Stuff to do in the May Half Term

May Half Term break is my favourite Half Term holiday. The weather is normally warmer and brighter (although not guaranteed in the UK), and a lot more attractions are open. You can have a fun day out on the beach, a loud exciting day at a theme park, or a quiet picnic by a local river. There is plenty of stuff to do in the May Half Term break. With a little bit of imagination, you can add an exciting twist to an old activity, making it interesting for the whole family.

Stuff to do for Free

Attend Free Events. Check out your Local County Council Website to see what free events are running in your area. Here in Norfolk, the Norfolk and Norwich Festival of Arts is taking place. Let us know what free events are taking place in your local area in the comments box below.

Go to the Beach. If you live near a beach, pack up a picnic and some beach toys and spend the day by the sea. You can have loads of fun as a family, building sandcastles and swimming in the sea. Why not take some small dolls and build a little city out of the sand and then introduce a toy dinosaur to the sand city? That could be fun. Or take a kite, if it is windy enough. You don’t need to spend heaps of cash in the arcades to find fun at the beach.

Picnic in the Park. Call your friends and arrange a picnic in the park. The children can climb and swing in the play area, whilst you enjoy a cuppa with other parents. Maybe hold a few games after lunch, like old time school sports day games. (Fancy a sack race after eating too many pork pies, anyone?)

On this note, we are pleased to share that in Norwich, UK we will be hosting our first Only Child Club meeting this May half term. In you are in the Norfolk area and would like to meet up then please do come to Waterloo park for some fun. Just bring your own picnic.

Have a tea party. Spend the morning making cakes and cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off and then hold a posh tea party. It could be with just you and your child and their toys, or invite some neighbours round to join. Perhaps the party could have a theme to it as well?

Stuff to do in the Great Outdoors

Go for an activity walk. Walking is boring for children. As adults, we may enjoy walking and talking and just soaking up nature, but children often whine that they are bored when walking. So next time you go for a walk with your child run an activity with the walk like a scavenger hunt.

Go on a bike ride. Cycling is a little more interesting for children, but it’s always better to have a destination to go to. Why not consider going on a cycle trail in a local forest? I recommend Thetford Forest in Norfolk. It’s a great place to go cycling, as well as riding a Segway or even swinging from trees on a GoApe trail.

Go Camping. Check the weather forecast for England. Find out where the sun is and book a night or two camping. Camping is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors with your family. You can all work together putting up your tent and meet other families on the campsite. Your child can learn key survival skills and meet new friends to play with. It can be a real adventure. Sops and I use Pitchup to book our last-minute camping trips in the UK.

Check out our post ‘Camping with an only child‘ to learn about the unique benefits of camping with your child.

Go boating There is nothing like messing about on the river. Whether you are on a little rowing boat or a mighty yacht, it is simply glorious chugging along on a river and admiring the scenic countryside. Why not re-enact Swallows and Amazon’s in The Lake District, or enjoy the peaceful scenery of Constable Country in Dedham Vale. I love rowing here.

Play Sports Round up the neighbourhood and play a few sports in your local park. Or take out a couple of rackets and have a few rounds of tennis with your little one. Better still, rummage through all your sporting equipment and make up a new game entirely!

If your child is thinking of adopting a new sport, our guide on ‘What sports are good for an only child‘ may help.

Have a BBQ Grilled food tastes scrummy, especially if it is cooked over wood logs. Show your child how to BBQ food over a grill, or at least how to toast marshmallows. Maybe try out a vegetarian BBQ recipe for a change? Then sing campfire songs into the early hours.

Stuff to do Indoors

Should the weather prove inclement where you live you may want to do some things indoors together. here are some ideas that may inspire you:

• Watch a movie
• Make an indoor tent
• Read a book
• Bake cakes
• Play board games
• Build a robot
• Write a story or poem
• Host a karaoke party
• Have a sleepover
• Try a science experiment
• Get crafting

Stuff to do that costs money but is worth it

Visit London There are so many things to do in our great capital. For a fun and educational day out with the family, I would recommend the Science Museum or the Natural History Museum, (the National Museums are free to attend). Or go shopping in Regents Street, (now that really will cost you). We recommend a visit to the world-famous toy store, Hamley’s. If you and your family enjoy history, we recommend Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre or The Tower of London (for those who like gory history).

Visit a Theme Park There are a number of great Theme Parks in the UK that are worth visiting. Sops and I really like Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Thorpe Park. Just be aware of height restrictions or your little one may not be able to go on many rides. Thorpe Park has a lot of thrilling rides with very high height restrictions. For Theme Parks suitable for little ones, we suggest Alton Towers for CBeebies Land or Paultons has Peppa Pig World.

Visit a National Trust Property Take a peek at how the upper crust (posh people) lived in the grand houses of The National Trust. Gape in awe at the vaulted ceilings and eccentric collections of the absurdly rich. Frolic in the massive gardens and pretend you are a character from a Jane Austen novel. The National Trust tends to put on events for families during school holidays, so check out the website to see what is happening in your local area.

Visit the Zoo. There are some great zoos and wildlife parks around the UK. Whipsnade Zoo, Hertfordshire, is the largest zoo in the UK. Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire is a great place to experience a safari trail in the UK. It has both a grand house and a safari park. (Fancy having lions in your back garden?) There are some great zoos in the North of England to visit as well. Check out this site for the best zoos and safari parks in the north.

Comment

What are your plans for this Half Term break? Are you staying at home or going further afield? Let us know in the comments box below, and share your ideas on how to make activities new and refreshing.