What to do with family between Christmas and back to school.

That awkward stage between Christmas Day and back to school, how do you survive it? Pre-Christmas Day, it was easy to find festive things to entertain everyone. But then the excitement of Christmas Day is over, LEGO is built, family visited and the children start to ask is it back to school yet…

Currently, we’re in the midst of eating up the Christmas food. At least one meal a day feels quite snack based – if only as I’m saying if you eat this healthy soup (made using left over vegetables) you can have a slice of yule log… There also feels like there’s a lot of TV watching too. But that might be just because we are suffering from a Christmas cold?

Yesterday, we hosted a BBQ for friends. Yes, a BBQ in December! It was the perfect way to make the most of the very mild weather. It also encouraged the children into the garden. They actually stayed outside until it was going dark! Being outside was definitely something they had all needed! Whether you have space to encourage the children outside or take them to the park, getting them outdoors will give you a nice quiet evening!

Days Out

Days out, there are still some great days out to have before back to school! They don’t have to be expensive, and places which are open are often a little quieter at this “off season” time. Remember to utilise your National Trust or English Heritage Passes if you have them. Another great place to visit is country parks. Local to us we have a country park which offers a huge play park, and mountain bike trails. Great for burning off energy!

Remember to check out what’s on in your local area, sometimes local events can be great fun and good value. Our local garden centre has family events on next weekend just before the children go back to school. It’s worth checking out local to you bloggers e.g. High Wycombe parents – What Mummy thinks. They often give great tips on where and when to visit places local to them!

Staying in?

If you’re staying home make the most of Festive TV. If you have younger children have a cinema afternoon at home with the curtains pulled closed and some snacks – left over goodies from Christmas or some home made ones will work well.

Get your craft on! There are plenty of  ideas on www.funcraftskids.com including lots of makes to do with things you would normally bin!