Half term ideas: Everything you need to keep kids entertained at home in lockdown

Keep boredom at bay with puzzles, arts and crafts, books and board games

Due to regional lockdowns, keeping kids stimulated at home needn’t be a struggle for parents (iStock)

This year, schools, pupils and parents have seen disruption throughout the spring, summer, autumn and winter term, as the pandemic continues.

For much of the winter terms, schools were shut and children and teachers resorted to online learning.

As a result, parents are limited on activities to do during the February half term as much of the country remains indoors as much as possible, with play dates and visiting soft play centres out of the question.  

But that doesn’t mean keeping kids entertained needs to be a struggle. We’ve got you covered on the indoor and outdoor games, arts and crafts kits, books and puzzles that will keep them occupied, and busy and having fun.

It may be even more important than ever to ensure they’re stimulated, as many parents continue to work from home, juggling zoom meetings with playtime.

Up ahead, we’ve compiled our favourite activities to do while stuck indoors to see you through half term.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

Colouring books

Hardly a new idea, but getting the colouring books out is a go-to for keeping younger children entertained, and the beauty is that all you need is a flat surface and some coloured pencils.

One of our favourite books is this ‘Millie Marotta’s Brilliant Beasts’ (Waterstones, £9.99) that earnt a spot in our guide to the best colouring books, created by the number one bestselling colouring book illustrator, Millie Marotta.

(Waterstones)

Made up of animal creatures in intricate illustrations, with more than 100 to choose from, our 11-year old reviewer found it a relaxing activity that kept them busy, and is a great introduction to mindfulness.

Arts and crafts

One way to spend an afternoon with kids is by getting hands on with arts and crafts activities.

Setting a task, such as creating a glitter mosaic or making a volcano out of household items, will keep them focused and help them destress if they’re finding the pandemic difficult.

In our guide to the best kids craft kits, this mouse house sewing kit (Button Bag, £14.99) came out on top, perfect for kids aged six and older who are learning how to use a needle and thread, with adult supervision of course.

(The Independent)

There’s 18 pre-cut felt circles, which is enough to make six brightly coloured mice and two pieces of cheese, ready to be stitched straight away.

Our reviewers found the instructions clear and precise with plenty of colour and texture, describing the experience of making them as like “ good old fashioned craft work.”

For older kids interested in fashion, this tie dye kit (Interplay, £14.99) also impressed us for its simplicity, with results everyone can enjoy.

(Interplay)

The kit contains seven powders (to be added to water), plastic gloves and bands to tie round the clothing, along with an instruction booklet with hints and tips on how to create variety with your patterns.

A word of warning however, while a fun family activity, it’s a messy undertaking so we’d recommend working over a sink or laying out a plastic sheet on your kitchen table to minimise damage.

Indoor games

If screens and tablets often keep your child entertained, but you’d like to reduce their use, try an audio player that can play music, radio or stories and they can become confident operating without the help of parents.

In our review of the best kids’ audio players we were impressed with this Toniebox Starter Set (Tonies, £62.95), a cube shaped box that operates using intuitive shapes or integrated sensors.

(The Independent )

According to our reviewer: “Each box comes with a CreativeTonie, which, as the name suggests means audiobooks, music and even the voice recordings of friends and loved ones can be uploaded onto it – and in turn downloaded onto the Toniebox.”

We found the setup as fool-proof, with simple, clear instructions, and it plays everything from popular fiction to classic fairy tales and festive songs. It can also be used with headphones too, ideal for keeping them occupied on long car journeys.

Simply squeeze the big ear to increase the volume and the small ear to reduce it, something our five-year old tester loved doing.

Bigger toys such as play kitchens have long been loved by children, and can be enjoyed by younger and older siblings alike.

It can teach them important skills such as dexterity, how to share their toys and engage in some creative play.

We loved this Tidlo country play kitchen (Bigjigs Toys, £129.99) that topped our guide to the best, which had the most lifelike features of all the ones we put to the test.

(The Independent )

Boasting a Belfast sink, an oven and hob with five knobs, work surface, utensil shelves, storage cupboard and even pretend washing-up liquid.

It took an hour for our reviewer to assemble (see, there’s pletny of fun for adults too), and there’s side carry handles to allow for easy transportation from room to room.

Sturdy and made from responsibly sourced materials, it’ll provide years of play and we found two mini chefs can use this comfortably without much squabbling.

A good board game is a must-have for lazy days at home and in our review of the best ones for kids, this Monopoly voice banking (Smyths Toys, £19.99) was a brilliant buy.

(The Independent )

While we’re all accustomed to the original format, this has modern features to play with for children aged eight and older.

It has an interactive, voice-activated Mr Monopoly banking unit who keeps tabs on players’ money and properties so there’s no cash or cards to think about.

Puzzles made a major comeback during lockdown, as people wanted to ditch the phones, tablets and TVs for something more wholesome, so encourage children to work on a puzzle instead to absorb their concentration too. 

This Ravensburger jungle puzzle (Amazon, £11.99) was well-loved in our guide to the best puzzles, suitable for children aged eight and older, but the whole family can enjoy putting together.

(Amazon)

“It manages to occupy that sweet spot where adults will find it challenging enough, children will be able to cope and it doesn’t take so long that everyone involved loses interest,” said our reviewers.

Outdoor toys

If you have a garden or luckily live near a local park, get some fresh air and exercise (which will also tire them out) with this Atom push kick scooter (Atom, £159.99).

(Atom)

Taking the number one spot in our guide to kids scooters, it’s particularly suitable for older kids who may be growing restless from being stuck indoors.

It features dual-comfort suspension with a lightweight foldable frame that makes it easy to carry when they’re in grassy areas, that only took our reviewer 10 minutes to assemble and get going.

Our tester commented: “The robust dual suspension made the ride very smooth and comfortable for longer distances. This is the best quality scooter we found which can be used by kids and also adults for their commute to work.”

It’s rustproof too, so if you accidentally leave it in the rain, it will still be good as new.

For more kids toys, read our guide to the best best kids' playhouses that will keep them entertained for hours