Summer Holiday Ideas!

Some of you have asked for some more information on our Bucket List, so we've written some more descriptions for all our ideas here. We hope lots of you have fun trying out our suggestions this summer and we've love to see any pictures you take to show on our blog. With the holidays looming it can be quite daunting wondering how to entertain the little ones without resorting to spending large sums of money on expensive days out and treats. So The Party Pirate have pooled together some of their ideas to come up with a list of different activities and things to do to keep you busy throughout the next few weeks. With over 70 ideas here there should be something to suit everyone’s tastes and budgets.

Cooking

Children love messing around in the kitchen, and it's a great way to teach them about food and where it comes from, there are lots of ideas here from healthy snacks to naughty yummy treats. Banana Splits Dig out all your sprinkles, sweets, a tub of ice cream and bananas and create your own sundae bar. Bear Bread Make up a big batch of fresh dough and shape them into cute little teddy bears, really simple and easy to do even for the youngest chefs. http://www.larecetadelafelicidad.com/en/2012/05/teddy-bear-bread.html Chocolate Apple Lollies Instead of using a whole apple, make thick slices, push onto a lolly stick and coat with melted chocolate and sprinkles - delicious! Fruit Lollies Slice up any of your favourite fruits and place in a lolly mould then top up with squash or lemonade and freeze ready for a hot sunny day. Fruit Salad A great way to teach little ones how to use knives safely and the can nibble as they go along. Why not start of with a trip to the supermarket and let them choose which fruits they'd like in their salad. Ice Cream Soda Mmm who remembers these, a glass of coke or lemonade and a big dollop of ice cream. Meringues Meringues not only taste delicious you can also make them educational by explaining the science behind how an egg white turns crunchy when cooked. http://www.planet-science.com/categories/under-11s/chemistry-chaos/2012/03/make-meringue!.aspx Mille Feuille Why not have a go at making some yummy cream slices, with sheets of ready rolled puff pasty and some freshly whipped cream, top with icing and sprinkles! Rainbow Cake Next time in rains, stay inside and make a rainbow layer cake, just a basic sponge cake coloured in 7 different colours, but the finished result is really fantastic. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3028705/rainbow-cake Cost 4, difficulty 4 Scones Homemade scones fresh from the oven and so much nicer than shop ones and surprisingly easy to make, whip up a batch and enjoy with lots of cream and jam. Smoothies The best way to use up fruit that's past it's best and delicious and healthy too, little ones can help with some simple chopping and adding fruit to the blender. Cost 2, difficulty 1 Unicorn Cookies Just a basic sugar cookie recipe but little girls will love adding colour and sparkles to these cookies. http://www.sunscholars.com/2013/04/unicorn-poop-cookies.html

Craft

Whether your craft yourself or hate the mess it makes, there are bound to be some ideas here that will keep you happy and your little ones busy. Butterfly Mobile A really easy way to make a beautiful mobile for a little girl's bedroom, using only some white ribbon, paper and a butterfly punch. http://heartlandpaper.typepad.com/heartland_paper/2009/08/handmade-chandeliers-on-studio-5.html Dream Catcher Get a ring of wire or small embroidery hoop and tie on pretty pieces of ribbon, buttons, feather or any other special things you can find to make your own unique dream catcher, then hang up and enjoy. Fimo, Airdry Clay Little ones always love playdoh, so why not let them make some creations that they can keep, fimo is great for small projects but air dry clay is cheaper and they can paint it after. Or you could even make a batch of salt dough which is really easy to make. Fish Kite Make cute Japanese flying fish using only a cardboard tube and some coloured tissue. http://squirrellyminds.com/2013/05/03/koinobori-japanese-flying-carp-diy/ Junk Modelling Zero cost and maximum entertainment, save up all your interesting packaging and let their imaginations run wild. Melted Crayons Picture Can wait to try this idea - sellotape a row of crayon to a large piece of white cardboard and leave in bright sunshine or warm with a hairdryer, as the crayons get hot the will melt and run down the board. Just make sure to protect any floors or surfaces first. http://spoonful.com/family-fun/top-15-home-science-experiments-kids#carousel-id=photo-carousel&carousel-item=4 Nature Bracelets & Crowns Next time you go for a walk, wrap a piece of masking tape the wrong way round around you little ones wrist, then let them hunt our pretty flowers, leaves and features to decorate their own pretty bracelet. Or collect larger treasures to bring home and make into crowns. Outdoor Painting Move the mess outside by taping the biggest piece of paper you can find (easel rolls from Ikea are great), bring out all your paints and get stuck in, let them use their hands and feet and really enjoy themselves. Printing Tshirts Find a old plain tshirt and use masking tape to spell your child's name on the front, then let them paint all over with fabric paints. When it's dry remove the tape and the name will still be there. Rosette Necklace Fabric yo-yos are really easy to make and good for beginner sewers, make a few different sizes and colours and sew them together with ribbon to make a pretty necklace. http://blog.tramdang.com/2010/05/04/how-to-sew-fabric-yo-yos-and-yo-yo-mothers-day-cards/ Sewing Find any old scraps of fabric or felt and see what you can create, it doesn't have to be anything special just have fun learning how to sew. Sock Puppets A great way to repurpose odd socks (clean of course!), sew on some buttons for eyes and use felt or wool for any other hair or features and have fun with your new friends. Straw Marble Maze All you need for this is a box lid, some drinking straws and a marble. Fun to create and will keep little ones busy playing with it for ages after. Tie Dye Tshirts Using an old tshirt, tie little bunches of the fabric tightly with string and place the whole tshirt into some fabric dye following the packet instructions. Why it's dry remove the string and look at the pretty patterns you have made. Walnut Boats Make little sailing boats using walnut shells with dough inside and a little flag, then next time it rains you can go hunting for puddles to sail them in. http://www.redtedart.com/2012/04/16/walnut-boats/ Walnut Mice Races Turn a walnut shell into a little mouse with a marker pen, some string and felt for ears. then pop a marble underneath and roll them down a slope. http://www.redtedart.com/2012/04/16/walnut-boats/

