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

[EllieMumsnet]

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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

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Playing outdoors. We had visitors at the weekends with children from toddlers to teenagers and all were happy. We had the paddling pool, trampoline, swingball and netball hoop on the go and ended the day with rounders, hide and seek and manhunt. No phones, no one bored. It would have been a nightmare inside if it had rained though.

Museums usually have a range of activities for different aged children. I also like sporty activities such as swimming and cycling although these activities won't suit every age gap.

Going to the park and playing football keeps them active.

Letting them choose things they want to do separately and making time to do them things. Also going to places that have a variety of different activities for all ages.

My 3 don’t agree on a lot but when they go to my MIL for a week every summer they all agree that they want to go down the beach to the rock pools with thier nets!!

We go out walking. At least an hour a day gives us an opportunity to talk and burn some calories.

We live in a City and are lucky to have lots of nearby parks and events, so I tend to look out for free events/activities during school hols and weekends we have together. The local parks have a range of free fun days/events throughout the year...this weekend it's a car show. Our last weekend, my daughter and I, went to a forest cycling event, also free. There's an urban beach in Summer too. I put a lot of effort into looking for value for money/free local events using info guides/e-mail sign up/social media. And I save my Nectar/Clubcard points to make a treat meal out possible too...one of our favs being Pizza Express x

We have a big age gap (8 and 14) so it's tricky. Today it wa walk with friends in country, a massive playground, paddle in the stream and pub lunch. We have also been to an aircraft museum and had picnic at a national trust property with friends. The key is to go with friends with similar age children. I always bring along a few card games to stop them getting bored while adults chat over lunch.

Swimming is always good. So is tennis. Getting them to cook dinner is always a good one. We can usually find a film which is slightly too old for the younger one but both enjoy.

We try do as much as we can and free things that can be just as fun! nature walks, Museums or the park then feed the ducks! Xx Out and about always keeps them happy x

All children join in with younger children activities then while younger children sleep after lunch, older Children are allowed to do extra things they couldn’t do while 2 year old is awake eg play computer games

Our Local Authority offers a lot of free, or cheap, activities for children in the school holidays. Pond dipping, Lego sessions, free film shows at the library, etc. I'm lucky in that the DGS I look after are close in age, so we can always find something they'll both enjoy. If all else fails, cooking, traditional games such as dominoes, picnics either indoors or our, DVDs with popcorn. And football with Nanna in goal's always fun (for them, anyway!).

Mine range from 12 to 5 - they love going swimming together and we also like to get out for walks with our puppy.
We do try to split them occasionally to take the bigger ones to the pictures etc and get the grannys to help out with the younger ones

We joined the National Trust last year which has a great range of locations to visit & plenty to entertain a range of age groups - our favourites are Belton House (Grantham) - which has a HUGE outdoor play area & Calke Abbey (Derbyshire).
Going out on a bike ride is great - it's easy enough to find a circular route so the older ones can go on ahead if they get impatient waiting for LO.. or parents! :)

Camping, bowling, sleepovers, treasure hunts, hide and seek in stately homes, movie days with jammies and popcorn

When I asked what my 10 year old wanted to do the first day of the hols it was jet wash the car then go to a carvery, so we did. Then the 7 year old wanted to make a den for the dog and make a pizza another day. Sometimes just asking them what they want to do gets surprising and refreshing results!

Its great to get out and about. My youngest will map in the buggy while his big sister enjoys more grown up things. We find that often you can do free/ inexpensive things. Picnics are great too.

Swimming, allotmenting, picnics, parks, playing in the garden, soft play... the list is endless!

Advanced planning is my tip- 2 DCs, so each got to pick an activity they wanted to do on one day, and the other knows they can't whine or whinge about the others choice, then on the remaining 3 days, 2 are my choice and one "nothing planned anything can happen day"

That way everyone gets a chance to participate in what we're going to do and it's fair

(and I get more days as I'm the adult and I'm paying )

It's hard I have DD 18 DS 16 DS 7
DD does her own thing pretty much, but we still try to involve her. Activities we've all done together include walking, swimming, climbing at a climbing centre - we go weekly, cycling.
DD will take her younger brothers to the skate park and cinema too

Certain activities are fun for all ages. For example going to the playground, the older dd can be a bit more independent and go on the bigger climbing frames. I can help you get dd on the swings, small climbing frame etc. Also putting a tent in the garden has worked for both. And coloring/drawing - older dd makes nice pictures and younger just enjoys scribbling!
Other good one is the play kitchen - both dds love that and older one does a lot of imaginative play.

I've found that a little bit of gardening can give everyone some fresh air, concentration and a sense of achievement. Even better if you can grow a spot of basil to make pizzas together!

Clubcard vouchers and the zoo are good for a treat day out for mine (7year age gap)
Chucking the badminton net up in the garden, nerf guns etc good. Both will join forces to negotiate lunch out to places.

This afternoon they’ll both help me repot the plants and then I’m going to get the big one to build the new BBQ with assistance from the small one whilst I supervise drinking coffee

My friends' children are all older than DS, so we try to find things that they can all do to a certain degree. Walks, picnics, the beach, are all pretty universal!

I get my DD to make a list of what she wants to do and we do those things (play board games, go to park, watch films, crafts and baking...etc)

I have two children aged 18months and 3 years old, they both love going to the park but I find it quite boring for them after a whilst so we will usually have a crazy day where we do baking, quick park trip, we'll find a nice restaurant to have lunch in usually Nando's, pizza express or a papa johns. Then in the evening trip home we will get some pop corn and watch a film before bed. We do that around once a week in the 6 weeks holidays. We also go to Butlin's each summer holiday too!. For a normal little holiday break from nursery we go to the cinema, petting farm or we have a messy play day at home I sometimes enjoy it more than the kids