Reindeer Food

At Christmas time we always remember to put out food for Santa Claus as he needs to take a break as he delivers all the gifts on Christmas Eve.  We shouldn’t forget that the reindeers also need a good rest occasionally to build up their energy as they pull the sleigh around, so make sure to put out some special reindeer food.

Here is a great recipe I found for reindeer food on the That’s Country Living website.  All you need is:

·         Oatmeal

·         Sprinkles

·         Cinnamon

·         Small bowl

Simply mix the ingredients up and place in a bowl.

Don’t forget that when Santa comes inside the house the reindeer will be outside so maybe spread some reindeer food near the front entrance that then leads to the bowl.  Also, to make sure the reindeer know where to look you should add in a poem with the following words.

 

I am sure both Santa and the reindeer will really appreciate the food you have made available and are very likely to remember to come back to your house next year as well.

Christmas Crafts For Kids

As Christmas is not too far away it is a good time to look at different ways to decorate your Christmas tree.  Whether you plan on buying a real tree or using the fake one that you keep stored away, it is the decorations that really bring the tree to life. 

Even better is the fact that you can make your own decorations.  As school holidays are starting very soon, if they haven’t already, this is a great way to get your children involved in the festive spirit.  Here are some simple yet effective ideas on how to decorate your tree and have a lot of fun at the same time.

Cookie dough ornaments are perfect as you can mould them into different shapes and sizes.  Once they have been cooked and have cooled down, you can then paint and decorate them.  Remember to make a hole in them before you cook them to make it easier to hang up.

Another idea is to visit  your local craft or arts supply shop and find some polystyrene shapes like balls or boxes.  Using a bit of imagination you can use textas, paints or pencils to draw pictures or colour them in.  You could also use different coloured pipe cleaners that can be legs, arm or wings on the design.

Don’t forget about Christmas stockings, too.  Pull out all those stray socks you have lying around and let the kids decorate them with buttons, tinsel and ribbons.

These are just some simple ideas to highlight how easy it can be to decorate your Christmas tree but more importantly what a great way to get into the spirit of Christmas with the rest of your family.

Women's Fashion

About a Boy is obviously known for its great range of stylish clothes that are mainly for boys as well as girls but we also stock a range of women’s fashions.  All the items highlighted below have been reduced in price with some great savings.

The Fate Viva Forever Maxi is a very feminine heart shaped bodice that suits the cool, confident and sexy woman.  The free flowing dress is also suitable to cater for the growing baby bump.  This has been reduced in price from $120 to $45 so you are saving $75.

The Kahmuh Amante Dress is a fun flirty dress made from a beautiful light cotton fibre making it ideal for the summer months.  This strapless dress has a stretch elastic bust with a sweet ruffle on the front to the side.  This has been reduced from $124 to $46.50 so you are saving $77.50.

The Kahmuh Summer Love Dress is suitable for nursing or just to look stunning as this gorgeous dress is made from a beautiful silk featuring a tie under the bust for a flattering fit.  This has been reduced from $125 to $46.85 so you are saving $78.15.

The La La Luxe Secret Salute Jacket has many fascinating finishes from its pocket details, folded collar and the triple horizontal pleats on the back.  Designed to be worn open, this jacket can be matched with many other fashion items in your wardrobe.  This has been reduced from $120 to $45 so you are saving $75.

These are some examples of our women’s fashions so follow the link to discover many others as you are bound to discover something for yourself that is of great value.  

Clearance Sale – Girls' Clothes

We currently have a Clearance Sale for girls' clothes that is worth looking at.  With huge discounts you can almost get a full summer wardrobe for next to nothing.

Here are some great bargains to highlight this opportunity.

The Singlet Tee - Retro Fisher Girl by Three Little Trees is a soft ribbed cotton pink racerback tee with a funky retro fisher girl print on the front.  Reduced from $32.95 to $9, this is great value.  Or perhaps the Tribal Baby Tee - Love by Three Little Trees is more the style you are after?  This thick weave cotton tee comes with slight stretch in a dark pink and white uneven dot print and "love" design on the front.  Get your order in as these have been reduced from $34.95 to $9 and will be very popular.

