How will you keep busy over the festive season?
Christmas can be expensive, so over the festive season I am more mindful of the money we spend. For me, the important thing is spending time with our family and friends. However, the kiddies can get a little bored being dragged from house to house.
We’re lucky to live in such a vibrant city that offers so many opportunities for families. Plus, by being a little creative and investing time in doing a little research, you can find things to do that won’t break the bank.
Here are some ideas you might like to try.
Crafts
Luckily, my kiddies love crafting and it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I just bring out the crafting bag and we make it up. My children love cutting, sticking, drawing and painting and they’re not particularly bothered whether it results in anything as long as they’re getting stuck in.
A family favourite includes being creative with paper plates, whether this is making masks, decorations or wreaths. All you need is a paper plate, scissors, some scrap paper and coloured pencils or crayons. But nothing beats good old fashioned drawing and colouring in which sometimes is really quite random but my daughter Lea has mastered creating some really interesting treasure maps and Louka loves to draw trains!
Entertainment
When the day is particular harsh outside, that’s when it’s the ideal time to watch a family film. Now that my kiddies are a little older we get to cuddle up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy the film. Some of our favourites include Moana, Ballerina, Frozen, Disney classics, Gangster Granny and Nativity.
Getting involved
Since having children I’ve developed skills I didn’t realise I had. I’d like to say I’m most proud of my abilities to build a den using a sofa, cushions and a blanket. It’s not particularly inventive but the children appreciate my effort. However, a simple den is now not enough for Louka. He often challenges me to build a boat or a house with a chimney. If I’m really unlucky I even have to get in. This wouldn’t be a problem if the space I was trying to get in to didn’t feel like the eye of a needle!
My children also love to role play. We’re currently in the superhero phase. It’s usually batman or PJ Mask however more recently Ninjago is the flavour of the day. Good job I started martial arts at the beginning of the year.
My children are definitely my children as they both love to help me cook. For a while, I wasn’t quite sure about them so-called ‘helping’ as I was more worried about them cutting themselves, burning themselves or even worse doubling the time it takes me to cook. However, it’s turned out quite well. In the past, we’ve made cornflake cakes, rice crispy cakes and an apple cake. They also like to chip in when it comes to making our family meal. This is a bonus because it actually reduces the number of times I hear ‘when will it be ready?’
But one of my favourites is when we just put on some cheesy music and have our own mini disco. Last year we also bought a mini disco ball which helps us get in the mood. We’re definitely dancing like nobody’s watching.
Quieter options
If what I’ve suggested so far is all too involved then I have some simpler options that are a little more relaxed. We’ve now accumulated a few board games that we like to play. It used to be hungry hippos but now it’s more like Bed Bugs or Guess Who I Am.
Then there’s always making paper aeroplanes. We usually start by decorating a piece of paper to make it a bit more interesting followed by the actual folding. Then we have to do the obvious and have a competition to see how far they will fly. My husband is an engineer and tends to win. All’s fair in love and war, I suppose.
Getting out and about
It’s all very well entertaining the children indoors but my two tend to go a little crazy if they don’t get out of the house. Plus, I sometimes also need to escape the four walls of my home. There are some great free options.
- Leigh Woods is great for both walking and also building dens.
- Chew Valley Lakes is good for walking and they also have a good children’s play area.
- Portishead Lake Grounds is good for feeding the ducks and they too have a playground.
- Blaise Castle also has a good playground plus it’s good for a walk.
As for being indoors, we sometimes go to our local library. Yes, we do take out books but they also have a colouring-in area and have planned activities. Alternatively, we have also been to the Bristol Museum which is really good for children.
That’s ‘How will you keep busy over the festive season?’ according to Mummy on a Break.
What will you be getting up to during the festive season?
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