Finding activities to do over the Half term and Bank holiday break can be incredibly difficult, and with the current Cost of Living crisis, watching what we spend is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Below we have broken down some fun, get back to nature, days out for you and your family that won’t break the bank.

Visit the woods:

Taking a trip to your local woods is a fantastic way to get out of the house this half term, keeping your kids occupied, as well as getting them out in nature. You can use the Woodland trusts handy ‘wood finder’ to find beautiful forests near you. Whilst you’re exploring you can even set your kids the task of finding different natural resources such as sticks and leaves which can then be used later for crafts. Just make sure your little ones are collecting items that have fallen on the floor and aren’t pulling them from trees and plants.

Natural Crafts:

Get out and collect some natural resources such as sticks, rocks and leaves. You can do this by just taking your family out on a walk around the park, a local field or the woods and setting your kids the task of finding as many items as they can. There are several things you can create but we’ve detailed some ideas below:

• Create a natural tree. Simply cut the shape of a tree out of paper and glue leaves, sticks and flowers to it, creating a beautiful natural tree.
• Create pinecone ornaments. Paint pinecones or cover them in glitter and tie them up with a piece of string. An easy craft activity that will keep the kids entertained whilst also leaving you with décor you can treasure forever.
• Create a tic-tac-toe board using rocks. Simply paint the rocks in different colours and then draw noughts and crosses on each of them and once they have dried you will be left with a fun board game you can use forever.

For other fun craft ideas check out this blog: https://www.weareteachers.com/nature-crafts/

Go Bird Spotting:

Bird spotting is a lovely way to spend time with your family, making learning something new fun. You can either download a bird spotting app or buy a book so you can tick off the birds you’ve seen as you go. Bird spotting can be carried out anywhere, the park, a local field, the woods or even your own back garden if you are lucky enough to be visited by a variety of bird species.

Go on a picnic:

Going on a picnic can be as extravagant as you want it to be. You can either just pack up the lunch you would have otherwise eaten at home, or pop to the shop and grab picnic nibbles such as scotch eggs, party sausages, mini sandwiches, crisps, strawberries, etc. Adventure to your favourite park or field, lay out your blanket and tuck into your food. You can even take a ball or some other form of activity to play in the sun.

Visit a National Trust Site:

The national trust has hundreds of beautiful locations across the whole of the UK. From beautiful gardens to historic castles, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Simply pop over to the National Trust website and have a look at what locations are near you, book your slot and you’re ready to go.