Autumn Games

As Autumn brings some wet and wild days, we have some ideas for keeping your children entertained.

• Get musical with household objects: bottles filled to various levels with water, elastic band guitars, plastic bottles filled with lentils for shakers, pan lids for cymbals, pans and wooden spoons for drumkits. The possibilities are endless (you might want to invest in some ear-plugs before you begin, though).
  
• Make an event of going out in wellies, raincoats and umbrellas, or even getting completely drenched on wet walks with lots of puddles and mud. Hot drinks all round when you return!
  
• Make paper boats and launch them in the bath.
  
• Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep away from hard surfaces and walls).
  
• Play hide and seek.
  
• Have an indoor picnic on the lounge floor. Don’t forget to invite the teddy bears!
  
• Don’t forget kite-flying (avoid cliffs, pylons and stormy weather).
  
• Have a treasure hunt. Hide sweets around the house and get your child to find them. For a non-food option, hide small toys such as cars or jigsaw pieces (your child can then make the jigsaw when all pieces are found).
  
• Have a dressing-up box. You don’t need expensive fancy dress outfits. Children are just as happy with mum’s old shoes, hats and scarves. Underskirts make great long skirts or head-dresses for girls (remember pretending to be a bride with your mum’s nylon slip on your head?!).
  
• Mystery object. Wrap a toy or household object in newspaper. Let your child feel and guess what it is.
  
• Indoor camping. Make a tent by spreading old sheets or blankets over tables or clothes airers. If you want to be really imaginative, use foil or tissue to make a pretend cooking fire. If you get your child to pack for the trip and include a picnic, the game can last for hours!
  
• Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals.
  
• Create your own home cinema. Line up the chairs into rows, bring in the ice cream and make the popcorn, draw the curtains and turn all the lights out.
  
• Make finger puppets and put on a play.
  
• Make and decorate simple biscuits or cakes together.
  
• Make skittles from plastic bottles or cardboard tubes and knock them over with balls of screwed up paper. Your child can decorate the skittles to keep them occupied for even longer.