Planning a Half Term at Home

*Ad-Paid. All opinions are my own.

If you have school-aged children and live in the UK, they might be about to break up for their half term holiday, if they haven’t already. This half term might look a little different, although perhaps not quite as different as some of the holidays when we were in full lockdown. Depending on where you live, restrictions and social distancing guidelines might mean that you can’t visit friends and family, you can’t go on holiday, or that some of your favourite attractions are closed.

Unlike summer, when the weather was excellent, and many families spent time enjoying long walks in the local area, trips to parks and lovely long days in the garden, you might find yourself spending a lot of time at home, indoors. After six months of lockdown and home-schooling, the idea of even a week trapped at home might be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are some ideas on how to spend your half term at home.

Stock Up on Snacks

If there’s one thing that all parents were reminded of during lockdown, it’s how much growing children eat. Not satisfied with three, or even four (or eight) meals a day, they are constantly grazing on snacks or asking when the next meal is coming. They never seem to be full.

Often, the best way to save money on some of their favourite sweet treats and savoury snacks is to bulk buy food. If you find bulk buy food deals online, you can save a small fortune. You should quickly find low prices on a range of food, including multipacks and large boxes of goodies—all perfect for hungry bellies this half term.

Plan a Movie Marathon

Nowadays, streaming services mean that we’ve got access to hundreds of films at our fingertips. Spend some time with your family choosing some movie. These might be old favourites, an entire franchise, or Halloween classics. You could even get started on some Christmas films. Either watch one a night or spend a day in your PJs, under blankets on the sofa enjoying comforting movies together in the warm.

Get Crafty

This is a fantastic time of year to get crafty. There are plenty of easy Halloween crafts, and you can pick up supplies relatively cheaply from most big supermarkets.

Bake Some Scary Treats

Halloween can also offer great inspiration for baking days. Bake Halloween gingerbread and let the kids get messy decorating them in spooky themes. Try witches hat cupcakes, or graveyard brownies too.

Decorate for Halloween

This Halloween might be a little different. There won’t be fancy dress parties, and trick or treating might be at a minimum. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get into the spirit of things with some decorations.

Brave the Great Outdoors

Yes, it’s colder and darker than it was a few months ago. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get out. Burn some energy with a long walk or a trip to the park. Just remember to wrap everyone up warm.

How different your half term is will depend on where you live, and how comfortable you are going out to busier places. If you’d rather avoid crowds and public spaces, don’t worry. There’s plenty of fun to be had at home.