School Holiday activity suggestions please

[droverjess]

Hi there
Please can you help me and suggest cooking/craft activities for b6 and g9 for school hols.

Baking of cakes and biscuits etc is NOT allowed! Pizza as a very special treat might be allowed once only.

Methinks salt dough Christmas tree decorations so need to find NON  recipe for this.

What would be good presents they could,make their parents? I am looking for ideas as I am a bit out of practice. I also need time to prepare and if need be to ask for things for activities to be bought.

Thanks  very much to all.

DJ xx

[judydawn]

Lots of websites with ideas DJ, here's one.

[snappy]

DJ - what activities are the kids interested in?  In the winter holidays here, we went ice skating, skateboarding had picnic lunches in the park etc.  I find my kids need outdoors time everyday in the school holidays or they go a little crazy.  Take the little dog for a walk.

I know I'm going to get flamed here but I don't really 'do' arts and crafts with my kids - I just can't cope with all the mess and I get really stressed which is just unpleasant for everyone.  So I hope someone else might have some suggestions for you on here.

[droverjess]

Thanks JD and snappy.
Outside is a given, but the pup won't be walking far yet, he is only 7 weeks!
 I shall get them to show me the farm etc.

Yes we will be doing all the major things, days out, adventure places etc.

I have time to plan. Term finishes 14 dec, but then I will be working 50 hours week so need to have some good ideas up my sleeve, especially for very wet days.
They like making and doing, but the parents are so health conscious. I can only cook healthy things and G9 is desperate to do cooking with me.

[mcmich]

Pour out some hundreds and thousands and get them to count how many are in their plate.

I did this with my children when I worked night duty.

Mel would still be there counting if I didn't tell her it was over. Dano lasted about 3 mins and told me he knew how many there were - "hundreds and thousands"  Been a long 22yrs with Dano.

[judydawn]

I would be expecting the parents to come up with some ideas too DJ, they know their children best of all so should know what they like and don't like.   Boy you are going to be so tired at the end of a day. 

[judydawn]

What about face-painting DJ?  Make your own paint.  Here's an Aussie site that has some ideas, Kidspot.

[droverjess]

LOL McMich. Unfortunately H & TH are not allowed in this house.

Yes I will be Judy, but needs must.

[snappy]

There are still plenty of healthy things miss 9 can cook - take a look at teresa cutter's site, she uses no sugar, very minimal fat and sometimes no flour.  Could you print out the recipes and ask the parents if these things meet their approval?

Also, what about making some things for their Christmas day dinner eg Christmas pudding, Christmas cake?

Would it be possible for miss 9 to bake up some delicious cookies and take them around to neighbors/friends houses as Christmas presents?

[50plusandlovinglife]

Hi DJ

What about making things ready for Christmas, I used to make things with my kids a very long time ago and before that I was a pre primary aid and worked with little kids 8 years before I had my own, so used to do a lot of craft work with them and then when I had my own kids I had lots of ideas, some of them are as follows:

paper place mats 1 for each person at the table with a Christmas theme

napkin holders either out of fabric or with paper, I only just gave them away last week otherwise I would have attached a photo, but I have rung my friend that I gave them to and she is going to take a photo of them when she gets home and when she does I will post it, but it wont be until later this evening.
My kids both boys absolutely loved this
We made Santa's with beards and hats out of felt to make napkin holders, I made a template, the kids cut them out, they used fabric paint to paint faces. You could do this just as easily with paper.

We made lolly bags to put a treat in for everyone at the table either out of paper or material, even boys love to sew when it is something special

Name place settings

Handmade Christmas tree decorations, with paper, painting and cutting.

Christmas menus (what the kids are going to make) and serve
maybe a menu for what they are going to put out for Santa

Christmas cards

Letters to Santa and/or Rudolph

If you have available paper, scissors, crayons or pencils textas or paint get the kids to make their own glue with cornflour and water they can make so much.

Door hangings (Posters but long ones, paper joined) for Christmas

Finger knitting for decorations for the Christmas tree, this keeps them busy for ages - sometimes weeks - they go back to it to be able to get a long length to put on the tree.

Christmas cookies with lots of different coloured icing.

I am getting nostalgic, it has been a very long time since I did anything like this with my kids as they are both grown up and moved away, and it doesn't look like either of them are going to have children any day soon.

Hope some of my ideas help.

[jeninwa]

Could they make Christmas decorations. Cards for family with glue and glitter, in Santa hat, or tree shape. Jigsaw puzzles, painting, play dough, dress up day. Have a international day, where they have to plan meals from the country for the day.

[Cornish Cream]

How about Snow Globe ,Homemade Christmas Crackers,Paper Chains.Will keep thinking

[droverjess]

Thank you all. Lots of good ideas. Keep them coming.

I will suggest Teresa Cutters site, it IS Christmas after all.

They are a bit OTT about it all, and probably the children will stuff themselves on cakes etc when at other people's houses!

Salt dough decorations will do for some baking activities.

Cheers
DJ x

[Amy :-)]

I used to love making chatterboxes when I was younger Also building card towers or playing board games. I had a Trivial Pursuit for Kids game. It was great fun

[Kimmyh]

DJ - what activities are the kids interested in?  In the winter holidays here, we went ice skating, skateboarding had picnic lunches in the park etc.  I find my kids need outdoors time everyday in the school holidays or they go a little crazy.  Take the little dog for a walk.

I know I'm going to get flamed here but I don't really 'do' arts and crafts with my kids - I just can't cope with all the mess and I get really stressed which is just unpleasant for everyone.  So I hope someone else might have some suggestions for you on here.

No flaming here snappy... I hate mess too. I agree mine go mad in winter if no outside time. We like board and card games. They could make there own story books (that's not too messy).