May half term is a brilliant excuse to have fun outside and with the weather getting better it’s the perfect time to dust things off and get outside. We have some fun suggestions of things to do outside and a few to do inside just in case those showers blow your way. Don’t worry – it’s all fun and some of these things can be done with things you’ll have around the house so it’s a great list for last minute inspiration!
Outdoor fun inspiration
Go for a bike ride – If you can, why not go out for a bike ride and to really increase the cool factor, add some alloy effects for bikes with our SpokeRimz and if you want to stay our a little later, add a bike light like our Hornit which has cool lights *AND* sounds to make your ride safer and more fun (and loud but we’re all outside, right?)
Make a flower bracelet with tape – this looks like so much fun and so easy to do! Just take a piece of tape and wrap it sticky side *UP* around the wrist of the lucky flower/grass bracelet recipient and then stick the flowers to the bracelet. Super simple and while they may not last as long as our Stretch Charm Bracelets (or our other bracelets), they are a fun and special activity to do outside.
Blow bubbles in the garden – this can be super fun with a bubble mixture of 6 parts water to 1 part dish soap in a shallow bowl and use a twist tie for the garbage or even a straw or anything that makes an open hole circle you can get the soap mix on and then blow! The sides should be smooth so pipe cleaners won’t work well, and the shape needs to be stable so string doesn’t work well, but a broken charging cable made into a loop (closed) could. Get creative!
Have a picnic – whether you pack an actual basket, or pop things into a bag, going out for a picnic is super fun on any day it isn’t totally soaking wet. If it is sunny but the ground is wet, why not pop the garbage bag you brought for your waste under the blanket so the water doesn’t soak through? Please remember to take away everything you brought, and if you want to leave the area an even better place, use BBQ tongs to collect garbage (never grab other peoples waste with your bare hands in case there is glass inside or it is still hot like a disposable BBQ) and leave the area even better than when you arrived.
Build a den – whether you have a pop-up tent to take into the forest with you and decorate, or a paddling pool to turn into a snug, building a fort is easy and fun. You can scavage fallen branches to fashion a lean-to against a tree with a larger branch leaning against the tree to give a bit of width then a blanket or tarp for cover, or use some of our other ideas here: https://www.wickeduncle.co.uk/blog/den-building-for-kids-all-year-round/
Go on a scavenger hunt – you can either make one up for yourself using some of our handy clues from our Easter Scavenger Hunt post and just adapting them for your own environment, or you can get a pre-made kit that makes creating a scavenger hunt easy! We also have a fun indoor Scavenger Hunt Game that everyone can enjoy and is sure to make any rainy day (or a day in the garden in the sun) extra fun.
Fly a kite– this is a classic outdoor activity so whether you make your own or try out one of our Pocket Kites, you know you’re going to have fun *and* wear the kids out (or yourself…) plus you can go big and not go home with our Jumbo Octopus Kite which is over 4m long!
Roll down a hill – not advisable right after eating but why not all get in shape for the annual cheese rolling competition by rolling down a hill as practice? You can always wrap up your own cheese and roll it down a hill to but maybe put in a bit of practice first to avoid any unfortunate accidents while chasing cheese. Also remember to do your safety walk before rolling to clear the way of any sticks, stones, and… other substances 😮
Bounce a ball on water – easier than skipping stones, the Mega Bounce H2O has been designed to specifically skip across the water when thrown at an angle. While we do recommend only skipping it where you can retrieve it, we also do not recommend using a younger sibling in place of a body of water.
Throw a boomerang – but not at your little sister or brother! We have some great boomerangs that actually always come back and make a GREAT outdoor activity, especially if there is a school field or safe open space nearby. Our Sonic Boomerang comes back every time so no more trying to find that plane or disk in the grass – just watch it return!
Find some bugs – Outside you can find all sorts of bugs but be careful to not upset them (or bring them home)! Why not go on a bug hunting expedition through the forest or around your neighbourhood and use the Field Studies Council guides to spot bugs on land or in the water?
