Spending quality time with my kids - help me please!

[peripateticparents]

Fitting in around some homeschooling ... while travelling (not in the UK), so not the normal resources to hand.

Looking for ideas for what to do with a 12 month old and a 7 year old (45 mins), and a 12 month old and a 4 year old (30 mins). Can leave the house, but not a park close enough to get out and run and be back in time (need to be back for each start/finish). Small sunny outdoor area to play in. Needs to be a 'break' from one on one schooling in numeracy/literacy. 4 alternating sessions each morning.... 40 alternating sessions a week!

Love my kids, but I'm not a natural when it comes to 'play'... help inspire me, please! I'm not going to say what i'm doing now, as i don't want to box in the ideas.

My DCs have always enjoyed me making them an obstacle course and timing them going round it. Can use anything you have to hand to
make silly obstacles for them.

What a great idea, princess. I brought pegs to help with fort constructions, I can make tunnels along the way... Thank you.

Treasure hunts are great fun with a map and clues! A favourite toy gets "lost" and you need to go on a search and rescue mission. Or a naughty squirrel/mouse (inset other creature depending on what country you're in!) has hidden a favourite toy and left a secret trail to find it.

Pitapotamus, my boys will love that ... The 7 year old can make the clues for the 4 year old. He likes to be in charge

Do you have any bit of garden for a mini beast quest?
Space to cook?

Small bit of outdoor area. Decked, but sunny and small paddling pool. Ants (we're going to build an ant farm), but not much else other than mosquitos. Doesn't mean we can't turn over a few chairs to look for spiders though

I almost had to ask what to do on a small scale 'beast quest'. I'm not always dumb, really.

We are cooking, though youngest ds is only interested in the sweet things. And 12 month old wants to dive into all the pots...