is fab Smile. If you're into camping then there's a really brilliant campsite very near - just google Bedgebury Camping

VictorTango · 03/04/2013 12:25

Thanks to this thread I've just made a den under the dining table and the dc are eating a picnic lunch in there now.

DD1 wants to do a 'sleepover' in there after lunch so it might even buy me a bit of peace. Grin

Fab thread!

Lucyellensmum95 · 03/04/2013 12:26

I so want to do the jump on the bus and see where we end up thing but its just so cold does it notice that im a wuss when it comes to the weather

UtterflyButterfly · 03/04/2013 12:28

One of the things my mum and I used to do when I was little was buy a 'Rover' bus ticket - a set price ticket and you could use it as much as you liked for the day. Then we'd get on the first bus that came and go to the end stop. If it was somewhere interesting we'd spend some time there,otherwise we'd get another bus and see where it took us, and so on for the whole day. Can you still get these tickets now?

lucysmam · 03/04/2013 12:36

Lucyellensmummy it's only local buses so never too far from home but some of them the terminus is a good hour from home....plan to go a bit further as they get older Smile