Mumsnet users share ways to keep their children of different ages entertained during half term with PizzaExpress

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

It’s half term and both you and your DC deserve some family time before the last leg of the summer term begins. If you have children of different ages, you know it can be difficult to find activities that entertain both. PizzaExpress would love find out the ways you bridge the age gap with activities that keep the children entertained, letting them express themselves.

Here’s what PizzaExpress has to say: “We love welcoming families into our restaurants and understand how precious time together is. Our goal is to make the time at PizzaExpress as enjoyable as possible, which includes not only delicious pizza but also fun & creative activities for Piccolos of all ages and the whole family to get involved in. What is it that makes it tick and ensures well-behaved children all round?”

Do you get them in the kitchen helping you create new dishes for the family? Perhaps you take family trips out that cater for all ages or go for a meal out in a family-friendly restaurant? Or maybe you have different variations of the same activity such as a colouring book for your younger DC and free-style painting for your older DC?

Whatever your ways to keep your DC of different ages entertained during the half term, post on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Home making (cornflake buns, peppermint creams and rice krispie buns) always goes down a treat and is fun for all ages, so we love that, treasure hunts in the garden when it's sunny, an when then sun comes out, you cannot beat splashing in and out of the paddling pool. (with factor 30 plus of course)

Quiz nights at home are always a big success :) making and eating food together, planning snacks for the evening all a part of that - each taking in turns to host the quiz and prep the questions :)

I find that being outsdie is such an easy way to entertain children of different ages. We often take a picnic and just go for an explore

Mine are 1, 3, 7 and 12 and all except the baby love running around and kicking a ball about and eating. So picnics, trips to the park or anywhere they can run around. Dd3 loves being one of the 'big girls' so she is happy to do whatever they're doing and they are usually happy to let her play too

Working together with them helps keep them all happy and I can tailor the activities according to age, so we might make a meal together and they can choose it together, then I can give cutting/mixing/weighing etc jobs out depending on age, and it all comes together as a delicious meal made with teamwork

Going to the playground with friends so that they have someone their own age to play with, eldest is also more likely to run around playing games with younger 2 for a bit if she doesn't feel babyish because her friend is joining in too, and if she knows she can have some time without younger ones later to just play with her friend

Mine are 6 and 11 and they both like
Cinema
Lunch out
Swimming
Park and playing football
Trampoline park
Bowling
Building stuff out of lego
Cooking and making a mess in the kitchen
Bike rides and picnics
Museums, theatre, animal parks

Despite the 5y age gap there's actually quite a lot of stuff they both like doing!

Send them shopping for pizza based and toppings of their choice. Then they can add the toppings and cook their pizzas.
Get each DC to choose a meal to buy for and cook during the week from a straightforward cook book.
Get out the smoothie maker and they can create their own concoctions.
Just once, as a treat, let them make ice cream sundaes.
Mug cakes and mug meals are also fun to make.

I have a 7 year age gap and over the years we've had success with bowling (younger one can have the aids), an adventure playground, the cinema and eat out.

Pizza express is actually one of our favourites. I don't eat cheese and we're all veggie, so it caters really well to all of our needs. We've also never had a wrong order and always find them spotlessly clean. What's not to love?

There's a great stone painting and hiding group locally; older one paints them and the younger one have des them and hunts for the ones others have left! Very cheap and cheerful 😀

We let them each take a book when we go to restaurants.

swimming.
film night or camping in the house.garden.den.
obstacle course
water fight
setting up a restaurant and doing the whole thing.from printing a menu to serving in chefs hats to dad and mum
seeing grandparents
going for walks and picking up leaves rocks to make art.
sitting in th garden in the sun wth books,colouring etc.
playing in the lounge with books.colouring.cuddly toys tv on.films etc.
baking
sleepovers
creating stories.going to library
craft,paint
the zoo.
day trip
museums
get help don't be a lone parents if you don't need or want to be.so do stuff with friend or granparetns etc.
meal at pizza express are great.
whatever you choose be enthusiastic for all ages.so make it seem or be something they can all get on board with.
if it has to be centred like it does for safety if anything else around doing something for younger kids to be able to be involved in then make sure the older feel needed.wanted.thought about.tell them they can choose what to have for tea or youll gt a movie out.that they can invite a friend etc.or try and organise some babysitting so you can take the older dc out on their own to do more grown up stuff.

meeting up with the family
picnic an ball games
national trust places

I find most places can be suitable for a range of ages as they just get different things out of it - eg at museum, younger DC happy to look at things while older DC read the signs and learn things.
Park is great too as they can all play and run about, and a picnic makes it perfect.

My pair (8 and 5) adore their bikes so a long cycle round the park or along a cycle path is a great way of spending time, especially if the weather is warm! Free, healthy and a good form of exercise so a winner all round.

we live in a city, so there are a good 20 or so playgrounds, including 3-4 major destination playgrounds to go to, going to the park is such a great free activity and with so much choice the kids don't get bored

Walking to the local park and buying an ice cream on the way is always enjoyable for my baby, 2 year old and 6 year old.

Cooking together works well. As does being outside in general as each child can please themselves

A day at the beach is always a good bet to keep everyone entertained. We al enjoy bowling together although the tine is coming when that will be viewed as tragic

Mine are 7 and 2, sometimes they choose a day each but i prefer going to places they both enjoy. Like the seaside my daughter likes building sandcastles but my son prefers the rides and arcades.

There's only a 2 year age gap between our two so it isn't too bad finding things they both like - park, zoo, museum, playing in the garden...

I have a big (6 year) gap and I must admit it’s getting harder to find things to do that both kids enjoy. We tend to go for farms/theme parks and adventure playgrounds with equipment and rides suitable for a variety of ages. Both love zoos and meals out, especially at venues with a sense of ‘event’ - plate smashing at a Greek taverna for example.

Swimming, museum, park, cinema, beach, trampolining. There are loads of things you can do with split ages. Boy is 6, girl is 10.

We usually eat afterwards, either McD’s, KFC, Bella Italia, Pizza Hut, F&B’s, depending on how much money we have . Pizza Express here is in the High Street which is no good when the activity is out of town.

Have a 5 year old 4 year old and 1 year old. Picnics by a local stream, arts and crafts, nature walks,paddling pools and sandpits in the yard! Tea parties in the house, walking the dog. Lots of things to keep themall.entertained at once

Being outside, or go somewhere and older ones can wander off for an hour or two...get friends round, swimming

we like to go for days out to the local parks or some times a park 20 mins away. We always take some snacks and drinks, cash for ice cream.

We go to the park a lot and play in the garden too. We eat outside when possible and go to pizza express occasionally too