School Holidays Survival tips?

[unicorn]

As we aren't going anywhere until the very last week of the holidays,I am beginning to wonder what on earth we can do.

We don't have anyone to visit.. so it has to be home based and CHEAP.

DD (6) and DS(3) do get on, but after any long time together they start bickering/fighting etc.

I am developing a nervous twitch just thinking about it!

Has anyone planned the hols like a military campaign - and got the whole thing covered (plse share your timetable)

or

Can anyone point me in the direction of the ultimate book/guide?

(get the impression I am getting slightly worried?!!)

When we were kids my mum used to theme each week of the hols and plan it all out so that we had ten "challenges" a week during the week with a weekend "prize" such as putting up the tent in the back garden etc.
I remember we we would start the week with a trip to the library to get out books on our week?s chosen topic and plan everything to do with it, buy a cheap scrapbook, decorate the cover etc. and then do all sorts of nutty stuff each day with mum making a chart for the fridge while we got our scrapbooks ready.
I remember doing one on bees where we made this massive model of a bee hive, did loads of cooking with honey, we made black and yellow pom poms and made a bee hanging mibile for our room, made up this ridiculous bee dance with two of our friends and performed it to our parents (cringe -what a laarf) visited a friend?s orchard who kept bees and listened to the hives hum etc. etc.We did one on the local castle and had a medieval week doing all sorts of costume making, research, brass rubbings, illuminated letter art, making our own castle decor for our room etc. etc. We loved floating around with princess hats on.
It sounds a bit twee writing it all down but as kids we really loved having these mini projects and many of our friends seemed to tag along and want to join in doing various art, wacky science experiments and our "research". My youngest sister must have been around three when we did these sort of hols and loved them too.
When we get together we often talk about our summer hols with affection and full of memories of pond dipping, cooking, making robots, kites, bike rides, home made petal perfume etc. etc.
The secret is to keep busy and have at least one activity that involves leaving the house every day - even if only to the local park. The other is to arrange plenty of play dates to separate them and give them a chance to play with friends of their own age - and ou a break.

love the theme idea basketcase (I shall nick your name by end of hols!)

thanks for suggestions.

you mum sounds a bit more creative than me tho!