5 GREAT WAYS TO ENTERTAIN YOUR KIDS

Well, we made it. Half term is finally upon us, and it’s time – now more than ever – to take a break from the same old routine. Here are our top tips to keep your kids occupied this holiday, from painting classes with an Mexican artist to exploring your local area on a themed treasure hunt.

Take part in virtual ART CLASSES in Mexico and India as part of Urban Adventures at Home, a new range of online experiences from Intrepid Travel. Sign up to a watercolour painting class with an artist in Mexico City and you’ll learn the techniques needed to re-create Frida Kahlo’s most famous work. Or try a mandala art and meditation session with a family in Delhi, where you’ll be walked through the patterns, shapes and colours involved. You only need to buy one ticket (from £13.75) per household for each class, proceeds of which help support local guides whose livelihoods have been impacted by COVID-19.

MEXICO CITY ART CLASS | CREDIT: INTREPID TRAVEL

It might be one of the coldest UK Februarys on record, but all of these crisp, clear winter nights are excellent for one thing: STARGAZING. At this time of year, you’ll be able to see the constellation of Orion, the Pleiades star cluster, and maybe even some of the 100 thousand million or so stars that make up the Milky Way. Just grab a pair of binoculars and head into your back garden or up the nearest hill – check the Dark Sky Discovery site for the best places near you. Downloading a star-chart app such as GoSkyWatch Planetarium or Stellarium will help you make sense of what you’re seeing.

Treasure hunts are a great way of getting outdoors and exercising without the kids even noticing. You can keep your family busy this half term with one (or more) of TREASURE TRAILS’ self-guided walking routes. There are over 1200 across the UK to choose from, around towns and out in the countryside, so you should find plenty of options in your local area, even with the current travel restrictions. Choose your theme – Detective Mystery, Treasure Hunt or Spy Mission – and use the clues on local landmarks to solve the puzzle. Trails cost £9.99 and can be downloaded and printed out at home or posted to you.

TREASURE TRAILS | CREDIT: TREASURE TRAILS

No doubt your kids are looking forward to a week away from online learning, but if you need something educational to keep them entertained, then the interactive modules from Oppidan Education should do the trick. The “DIGITAL BACKPACKING” adventures explore seasonal favourites such as Norway, Iceland and Swedish Lapland and are delivered, via Zoom, in two hourly sessions a day. You can sign up for one session (£20) through to the whole week’s worth.

Lockdown has made everyone appreciate nature that much more (again!), and BIRDWATCHING is a great excuse to take the time to enjoy the wildlife around you. You can attract birds to your garden by making your own pastry “maggots” and sprinkling them on the ground or around bushes; print off a spotters’ guide so you can identify your visitors.

The Best Things To Do This February Half Term

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