Places to visit

Since The Party Pirate is fortunate to be based in the beautiful city of Bath, we have pooled together some of our favourite places nearby to explore and enjoy. Avon Valley Country Park There is something for everyone here including rare and exotic animals, an adventure play area, preschool play area, boating and fishing, a really cute miniature train ride, pedal go karts, Quad bikes and trampolines. http://www.avonvalleycountrypark.com Bath Area Play Project Summer Playdays A fantastic local resource that offers a feast of play opportunities for free including den making, music, games and scrap creations in local parks and spaces near you throughout the holidays. Don’t forget National Play Day on 7^th August and join BAPP in Queens Square to celebrate a child’s right to play. http://www.bapp.org.uk Bath City Farm A wonderful farm with a great array of friendly animals to meet. It also has a purpose built play area, a performance space, the Trough Café Kiosk (check opening times) and amazing views. Check the website for special events through the holiday. http://www.bathcityfarm.org.uk Bath Fashion Museum As part of the exhibition on Laura Ashley that is taking place this summer the museum are running family drop in activity sessions on printing and patchwork . These sessions are free with a discovery card. http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk Blaise Castle A wonderful area of listed parkland boasting a castle, museum, children’s play area and café. http://www.bristol.gov.uk Bowood The house and gardens are beautiful and Tractor Teds little farm can keep the little ones busy whilst the older kids go wild in the adventure playground. http://www.bowood-house.co.uk Bristol Aquarium Fantastic for a rainy day. Look at the website for details of their Summer ‘Fishtival’ events for the school holidays. http://www.bristolaquarium.co.uk Bristol and Wiltshire Scrapstores Both are bursting with creative inspiration and great places to pick up art and craft materials at reasonable prices. They also offer workshops and activities throughout the summer break. http://www.wiltsplay.org.uk http://www.childrensscrapstore.co.uk Bristol Zoo and Wild Place Our closest zoo and a good one too with loads on offer with special summer events including an open air cinema. Their partner project ‘Wild Place’ which aims to bring conservation to life opens later in July and is more affordable option. This is on a different site. See websites for details. http://www.wildplace.org.uk http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk Canal Walk Access the canal through Sydney Gardens after visiting the Holburne Museum and walk to Bathampton where you can grab a coffee and cake in the Narrow Boat Café moored just past The George or share your sandwiches with the ducks. Cinema A trip to the cinema is always a treat. Most local cinemas offer special reduced rate children's screenings every day during the holidays. Fruit Picking Something a bit different to do with kids and you get to enjoy eating the fruits of your labour. The following farms are a short drive from Bath. http://www.chosenhillfarm.com http://www.fossewayfruits.co.uk Gromit Unleashed in Bristol A public art exhibition of 80 giant sculptures of Gromit have been placed in Bristol and the surrounding area. Visit the website and download a map of the trail and pop over to Bristol for a bit of Gromit spotting. This exhibition is only on for 10 weeks so make sure you don’t miss it! http://www.gromitunleashed.org.uk Library Take advantage of your local library and for older readers this summer the libraries’ reading challenge is entitled ‘Creepy House’ - Dare you enter? Longleat It is almost impossible to take in all the attractions in one day. Most famous for its drive through Safari adventure but with many new things on offer like the Deadly 60 area that opens this summer. http://www.longleat.co.uk Miniature Golf Fun for all ages the ‘Victoria Falls Adventure Golf’ course is situated in Baths Victoria Park by the tennis courts and café and is open all year round. Parks We are lucky in Bath to have so many lovely parks to choose from that all offer something different. This recent article describes many of the parks nearby. http://www.bathmums.co.uk/news.php/2072.htm Rainbow Wood Great for woodland adventures and burning off excess energy. Perfect for den building, nature hunts, and picnics. Rainbow wood is part of the Bath Skyline Walk. Main entrance to woods is on Claverton Rd. Roman Baths Do you fancy dressing up as a Roman, investigating what the Romans ate for breakfast,, making a Roman badge? If so look out for additional free activities for kids that run on Mondays throughout the holidays. Also don’t forget that you can visit the Baths in the evenings when they are lit by torchlight. http://www.romanbaths.co.uk Train Ride We really enjoy the train ride to Bradford On Avon, its only short but it takes in some lovely countryside on the way. Its also fun to get off at Avoncliffe and walk into Bradford to picnic by the river or if its hot chill out in the Tithe Barn. Two Tunnels Greenway Cycle and Walking Path It’s time to get those bikes out of the shed and take in the wonder that is the newly opened twin tunnels cycle and walking path. Those long tunnels can be a welcome relief in this hot weather. http://www.twotunnels.org.uk Waterstones Events Free children’s events run during the school holidays so remember to check for details on their website. http://www.waterstones.com Wookey Hole Spooky caves, life size dinosaurs, a fairy garden, a paper mill, a vistorian penny arcade even cave–aged cheese! What more could you ask for. http://www.wookey.co.uk

