Just because Summer is over and it's getting cooler, doesn't mean the fun has to stop! It can be hard to keep the kids occupied on those days when the weather is miserable but there are things you can do to keep them busy, I've given you 3 ideas below which are all things I have done growing up and loved, so much so that I'm planning on doing them all with Abbie too! And hey, if all else fails, nothing can be better than a family day on the sofa, with disney movies, ice cream & homemade hot chocolates!
1. Bike rides
When I was younger my Dad and I would go on random bike rides together all the time, we lived right by the seafront too so we would cycle the whole way which was a good few miles but so much fun! He actually used to be a really keen rider when he was a teenager and even had one of those special road bikes so he could train for local rideouts, I think that's why he tried to get me into it too, so we could compete together :). We'd have family holidays to Gloucester every year too where a huge group of us would head out for a whole day of cycling, he made sure my mom had a practical mountain bike, he would make sure I was padded out with the right suspension bike and helmet etc and for himself he actually had 3 specialist men's mountain bikes in the garage, all kitted out properly and professionally as he used them all the time! I have such fond memories of those family trips, I'm so excited to get Abbie her first bike so I can carry on that tradition with her and us 3 can have all the fun family adventures I was brought up having! She too will be wearing all the safety gear I was made to wear! If your little one is too young for their own bike, you can get special little seats for them to attach nice and securely to one of your bikes so that all of you can go out :)
2. Indoor crafts
For those cooler autumn days where you'd rather stay indoors, you can either use what you've already got in the house, newspapers,cereal boxes, cardboard boxes, pens etc, or you can order some in from a local craft shops, maybe some fun stamps, glitter, stickers, anything you like, the messier they get, the more fun it is (obviously not for you and the clearing up you have to do, but who cares!). Let their imagination run wild! As Christmas is coming up you could even make your own Christmas cards, a fun way for everyone to get involved and the friends and family will love them too! If crafts isn't your thing, let the kids do some baking! Make everything from scratch, let them do the mixing, let them beat the eggs & the most important thing to do? Eat the icing from the bowl! Yummy! Oh and don't forget the hudreds and thousands!
3. Photoshoots
This is actually one of the things we are doing this month, I have Abbie's outfit all picked out, wellies and all! Ben has picked out his & I'm yet to choose mine...although I have just ordered some bits so I'm looking forward to sorting something out! You could visit your local park or even the woods if you have them nearby, somewhere where there will be lots of trees and leaves to get the right setting, i'm a bit of a perfectionist so i've been planning it all for a while now, I have little snapshots in my mind of Ben dropping a load of leaves around and on top of Abbie (gently may I add..) and she's looking up and grabbing them with cute smiles and expressions! Let them splash around in the puddles, jump in the big piles of leaves and get over excited, you want to really capture the moment and the emotions they're feeling. Set up the tripod too and figure out the auto timer to get some really lovely family shots, they don't have to look like those "perfect" images you see online, for me imperfect is so much more natural and emotional. Have fun, get muddy, and enjoy the family time together! Once you're home you can even create a special scrapbook or photo album to keep or give as a Christmas gift to the family! :)
