Artline Monday - Half term ideas and activities

The half term holiday is just around the corner here in the UK so I thought I would give you a few ideas to keep your children entertained while they are at home.  

We like to spend time outside either in the park, exploring or going on nature walks during the school breaks but in October the weather is usually against us so we end up spending a lot of time indoors.  This sometimes leads to cries of "I'm bored!" and "There's nothing to do!" so I have come up with some rainy day activities for when we are stuck inside.

Make your own board game

This is a fun way to pass some time, first of all making the game and then you can play it as often as you like. When it comes to thinking of an idea for the game remember to keep it simple for younger children but do ask them for their ideas because they tend to have the best imaginations!  If you are stuck for inspiration you could try to make your own version of a game that already exists like Snakes and Ladders.  

Supplies to make your game

You can use a large sheet of paper or stick two or four pieces of A4 together to create your base and then flip it over so the tape is on the bottom.  Get some pens and design your board.  Will it be squares like a checker board or will it have a winding path you need to travel along?  You will also need a dice or two, if you don't have any spare you can print out this template and make your own.  For counters you could use small toys, plastic milk bottle tops or pebbles.  I've used a few Artline poster and paint markers to write our initials on some pebbles we collected on holiday.  These are both water proof and fade proof and they really stand out against the grey stone, much more than a regular permanent marker would.

Artline poster & paint markers work on lots of surfaces

I haven't finished making our game yet as I will be doing it with my girls over half term but I will share it on Facebook when it's done!

Whiteboards are pretty useful when you have children.  You can buy small boards for a pound or less and they are the perfect size for playing with.  I have seen them in quite a few shops recently with the back to school supplies so they are easy to get a hold of and Artline have some great whiteboard markers that come in a range of different colours so you aren't stuck with just boring black!  If you own a laminator you could make your own board by laminating a sheet of white card.

Here are a couple of things we do with our boards: 

Traditional games 

Noughts and crosses and hangman are both fun to play whatever age you are!  Of course you can play them on paper too but using a whiteboard means there's no wasted paper and you can play as often as you like.  One quick swipe with the magnetic eraser and you can start again!

Noughts & crosses and Hangman

Quick draw

Who can draw the fastest?  Give the players their own whiteboards or pieces of paper and then tell them something to draw, e.g a cat, a ship, a monkey, a present or a train.  They have to draw the item as fast as they can and the winner is the person who finishes their picture first.

Quick draw

Designer

My eldest daughter wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up and my youngest wants to be just like her big sister!  This designer activity usually takes up quite a bit of time as they both love to draw and we tend to use paper for this so the girls can keep their pictures afterwards.  I give them both a character and they design an outfit for them.  For example Elsa from Frozen getting married or design Supergirl a new costume to fight crime in.  This week they designed their own Halloween costumes, we always start the spooky fun early in our house!  

Halloween costume designs

If your children aren't into fashion you could ask them to come up with an idea for an invention and get them to draw that or design their ideal bedroom or car instead.  

Hopefully these ideas will keep your little ones occupied during half term!  If you have any more games or activities to share with us please let me know in the comments below, I'd love to hear them!