With weeks of social distancing ahead of us we're all going to need some inspiration to keep our whippersnappers entertained. Here are our Top Ten Boredom Busters to keep you and yours sane during the coming weeks.
#1 Create A Keepsake
Rebecca Meldrum (aka Mrs Meldrum) is a family and lifestyle vlogger who has written these wonderful journals for children to complete with Mummy or Daddy. Activities range from drawing each other to deciding which sort of super-hero you would both be. They will provide a huge amount of fun but also a memento of this moment in time.
#2 Build A Den
Spending time outside is really important for everyone's health and mental well-being. The Den Kit company specialises in kits that encourage creative, fun and unprescribed outdoor play. Not only will this kit give the kids a much needed fun activity in the open air after a morning of home school, but it will develop problem solving and creative thinking too. You don't need loads of space or a woodland at the end of your garden to build one either. If you have trees, fantastic! But if you don't; fences, a washing line or a shed roof could all provide the supports you need to create your den.
#3 101 Things To Do Outdoors
If you think the den is a winner, then you'll love this too. This book is crammed with ideas and again encourages that all important time outdoors. Activities range from 10 minute projects to full day adventures. We particularly like the idea of the children doing the laundry outdoors - this ticks so many boxes!
#4 PE With Joe Wicks
Over 800,000 households tuned into the first of Joe Wicks' PE lessons and this is sure to grow. If you haven't heard, the fitness coach will be running his PE lesson for kids on his You Tube channel at 9 am every weekday until all of the UK schools re-open. And he makes them work! My very sporty girls were getting out of breath. A brilliant activity for children and parents alike.
#5 Paint Some Pebbles
At the moment we are still able to go outside to exercise within our own family groups. Why not collect some pebbles and create some rock art when you get back home? Posca Paint Markers are the ultimate tool for this as they have great coverage, are non toxic and come in a beautiful array of colours. Pinterest is a brilliant source of inspiration for pebble painting if you're stuck for ideas.
And if you are able to collect pebbles from a beach, why not do a spot of beach cleaning whilst you're there? Another good way to keep the kids entertained whilst doing some good for the environment.
#6 Do A Jigsaw
Jigsaws are great entertainment and provide many benefits including the development of problem solving, hand & eye coordination, cognitive skills and fine motor development. We have first puzzles for beginners through to larger 80 piece puzzles like the rainbow shaped one pictured above.
#7 Mess Free Art
Magic Water Colouring Cards are perfect for children aged 3+ as they are completely mess free! Just fill the pen with water and apply to the cards to see the colours come through. Once they have dried the colour will disappear and they can be used over and over again. These sets from Floss & Rock contain ten cards so there are plenty of designs to keep them occupied.
#8 Make Something Awesome
This Terrifying T-Rex Head is made from a kit. It includes everything you need to make a giant dinosaur head from recycled card, including the wall mount so it looks like it's crashing through your wall! And if dinosaurs aren't their thing there's also a Magical Unicorn.
#9 Learn About The Universe
Combining craft and learning, this fabulous kit has everything you need to build a 3D solar system wall chart. There's a board game on the reverse too so there's a whole lot of entertainment in this pack!
#10 Tinc's Idea Machine
"I don't know what to draw!" Well Tinc's Idea Machine is the answer! So easy to recreate and it will keep arty children amused for ages. We have a range of pens and pencils in store to make sure those designs are super colourful.