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Beat the January Blues Once the excitement of Christmas is over, it can often feel like a real struggle for the whole family to keep things fresh and lively in the new year. However, there still plenty of opportunities for you to do things together as a family, so you’ll soon banish the January blues!
Here are a few ideas to keep in mind… A Family Read-In
of toast, then roll in birdseed to create an instant feeder that the kids can hang outside. Add a bird book and they can pass a few hours identifying and logging the birds that come to visit.
When it's blowing a gale outside, there's no better way to spend an afternoon than snuggled up with a good book. For younger children you can encourage them to act out the story and show Fun in the Snow off your full range of funny faces and voices. For Of course, snow isn't guaranteed, but if it does older children, take the opportunity to discuss snow you have the ideal excuse to organise what they're reading in some depth - talk about snowman building contests and a monster plot and characters and why they enjoy a snowball fight. Kids of all ages love playing particular type of book. Who knows, you in the snow, but have you ever played may even inspire them to try writing tug of war? Or tried snowball their own story! Grey winter days dodgeball? Once that snowman is offer the perfect built, try frisbeeing a hat onto his Family Bake-Off opportunity to bake head or play a game of pin the nose Who doesn't love the Great British up a storm in the on the snowman using a carrot. And Bake Off? Those grey winter days kitchen everyone can join in a simple game offer the perfect opportunity to bake of tag, made a little more interesting if up a storm in the kitchen. Let younger you're only allowed to use the footprints children indulge in some messy play with of the other players! their own bowl of cake mix or a piece of pastry - don't get stressed about the mess but enjoy the chance to spend some creative time together. For older children, encourage some healthy competition by going 'full Bake off' and seeing who can produce the best cookies or cupcakes.
Get Creative in the Garden Outdoor crafts are a wonderful way to liven up the garden for pennies, using materials you can find outdoors or simply lying around the house. It's amazing how ice, berries and watercolours or food colourings can transform tap water into beautiful ice baubles to decorate the garden when set in interesting moulds. Or spread peanut butter all over the outside of an empty toilet roll holder or a piece
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The best way to blow away the cobwebs is to take the family for a long winter walk. It's great exercise, but it's even more fun if you make your walk an excuse to collect items for some winter crafting. Another interesting find on your walk might be a stick that transforms, with the help of some beads, feather, paint and markers into a wish stick for younger children or a talking stick for the older members of your tribe. Talking sticks have a long history in tribal cultures
Look to the Heavens On a clear night, there's nothing better than wrapping up warm and heading outside to stargaze. Download an app and see how many constellations you can find and identify. Younger children will enjoy spotting stars and older ones can test their astronomical knowledge.
Have a Tech-Free Day Be brave and ban iPads, smartphones and games consoles for the day. Instead put out a pile of blank paper, pens and craft materials and see what your children can create. Boredom can be the best motivator for creativity.
Revive the Art of Den Building
Create Rock Pets
Find a Talking Stick
as a way of allowing everyone to have their say you can only talk when holding the stick - so, for larger families, this could be an ideal way for your kids to create something that will ensure they're heard.
For younger children, provide blankets, boxes and furniture indoors while encourage older children to get outdoors and get den building in the garden or the woods. Find out who's the Bear Grylls of the family and who can create the best fantasy castle/spaceship/dragon's belly. Den building is for everyone, so get involved! Blow away the
cobwebs is to take the family for a long winter walk
For more ideas on keeping the kids active this winter, check out our What’s On guide on Page 14 or visit: www.familiesonline.co.uk/activities
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