Spending quality time with your kids is something everyone cherishes. Yet when you've got an extended period of time together, say for half term, a bank holiday weekend or when you've taken a week off work it can be daunting thinking about what you'll do to entertained. Of course there are always theme parks, swimming pools, ice skating rinks and other attractions, but they're expensive and during the recession a lot of us can't afford such luxuries.

Cornflour

This is a cheap idea for babies, toddlers and kids up to the age of 5. Simply mix some cornflour (or even custard powder) with water, until it's at the consistency where it is liquid when you leave it and solid when it's manipulated. It's best if you can pour it into a wide, flat tray with edges. Try mixing it with food colouring too. Remember that cornflour is edible, but don't give it to babies who haven't been introduced to flour yet as you might not know if they are intolerant. Don't let them eat too much, either! Other good foods to play with include rice pudding, jelly crystals and stuffing mix.

Home Made Instruments

This is perhaps one you've thought of already, but it works so well. Place masking or parcel tape over both ends of a toilet roll with lentils inside to make a shaker. Pots and pans (as we all know) make great drum kits, as do empty (very thick!) glass bottles with wooden spoons. You could make a harmonica out of an old comb and tissue paper, or a reed instrument by putting a blade of grass between your thumbs. All those things you did as a kid are just as enchanting to children today, too, and especially when they are taught them by mum or dad.

Cooking

Another obvious one, but an essential, too. If you teach small kids how to cook and get them involved in making tea every day it's all they know. Once they get to a point where they need to cook for themselves, be that at university or when they come home from college on a lunch break, it will come naturally and you'll have given them a huge head start.

Easy things to cook include the classic fairy cakes and rice crispy cakes, omelettes, flapjack, mini pizzas, fruit salad and even smoothies if you operate the machine. Don't be afraid to attempt something complicated like a sponge cake, so that they find out about curdling and how to break eggs correctly.

Write a Story

Get your kids to dictate a story and (if they're too young to write) then type/write it out for them. Get some nice paper and stick the story onto it and make it into a book. Let them do the illustrations and sign their name on the front. You could even make up your own publishing name. Just let your kids use their imaginations and put what they come up with on paper. No matter how bizarre the story might seem, just go along with it. Chances are they've acted out this story whilst playing with their toys alone before and know exactly where it's going. If you've got more than one child then why not ask them to write stories for each other's bedtime?

Stan Tian

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