 

The Back Frill Nappy Pants by Sooki Baby are made from soft 100% cotton which makes them easy to wash, easy to fit and comfortable to wear.  These nappy pants are also available in black and pink.  Reduced from $28 to $14, you had better place your order now to guarantee availability.

The Yummy Singlet by Three Little Trees is a cute stretch fitted singlet with “Food is Good” printed on the front.  An ideal addition to any wardrobe as it can be matched with many other clothes.  It is reduced from $25 to $6.

These are just some great examples of the bargains on offer as part of our sale.  We have a large range and we know you are sure to find something special that is fantastic value.

New Arrivals

With Christmas just around the corner have a look at some of our New Arrivals.  They will make the perfect gift.  We have a huge range of tees from our popular suppliers such as Minti, Littlehorn and Munster.

These include the Baby Bear Envelope tee that has a cute print of a bear on the front.  Maybe the Casper tee is more your style with the spooky ghost print on the front or for something with a bit more of an edge, how about the Fast Lane Ash Purple tee by Munster?  Made from jersey cotton it features a funky graffiti bike/street print on the front.  Ideal for the little  Munsters in your life.

Also, just to let you know we moved last week and had a couple of hiccups as things didn’t go as planned.  We will not have proper internet until the 19 November.  I went out and got a wireless dongle but I’m having some trouble getting it to work.  Hopefully things should be much better in the next couple of days so if you can just bear with me I will be able to get to your emails and orders shortly.

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for any updates and will see you back online shortly.  Thanks for your patience and understanding as it is genuinely appreciated.

Play Trays

Play trays are a great idea for your child as they help develop creativity as well as inspire their imagination.  We have several play trays available from Artiwood each with a different theme which are totally designed for fun. 

Each play tray comes with 20–25 beautiful coloured pieces that have been hand-painted and made from non-toxic quality rubber wood that are intended to entice the curiosity of the little ones.

The Space Play Tray includes spaceships, planets, stars and aliens all in a bright colours, just perfect for the budding astronaut.  The Cowboy and Indian Play Tray includes teepees, a horse and cart, a tombstone and Indians in their bright colourful clothes.

Also worth having a look at is the Fireman Mini Play Tray which is slightly smaller than the larger play trays as they have 7–10 pieces.  It is still just as much fun and includes a fire truck, helicopter, firemen and ladders.

Another great feature of all these play trays is that at the bottom of the tray it features all the character outlines making it easy to play as well as pack up.

These play trays are bound to be great fun, they are educational and sure to inspire creativity in your kids.

Gooey Halloween Food Ideas

Keeping with the Halloween theme, here are some more Halloween cooking activities that are ideal for boys (and their pesky sisters) to get involved in.  Boys love to get into messy and gooey things and they love to be grossed out.  Some of these food ideas are perfect for their ghoulish Halloween.

Consider dead fly and pig’s blood icecream.  Grab a witch's cauldron of icecream from the supermarket and then add in the dead flies by using chocolate chips.  Top with the pig's blood which is simply strawberry topping.  With a bit of imagination I am sure you can come up with other concoctions.  Shhh - don’t tell them about the little coloured snakes lurking inside the icecream either.  Let that be a tasty surprise.

Maybe some witches' heads are your preferred choice.  Put a ball of icecream on a plate then place a small icecream cone on top.  It has just the right shape for the perfect hat.  Then use some coloured sprinkles for hair and cake decorations for the eyes, nose and mouth.

Another great idea is a variation of a frog in a pond.  Prepare some different coloured jellies and drop some sour worms (from the supermarket confectionery aisle) into the jelly as it sets.

