The summer holidays are upon us and we know that you are going to be busy planning how to keep the children entertained. Six weeks is a long time and we know finding fun things to do with the children that don’t cost the earth can be difficult. So we’ve been busy at Swizzels brainstorming ideas and have come up with ten ways to keep your children entertained regardless of budget, age and whatever the British weather decides to throw at us!

#1 Make Paper Planes

Use up paper from the recycling bin, pages of an old phone book, wallpaper offcuts….whatever you can find around the house and build your own fleet of paper airplanes! Then you can then launch them from, an upstairs window, down the stairs, in the back garden or down the hallway and see which one flies the farthest.

#2 Bake & Decorate Some Swizzels Cakes

Kids love to bake – its messy, it’s fun and hopefully the results will be good enough to eat! Swizzels baking kits and frosting are for perfect for baking with the kids during the summer holidays. The kits contain everything you need and you are guaranteed perfect results every time!

You can share the Love with Love Hearts topped cupcakes, simply decorate with butter icing and add Love Heart messages to each cupcake. There are also Drumstick Squashies cupcakes with Drumstick flavoured icing and topped with Squashies. Both packs are available in Sainsburys and Morrisons.

For more recipes using Swizzels sweets click here.

#3 Make Your Own Playdough

Play dough has been entertaining children for generations, it’s easy to make up and you can scent and colour it any way you fancy. Here’s a super simple recipe that is child friendly and impossible to get wrong.

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour

• 50g salt

• 140ml water

• 1 to 2 tablespoons cooking oil

• few drops food colouring

Method

Prep:1hr › Ready in:1hr

1. Mix together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and oil.

2. Knead well until mixture is smooth about 10 mins. You might need to add a bit more flour or water until the consistency is smooth but not sticky.

3. Add food colouring and knead until the colour is fully blended.

4. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until chilled enough to use.

#4 Have a Scavenger Hunt

Gather up some random and fun household items and hide them around the house and garden for the children to find. Make a list of all the items you have hidden and next to each give a clue that will lead them to it. You could even hide a few treats, Swizzels Big Bags contain a fantastic selection and will keep the kids happy all summer.

#5 Get Them Gardening

Planting seeds and seedlings and watching them grow and flower is great fun and educational for children. There are lots of plants that even a young child can grow without too much trouble, from small trees to herbs and vegetables. You don’t need a garden, just a window box or some small pots, try growing herbs like basil, parsley or cress – that way they can eat them once they’ve grown.

#6 Take A Walk

Whether you live in a city, town or the country, there will be places to go that you haven’t discovered yet. Go online and research local beauty spots or places that have lots of history attached to them. Ask friends and neighbours for recommendations or local libraries always provides great ideas. One that always fascinates kids is the cemetary or you could just make a packed lunch and see where the day takes you!

#7 Visit The Grandparents

Children love going to visit grandma and grandad, they always have some yummy treats waiting for them and they give the best cuddles. This time, why not get your children to ask them what it was like when they were kids. What did they do in the summer holidays? What games did they play? Did they watch TV? They’ll be surprised and enthralled by the answers.

#8 Go star spotting

Gazing at the clear night sky can be an amazing experience and, if you can point out the constellations to your children, it’ll be even cooler!. Do some research beforehand if you want to impress them or just get them to see if they can spot any interesting shapes in the patterns of the stars and of course look out for UFOs!

#9 Build a den

Nothing could be simpler or more fun than building a den. All you need is a large blanket or sheet, some cushions and a couple of chairs and you let their imaginations run wild! They could be in a tropical rainforest or hiding in a cave from dinosaurs, they could even be in a spaceship flying into outer space! – den building is guaranteed to entertain them for hours.

#10 Make a family tree

You will find this just as fascinating and fun as your children. How much do you and your children know about their family? Do they know anything about your grandparents or great grandparents? Not only is drawing family trees fun, but it also teaches them a bit about history. The chances are you will unearth some really interesting stories about your own family that you never knew. This could keep you and the children busy all summer!

Discover lots of yummy sweets and delicious treats for the summer holidays over in our shop.