Things To Do

Some days you just can't decide that to do and don't have the energy for collecting lots of materials for a big craft project, so here are a few simple ideas for when you're stuck for inspiration. Alphabet Photo Tour Let your kids loose with the camera, go for a long walk and try to take a photo of something that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Exercise, creativity and education all in one! Board Games On a rainy day why not pull out all the board games you can find and have a big contest to see who can win the most games. Bubble Tennis Arm your kids with tennis rackets or homemade ones made with a paper plate and blow some bubbles for them to pop. Dress Up and Make a Movie Pull out the dressing up chest and create some imaginary characters and act out scenes while you film the mini thespians. Face Painting You don't have to be that artistic to be able to paint a butterfly or tiger face, but be prepared the little ones will probably want to paint you too! We have princess face painting kits and pirate face painting kits available in our party shop. Fish and Chip Picnic Perfect for a warm summer's evening, pop to your local chippie for fish & chips, then head to your nearest green space to enjoy, pack a ball and you can have a quick game of football after. Fly a Kite A simple traditional past time but still so much fun. Football No description needed, children and balls are always a good combination. Hair Braiding Use beads and ribbons to make tiny plaits which little girls will love to show off. Handstands Have fun playing outside learning to do handstands and cartwheels. Make a Time Capsule Find and old tin and let your children have fun filling it with special items that describe what their life is like now, then bury it in the garden and leave it for a few years to rediscover it. Make a Treasure Map Get some cheap toys or sweets and hide them through your house or garden, then you can make a simple treasure map and let the little ones have fun finding the hidden treasure. Check out our colour in treasure maps. Making Dens Outdoors or in, kids always love building dens, you can make them with branches or cushions and blankets both just as much fun. Obstacle Course Grab whatever play equipment you can find and build a big obstacle course in your garden. Photo/Art Gallery Let you kids take their own photos or paint pictures then display them throughout the house in their very own exhibition, maybe you could even get grandparents to buy a couple of masterpieces. Teacup Gardens For any budding gardeners, making little gardens in old teacups doesn't take much skill but can look really effective and are easy to look after. Just don't use granny's best china! Teddy Bears Picnic Either in the woods, garden or even the living room, why not have a real little picnic with sandwiches and cakes, even more fun if you have a toy tea set to use too. Sock Bubbles Much cooler than normal bubbles, all you need is a drinks bottle, an old sock, a rubber band and washing liquid. http://www.housingaforest.com/rainbow-bubble-snakes/ Swimming Great fun and a bit of exercise, make use of the nearby local pools either to cool off or escape the rain. Water Balloon Fight Fill up a bucket with water balloons then run and take cover. Window Paints You can buy chalk markers quite cheaply online and they work really well on glass. If you have patio doors let your kids go wild and draw all over them, what fun to not be told off for drawing on the walls!