The school holidays are not something I get excited about; in fact, they fill me with a bit of fear and a fair amount of stress.
My 2 boys are small and school is a place where they can rush around, expending all that incredible energy.
When they get home, they gobble up some lunch and fall into a precious 2 hour slumber. This is not so when they are stuck at home with mom and pops at work, with only each other and poor Monica the Magnificent (my long-suffering housekeeper) to pummel.
What is the answer? Well… there isn’t one, it’s more about many – it’s about loads of distractions and entertainment for little people with the concentration span of a Smurf.
So I present you with some fun and foodie things that work for me… and yippee, they’re yummy too!
Pizza time: It’s super-fun and easy to make pizza dough. The kids just love kneading and rolling out dough and of course, make-your-own pizza and you’ll be surprised what they’ll try! A great lunch activity that lasts for ages.
Edible picture fun: Get cool biscuit cut-outs eg: stars and moons, gingerbread men. Make basic biscuits in different shapes. Whilst they are cooking, make a picture and colour it in. When the biscuits are ready, decorate your pic with them. Then eat your picture!
Jelly oranges: Cut the oranges in half and make fresh orange juice with the oranges. With a sharp spoon, remove all the leftover pith (be careful not to make holes in the orange). Buy 2 different colours of jelly. Make 1 colour first and fill up half the orange and let it set in the fridge. Make the next one and fill it to the top.
The kids love making jelly even though it’s so simple, so it’s a very hands-on exercise. Cut the jelly oranges in quarters and you have fun jelly wedges.
Try these jelly orange wedges made with juice and gelatine which is super healthy. Or you can just use the packet jellies.
Smoothie milkshakes: Use frozen berries and bananas, honey and full cream yoghurt. You can add nuts and sprinkles to make things more fun and children love these healthy snacks. Jazz them up with fun twirly straws and they will be in heaven.
Try papaya, pine and melon, pear and honey and chunky berry smoothies.
Cupcakes: Make a vanilla cupcake base and some icing and have lots of colourful sprinkles and toppings (eg: smarties, wine gums,) on hand. Your munchkins can drizzle on the icing and have a ball with decorating their own. It’s a high in sugar exercise so be ready to get outside for a run around afterwards.