With October half term already on the horizon for school children in the UK, the holidays can be packed adventures for the whole family.
Unplug and play
Action for Children advises it’s time to get your kids offline and enjoying family activities “One of the best ways to maintain an open dialogue with your children about their lives is to have fun with them. Not only is this enjoyable for your whole family, but many children are more likely to confide in you in a relaxed, low-pressure setting.”
“Technology is an often necessary part of the lives of children and parents alike, but it’s important to maintain a balance with other activities and quality family time. We know from our extensive work with families that strong relationships with parents build resilience in children, making them less susceptible to bullying or abuse outside the home, and encouraging them to speak to their parents about any fears or concerns.” Carol Iddon, Director of Operations, Action for Children.
In an effort to encourage families to unplug and play they’ve come up with top 5 ideas including; sock puppets, den building, family sports day plus more.
Bake it better
If you and the family fancy cooking up a storm in the kitchen, get involved in the Great Ormond Street hospital ‘Bake it Better’ campaign.
Taking place between 17-23rd October, GOSH are encouraging you to hold a bake sale and raise some dough to help support and transform the lives of seriously ill children at the hospital.
Get tips on recipes, fundraising ideas, find out how it helps patients and sign up to get your fundraising pack today!
Finding activities
Timeout London has an eclectic range of activities that are bound to keep kids of all ages entertained from picking your own pumpkin to performances of The Gruffalo, ice skating in Battersea to petting goats in Hackney City Farm PLUS some of them are even free!
You can also find events in Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds & Manchester.
Keeping safe away from home
Understanding when your child is responsible enough to go out alone is a tough decision for parents to make, especially during the transition between primary and secondary school, with the introduction of new friends, comes new challenges.
The decision to let your child go out alone is very much dependent on the parent and facing constant questioning from your child can be hard. The NSPCC have created a helpful guide so you can understand and educate your child about staying safe away from home.
The guide includes:
- Questions to ask your child before they go
- Questions to ask yourself
- Being aware of risks outside the home
- Advice on dangers and how to discuss issues.
Set yourself a charity challenge
If you’re looking for something a bit more charitable, search for events on our Charity Choice Events page and as well as supporting a range of charities you can set yourself a challenge and get the whole family to join you with fundraising ideas.
Give something back
If you’d like to give something back this half term why not have a clear out with the kids and collect all your unwanted toys, books, teddy’s and clothes and donate your items to charity. Or give up some of your time for a good cause and volunteer.
