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Thursday 12 March 2020

30 Crafts & Activities You Can Do If School Gets Cancelled


There's lots in the news right now about the possibility of schools closing for a few weeks, with recommendations that people stay home. For those with children this could cause a bit of a gasp!

Two weeks indoors with children can he hard. My son had chickenpox last year and we were stuck inside for weeks. It was hard keeping him entertained, not being bored or going stir crazy.

So, from experience and as a 'crafty mum' here's 30 craft and activities you can do if school gets cancelled.

Chalkboard with School's Out written across it



1. Rock Painting

A craft we've tried at National Trust properties and at home, rock painting is easy to do and not too messy! Plus you can do it without fancy pens!! Have a look at our creations here. 

2. Board Games

We have stacks of board games but for some reason when the 'I'm bored' is ringing in our ears they aren't our usual go to activities, but if you're stuck indoors it's time to get them out. Not got a stack of board games? I recommend Connect 4, Grabolo, Monopoly, Shark Chase and Superhero Lotto. Click the titles to Prime yourself some sanity!

3. Puzzles

Our son loves a puzzle and from a young age he's loved to sit and do them. You can get them for every age and theme too, meaning there's something for everyone.

4. Pizza Picnic

A super simple activity that in our house gets squeals of delight is a pizza picnic. There's nothing fancy about it though! We put a blanket down in the front room and eat pizza! But our little boy and his friends love it!

5. Plant Bulbs 

Kids love being outside but if you're in a situation where you can't venture far or need to stay within your own home and garden, doing a bit of digging and getting some fresh air might stop you going stir crazy.  Plant some bulbs or seeds so the kids can see the results of their hard work.

6. Bake Off

If you've got the ingredients in the cupboards, why not hold a little bake off with the kids? Make fairy cakes or cookies and give a little prize to the winner.

7. Movie Night

Dust off the DVDs or stick on Netflix, grab some sweets and popcorn (maybe even buy some popcorn to pop at home), cuddle up under a blanket and enjoy movie time!! 

8. Back Garden Sports Day

Pull out the garden toys, set up a mini track and use toys, cushions or empty cans for markers and have a back garden sports day.

9. Build With Lego

Pull out the Lego, get creative and build!! If you or your children struggle to know what to build maybe start with building your own house or getting them to design their dream bedroom. 

10. Try Creative Writing

Settle down with a notepad and pencil and ask the kids to write you a story. Not sure what to write about? Give them some starter points or title ideas e.g. the lost knight, the princess that built her own castle, the shark that wanted to dance etc.

11. Colouring

Do you want something that will involve the kids sitting down and concentrating? Print off a good selection of colouring sheets and grab the crayons. Not sure where to get the colouring in sheets from? Do a quick google and you'll find lots for every scene or character going! I personally use google, Pinterest, education site Twinkl and the Disney website for ours.

12. Feed The Birds

Easy to make and it can involve getting out in the back garden too, making bird feeders is a great nature craft to fill the time. There's a couple of options, including one from an empty loo roll, an apple option, as well as one from an empty can

13. Make A Bug & Bee Home

Another good nature craft is building a bug and bee home. Again, this can be made with empty cans, along with bits and bobs that can be found in the garden.

14. Paint With Leaves

If you've got paints and paper, pop out in the garden and pick up some twigs and leaves. Lay out the paper and paint with leaves.

15. Make A Wreath

You might need to do a little online ordering for this one but making a wreath is a great creative activity for older children. I've previously done Autumn and Spring themes. If you had little ones that are good with scissors, you could try this Easter one. 

16. Chalk Drawing

It doesn't need to be a hot day to venture into the garden for fun and fresh air. Just pop on your coat, grab some chalk and let the little ones get creative with chalk drawing

17. Splatter Art

This is another activity, which is better to be done outside but again it doesn't have to be a warm sunny day. As long as it's not raining, you're good to go! Just roll out some paper and let the kids splatter and throw paint around! We even use old medicine dispensers for splatter art!

18. Make An Enchanted Rose

This is perfect for the Disney fans in the house. Now, it might need a little online ordering but it will be worth it when they've got their very own enchanted rose.

19. Canvas Painting

We originally made this personalised canvas for a present for Daddy and it still sits on his toolbox at work. It's a very messy art activity so it's perfect for the little kids of the house!

20. Get Crafty With Pine Cones

So, it's not the time of year to find pine cones everywhere but if your kids are like mine, it's possible you may have a few lying around or floating round the car, because they had to bring them home! Lots of people roll them in peanut butter and pop out for the birds but you could also paint them in bright colours to bring a bit of spring indoors. 

21. Make A Den

As a kid some of the very best days are the days your grownups let you pull off all the sofa cushions, pull out blankets and sheets and make epic dens. Yes, your living room will be trashed but the kids will love making a den

22. Make Bunting

As I write this we're on the run up to Easter, so it's a good time to get out the card and crayons and make a bit of Easter Bunting. You could let little ones do messy painting and then cut up into the egg shapes and get older ones to do lots of different individual eggs.

23. Sharpie Mugs

Get creative with a couple of Sharpies and decorate a mug. I recommend you pop these in the oven after decorating to seal the design in.

24. Tie Dying 

Grab some old clothes and get creative!! You'll need elastic bands and some Dylon but the kids will love to see the results. We've created a cool apron and jazzed up some muggies

25. Make A Card

We've made lots of different cards in the past including Mother's Day and Valentines Day. I quite like the idea of sending this heart card to those you perhaps can't see if they're self isolating due to illness or being in the vulnerable category, so they know you're thinking of them.

26. Chopstick Challenge

A game we play around Chinese New Year is the Chopstick Challenge! See what you can move around and eat whilst just using chopsticks! 

27. Decorate Gingerbread Men

Fancy being a baking Mum but not much of a baker? Buy ready made gingerbread men and let the kids decorate them. Super simple but they'll love it and you'll have a sweet treat at the end!

28. Make Wands

There's two ways of making wizard wands, including with and without a glue gun but both give ace results. These are a great craft for the Harry Potter fans. 

29. Mini Ice Hockey

Who knew a bowl of frozen water could be so much fun! Build some mini goals and let the kids release their competitive sides and play mini ice hockey

30. Paper Airplane Target Game

An old post on the blog but this is a great activity for a rainy day or anytime you're stuck indoors! Use a big piece of paper or card and cut out different shapes and use a paper airplane to try and score points. 


So, there you go!! 30 things to keep the kids busy if school is closed!! If all else fails, once they've gone to bed, tuck them in, lie down in a darkroom and drink wine!!!

Mummy Snowy Owl
xx

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