Summer holidays: things to do at home?

[Mercy]

I'm trying to think of things I can do at home to keep a 5yr old dd and a 2 yr old ds entertained - and I haven't got very far! For (mainly) financial reasons day trips will have to be limited to the library, the local park and in dd's case, visiting friends.

My ideas so far include:-

making a cake/biscuits
paddling pool - with & without playballs
collage/painting/glueing etc (more ideas in this area especially welcome - am collecting boxes and bits & bobs)
football

which is pretty much what they do at home anyway. Am really stuck so all ideas welcome (the cheaper the better!)

Camping! - either indoors or in the garden. My two love a bit of improvised camping with a blanket on the floor, a quilt cover or a large sheet draped over the furniture, all the teddies in for the "family", picnic lunch in there, hours of fun! You could drape it over the garden table if you're outside, or over the washing line.

Make salt clay? I did yesterday with my dds 4 and 2, they loved it. It can last a couple of days... day 1 - make and mold the clay, let it set for a couple of days day - 3 paint the clay shapes etc. It's really easy to make and not that messy.

Do you have a garden? my two love a bit of grubbing around in the soil, planting a few seeds etc..

kids games on websites e.g. Cbeebies

Playdoh
Painting with water on the patio/drive
Cornflour gloop
Making mobiles out of CD's
Making brooches out of kilt pins & ribbon
Making flowers out of handprints
Making baxes and decorating them
Making pen holders out of lollipop sticks
Paper boats and sailing them at the parks
Feeding the ducks
Dens in the garden (or inside if raining)
Making usical instruments
Bubbles
Shaving foam
Amazing maize
Pasta pictures
Nature collages

I'll add to this if I can think of any more

Thank you so much for all these ideas!

Had forgotten that we have a pop-up tent - duh! thanks Kbear.

cardy, what is salt clay, pl?

katymac, what is amazing maize? and how do I make a boat? I can make hats from newspaper! (no parks with ponds but paddling pool will do). Had forgotten about shaving foam - dd loved playing with this at nursery school

Hats are just like boats (use junk mail rather than newspaper - that soaks up too much water)

Amaizing maize is from a craft/toy shop and it sticks together with water (looks a bit like wotsits) all different colours - bt a bit goes quite a long way - a bought an A4 box for about £4

Salt clay is make with salt, water and cornflower and is a very simple way of making clay. I dig out the exact amounts for you but it is very simple, and not that messey to make.

The other thing my 2 dds like doing is dressing up in my old clothes, shoes, hats, bags etc.