To create a real ghoulish meal you can combine spaghetti and meatballs.  One idea is to get a couple of meatballs and make them into the shape of a brain and then use the spaghetti and sauce as blood and veins.  Alternatively you can arrange the meatballs on a plate so they look like eye balls.  You could use some round pieces of cheese as the eye itself and then add the spaghetti as the blood and guts. 

Use a bit of imagination and everyone can have some fun on Halloween making these spooky recipes.

Halloween - When You Don’t Want A Costume

With Halloween about 2 weeks on Wednesday 31 October here are some great ideas.

Not every child is happy to wear a costume.  Instead they can wear one of our monsterrific t shirts and feel comfortable while they look scary!  They allow your children to get into the spirit of Halloween with no fuss at all.

Have a look at these suggestions.

How about the Dracula Tee Red by Littlehorn?  This is coloured blood red and has a print of a funky owl sitting on a branch of a tree.  Also ideal for the warmer months that are coming up.

The Halloween Crew Sweater by Littlehorn could be another scary addition for Halloween night.  Comes is grey marle and charcoal with black trimmings and has a print of bats and a spider on the front.

The Diamond Dragon Spearmint Tee or Diamond Wolf Tee by Minti could also be part of a costume for Halloween night.  With a print of a dragon and a wolf respectively these are sure to add some fun on Halloween night.

The Birdman Black Tee by Minti has a birdlike bat print on the front that is sure to stand out on Halloween night.

Happy Halloween!

Good Apples Mighty Stars – Complete Preschool Naptime Set

Sometimes getting children to settle to sleep in unfamiliar surroundings can be hard to do.  The strange noises and people around them can be unsettling and distracting.

We have found that if your child has something very familiar with him at nap time, he is more likely to settle.  That is why we are such fans of the naptime set.

The patterns of the blanket and the familiar scent of the sheets is often enough to allow your child to relax enough to settle into sleep.  Little hands will feel the texture of the blanket and feel at home.

This naptime set is perfect when you send your child to preschool as it comes in a self-contained cotton drawstring bag.  The set is also brightly coloured and coordinated that is sure to make your little one happily sleep and feel warm and cosy.

The naptime set includes:

·         1x Durable Cotton Drawstring Bag

·         1x Naptime Sheet Set (Flat and Fitted sheet in one)

·         1x Soft Pillow and 1x Pillowcase

·         1x Snugly Naptime Fleece Blanket.

The sheet and pillowcase are made from 100% cotton with a 250 thread count that means it will not irritate the skin and feel nice and smooth.  The drawstring bag also has two velcro pockets to include any extras such as a favourite toy or maybe a dummy.  There are also labels that make it easy to identify and not get mixed up and the fleece blanket is large enough to allow for plenty of snuggly room.

This naptime set is also ideal when going on holidays or visiting friends.

About a Boy VIP Club

 

Did you know we have just established an About A Boy VIP Club that has some fantastic benefits that are sure to save you heaps of money.  For the annual membership fee of $50, here are the benefits you will receive:

·         Free shipping on all orders (within Australia);

·         Pre-order and sales newsletters 24 hours prior to public release; and

·         Exclusive VIP Club only discount and buying opportunities.

For more details follow the link to the About A Boy VIP Club.

With the weather starting to get a lot warmer we have some great bargains from our wide range of tops & tees, swimwear or follow this link to the biggest ever clearance sale where prices start from $5.

Also, with Christmas only around the corner you could consider buying something from our Boys Three Little Trees Clearance Sale as they would make great gifts for families and friends.  We are featuring discounts well over 50%, therefore you are sure to find something of great value.  

Why not join the About A Boy VIP Club and start getting the benefits and savings straight away.

Great School Holiday Activities With A Sporting Theme

With the current school holidays already upon us and the weather being a whole lot better, it’s a great opportunity for your kids to get outside and play.

There are so many things your kids could be doing.  With the football and rugby grand finals both happening on the weekend, maybe the kids could go down to the local park and practice their kicking and balls passing skills.

