HAPPY WINTER HOLIDAYS!!!!

Inject some fun into your winter holidays with these activities

“Mooom, I’m bored,” could be one of the most frustrating things your kids say. With just over two weeks of the winter school holidays left, you must be running out of ideas to entertain the children. To help you out, and keep you sane, we compiled a list of games and activities to keep your little ones busy. 

1. Catch a movie
If you’re lucky enough to be at home with your children, take them to the cinema for a movie. Despicable Me 2 will be opening in cinemas on 5 July. If your kids were too young to understand and really enjoy the first movie, hire the DVD this weekend before you take them to see the sequel. Featuring the return of Gru, the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions and a host of new, outrageously funny characters, Despicable Me 2 is guaranteed to be a firm favourite for everyone. 

2. Go to the theatre 
If your kids are old enough to enjoy a theatre play, we recommend AristoCats at the Peoples Theatre in Johannesburg from 27 May to 28 July. Your little ones and even Dad will enjoy this rendition of the classic Disney story. Call 011 403 1563 for more info

3. Take the kids on an outing
Spoil the children with a fun day out and about. Take them to the Zoo, their favourite pet farmyard or their favourite play park. These venues often have special holiday programmes, specifically designed to keep little hands busy. 

4. Have a bake-off
If you don’t mind cleaning up the mess afterwards, gather the kids in the kitchen for a baking project. They can help you mix the ingredients for a cake or cupcake and decorate them afterwards. Make it fun, and offer a small prize for the cupcake with the best decoration. You can also make pizzas for a healthier option. The little ones can roll out their own dough and decorate their pizzas with healthy toppings. 

5. Have a puppet show
Make your own hand puppets and put on a show. Let the kids take turns to direct the puppets. When it’s your turn, be silly and creative. Here’s how to make your own farmyard hand puppets. They’re very simple and cheap to make. 

6. Have a picnic 
If it’s too cold to have a picnic outside, help the children build a fort with blankets and table cloths in the living room and have a picnic there. You can dress up to make things more fun. They can help you to prepare the snacks for your big feast. Click here for a healthy and easy chip and dip idea. 

7. Have an arts and crafts day
Children love making things and they’re always very proud of their own creations, which boosts their confidence. Lay out some newspapers in the living room and spend the day painting and colouring with them. If you’re up to it, you can help them make crafts too. Little boys will love this easy toilet roll race car.

8. Play a card game
Card games are great for rainy days and they are very challenging for young minds. The concentration/memory game is suitable for children from three years and older. 
How to play: Older children can use a standard deck of 52 cards. You can use fewer cards for younger kids. Make sure the deck you use is made up of pairs. Shuffle and spread the cards face down on a table. The object of the game is to find matching pairs. Let the children take turns turning over two cards. If they aren’t a matching pair, try to remember where they are, then turn them face down again. The next player turns over two cards and if they are a matching pair, he removes them from the table and keeps them. He then gets another turn. When all the cards have been removed from the table, let the kids count their cards. The player with the most cards win.