Knowing what to do to entertain the family in the colder months can be difficult. If you’re stuck for ideas on what to do then our autumn activity ideas are here to help!
Get outside and explore!
Getting kids out for some fresh air isn’t always an easy task, particularly when the weather is miserable. If the promise of puddle jumping isn’t doing the trick then these ideas might be enough to tempt them into their woolly coats and hats!
• Collect autumn leaves to make a woodland picture when you get home. Use the leaves for the body of a hedgehog, owl or even your own Gruffalo.
• If you’d rather not stray too far from the house, why not set up a treasure hunt in the garden, with a map and clues to follow? For treasure you could hide some chocolate coins or a small gift.
• Join in on the treasure hunting fun yourself with a spot of geocaching. Use your smartphone to find over 70,000 caches across the UK using GPS coordinates. Many are along popular walking routes so it’s a great way to liven up a simple walk, just don’t forget to bring some treasure along to replace what you find! Find out where there are caches near you at www.geocaching.com
Get crafty!
Ah – the hours of fun that can be had with an empty washing up bottle and some sticky-backed plastic. The best craft activities result in something you can use again… not to mention your children probably tend to get a bit annoyed when their masterpieces end up in the recycling box! Why not try:
• Making skittles out of empty plastic bottles. Decorate them with coloured tape or mix acrylic paint with PVA glue and paint them.
• Design your own t-shirts using fabric pens or even try your hand at tie-dye.
• Order some cyanotype paper (also referred to as nature print or sun paper). It acts a bit like photographic paper, but develops in sunlight with areas that are not covered turning blue. Try placing beads, leaves and feathers on the paper and put it in the sun to develop to make an effective piece of artwork.
Make learning fun!
We’re lucky to have so many great museums in the area with a great programme of events and activities all throughout the autumn and winter months. Get online and see what your local museum has in store over the coming months to inspire, educate and entertain!
Get entertained!
Sometimes you just want to be entertained without having to do any of the hard work. Disney on Ice’s Frozen is currently on its UK tour, as is The Nutcracker and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Alternatively, why not check out a smaller, local theatre’s production? Matinee tickets often cost from as little as £5 – see our What’s On pages for what’s happening near you.