With the current Twenty20 World Championships underway, your cricket loving kids need to get out the bat, wickets and cricket ball.  Choose a tennis ball for younger kids and head down to the local park or oval.  Don’t worry about playing a Twenty20 or a Ten10.  Just play!

The good old frisbee can be fun and to add an extra dimension, you can play frisbee golf.  Go down to the park and place a bucket about 100 metres away and see how many throws it takes to hit the  bucket.

For something a bit different consider going horse riding.  Most riding schools accommodate all ages with ponies being available for the young children or for the older kids; you can go out on a trail and into the bush for a great experience.

Now is also a good time to dust off the bike and do some bike riding.  Most suburbs have some parks that you can ride in as well as some bike tracks that are safe and away from the traffic.

These are just some suggestions but the idea is to get your kids outside and away from the computer or video games and take advantage of the time of the year when the weather is ideal for being outdoors.

Gardening For Kids

With school holidays just around the corner and the weather getting a lot better, it is a perfect time to get your kids out into the garden.  Gardening is a great activity as it gets your kids outside as well as allows your kids to learn a bit about how nature and the environment work. 

Depending on what you actually grow in your garden, another fantastic benefit is you get to eat what you have grown.  Doing a taste test which compares the differences between what you have grown and what you have purchased from a supermarket may even encourage your kids to eat more of what is good for them.  

Growing tomatoes, carrots and mushrooms as well as many other different types of food is relatively easy.  Follow the link to the Kiddie Gardens website that provides some basic steps for growing carrots as well as many other vegetables.

Another great idea for gardening for kids is to develop a sensory garden.  This can be great for children with a type of disability that can be stimulated by the different senses from the garden.  Follow this link to the Better Health Channel which gives a great overview and examples of how to do this.

With a little bit of preparation, getting kids out into the garden is fairly easy, safe and entertaining.  You are potentially opening up a whole new world for your kids who haven’t experienced being in the garden and growing something that they can look after and be responsible for.  If nothing else, great memories, photos and stories can be created and I am sure they will appreciate the time and effort as they get older and talk about it for years to come.

What Our Customers Are Saying

 

It is always great getting feedback on what we do so thought I would share some recent comments from our Facebook page.  These comments are important for me to see whether there are things I could do differently or better.  Keep the comments and feedback coming. 

An awesome parcel of funky arrived today, the kids have been trying it all on.  Thanks lovely.  xx 

- Melanie R

Can honestly say I have never ever received such fantastic service in my entire life, not to mention how amazingly cute your clothes are!  Thank you so much!!

- Amy S

Aww just placed an order for my granddaughter who will be born in November. Such cool stuff it's lovely to buy for girls for a change than my usual boy orders - lol.

- Lisa N

Just received my order of TLT!  Thank-you so much, such great quality at a bargain price!  Thanks once again!

- Kathleen W

Received my order today!  Absolutely love all of it!  Thanks heaps for sending it out so nice and quick!  :-) 

- Bec S

A huge thank you to Katie for my parcel which arrived today from About A Boy.  My favourite Three Little Trees and I love the lunch punches!  Happy Birthday - and wishing you many, many more!  Xx

 

- Jelly Bean Books

 

Thanks for this great feedback and as I mentioned at the start please keep the comments and feedback coming as it helps me to identify ways I can improve my service and commitment to you.

All About Pyjamas

We have a great range and variety of pyjamas to choose from and some have been reduced by well over 50%.  We have all in one jumpsuits, 2 piece pyjama sets as well as pyjamas suited to summer.

For example, the All in One by Books to Wear is a cotton sleepsuit that features a zip on the front and feet.  Books to Wear design and make imaginative and innovative clothing and this is highlighted by the blue and lime striped prints on the jumpsuit.

The 2 piece summer set from Fishbone PJs by Books to Wear combines boxers with a cotton shirt.  This funky set of pyjamas is made from soft cotton and both the boxers and shirt have fishbone prints.