Make a potion – Take a simple jam jar that has been cleaned and add around 3/4 of water to the jar. Now to your potion you need to add the special ingredients so now you need to all go through the woods or neighbourhood and find the special items. It might be a bit of grass, some flower petals, and maybe some pine needles or herbs. Pop the lid on, give it a shake and if you’ve put fragrant items in then it’ll be a wonderful smelling potion!
Sow some rainbow veg – If you’ve already started your Rainbow Veg Kit you can use this time to transfer the seedlings outside into the garden (whether pots on the balcony, a box in the window, or a back garden). If not, why not give gardening a go with this kit or some other seeds? It can be indoor or outdoor fun plus teach kids about their food.
Send a rocket to the sky – Jump up, jump up, and jump down onto the pump that controls our Air Blaster flying foam rocket or why not make a rocket our of a bottle, some water, and air? There are some fun instructions on the Lenovo site here and making it is super easy and FUN!
Practice skipping – Become a jump rope master with our Mega Jump Rope and own the playground with your jump rope skills! You can create your own jump rope as well – just make sure to measure enough rope to twice your height and it will make it easier to use or get our Mega Jump Rope and have tons of outdoor fun!
Play football – If you have a ball and a bit of space, that’s all you need. Something to mar the goals can be sticks or shirts or anything that will stay put and off you go. No matter how small the area, have FUN! Or if you are out and about and want to play, wherever you feel the inspiration hit, you can be ready to play some football thanks to our flat-packed football (no, we’re not joking). It snaps together into a ball and BOOM – playing footie anywhere.
Brilliant indoor activities
Watch a film – Relax and create a small fort behind the couch or using blankets anywhere safe (obviously not the kitchen even though that’s where the snacks live) and enjoy a movie on a phone or a tablets, or snuggle down on the couch and watch a film. No consensus? Well, you could play rock, paper scissors or you could write a few titles on scraps of paper and each child gets to pick one and then the parents get to pick the order. Only time for one? parent picks the paper. Easy fun!
Create a friendship bracelet – whether made out of dandelions outside or from a kit, friendship bracelets never go out of style. With dandelions (easier than smaller flowers) the stalk needs a good inch or two in order to make a small tear that the other stem fits through (no scissors or knives needed). Add to the chain and voila you have a bracelet! If you’d like to try a kit and make a few, check out the Just for Boys (and really, girls too) kit, Paracord Wristbands (which are gender neutral too), or the Mala Bead Bracelet Studio for even more friendship bracelet fun!
Test your brain – Any time, anywhere, pull out these cards and test your brain. Or why not make a game of it? We have Pocket Puzzles which is a tin of cards with tough topics to really stretch your brain. Each card has a different topic varying in difficulty, with the answer on the back, if you do give up!
Play imaginative games – Why not create a multitude of fairy tales using the Little Bluebird Theatre and because it has pieces to play out Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel and the Frog Prince you could also make up any story! A fun and imaginative way to play <3
Practice your dancing skills – Whether you decide to boogie with our Dancing Robot or put on a full-on disco with our Disco 360 this half-term is going to be super fun and full of dancing! Indoors dancing fun when the weather is bad or if you’re having a party, indulge in a bit of strutting of your stuff 😉
Complete a puzzle – why not tie the puzzle into movie time and try out the Movie Locations jigsaw puzzle. So much fun to not only do the puzzle but also discover all the movie locations! Whether home, or away, caravan, or hotel, puzzles are fun for everyone!
Learn origami – This is fun at any age! We have a fantastic book to help you start with the paper included for the start but then you can use any suitably sized paper to make different origami shapes! Why not create a mobile for your room, classroom, or any room?
Race your (Hexa)bugs – It’s great fun to race Hexabugs inside, especially since they scuttle and can scare even the most hardened of parents! Hexabugs are small and so you can take them to different rooms to race them and you don’t need a huge amount of space!
Control a flying bee – It is one of the safest products out there for indoors drone flying! Our Flying Bee is super fun and flies for about 8 minutes when full charged. One of the best parts is that it charges in just half an hour using the USB lead included. Super fun indoors if the weather isn’t great.