The Mini Vanilla Blue All In One Jersey PJ is an all in one baby boy PJ set.  These PJs are made from 100% cotton jersey and feature a button up front on gingham print.  These have been reduced by well over 50% and also make a perfect gift as it includes an organza gift bag.

The Mini Vanilla Short Sleeve Cute Monster T-Shirt PJ is fun and practical.  It has an elastic waist check pant and a cute monster applique.  Made from 100% cotton, these are also very soft and comfortable to wear and sleep in.

The Wheels by Books to Wear is a bright and colourful PJ set made from cotton.  It features white with green, blue and yellow wheels print and multi stripe pants.  These are ideal for any child from 2 to 7 years.

We have plenty more pyjamas in stock to choose from so have a look and see if you catch a great bargain as many have been reduced by over 50%.

Janod Toys

Check out our great new range of Janod toys that we now have in stock.  These toys are designed in the heart of the French Jura mountains and have been beautifully crafted and manufactured to strict quality and safety standards, meeting both European and Australian requirements. 

The Janod range includes educational learning toys, puzzles, construction sets, games and outdoor games.  With over 40 years experience these toys have been designed with learning in mind and to awaken the child’s senses.

A great example of this is the Janod Magnetic Plane that is a great puzzle that comes apart into 5 pieces.  Each piece has magnet connectors which make it easy to fit back together again.  It also comes with a movable propeller and a pilot to make it ready to fly. 
 
Dominoes are a great game for all generations and the Janod Happy Farm Dominoes are perfect for today’s young ones.  These wooden dominoes have happy farm animals on one side and the traditional dots on the reverse side.  The set comes in a stylish presentation box that would make it an ideal gift.

The Janod Noah's Ark Puzzle is brightly coloured with 6 pegs that are in a different shape of an animal.  The puzzle is in the shape of Noah’s Ark and would be great fun for any young child to play with.

There are plenty of other Janod toys to choose from that are bright, colourful as well as being suitable for all ages.

Biggest Ever Clearance Sale

We are currently running our Biggest Ever Clearance Sale.  With prices starting from $5 and products with huge discounts you will find some fantastic bargains.  Here are a few sneak peeks for you.

• Baby Elephant Tee and Baby Fish Tee from Three Little Trees:  These are made from quality fabrics and the prints of a funky elephant or fish will brighten up any child’s wardrobe.  Reduced from $34.95 to $12.00 these are a great price for quality clothes.
• Baby Love One Another Rompers:  Choose from charcoal, grey or pink, these stretch cotton hooded rompers come with the print of “Love One Another”.  Reduced from $39.95 to $17.00, this is a discount of well over 50%.
• Best Things Long Sleeve Tee:  This is a great looking long sleeve tee that is made from 100% jersey cotton that washes beautifully.  This long sleeve tee from Munster is very stylish in the purple ash colour.  Reduced from $45.00 to $22.50, these are sure to go fast.
• Burglar Bear Tee:  This brightly coloured tee features the funky burglar bear on the front.  Reduced from $34.95 to $19.00 place your order as these will be popular
• Denim Skir - Feather:  This gorgeous denim crinkle feature skirt with slight wash and fray hem has an adjustable waist and also a white feather embroidered on the front.  These will not last long as they have been reduced from $49.95 to $12.00.

These are just some of the clothes on offer in our Biggest Ever Clearance Sale and as you can see the discounts are significant.  Follow the link and have a good look around.  This is the best time to do your shopping!

New Minti Summer Stock

With the end of the cold months not too far away and with summer only around the corner, I thought it was worth mentioning the new Minti Summer Stock that we have available.  We have been featuring these on the About A Boy Facebook page in recent times and just wanted to highlight some great items that are currently in stock.

The Minti Summer 2012 Boys range includes great tees, shorts and shirts in a huge array of colours and styles.

The Minti Summer 2012 Lifestyle range is perfect for something just a bit different.  For example, the Mr Growly Shirt Tail Tee is a great example and was also the winner of the Minti Design A Tee Competition.  Or may the Wild Thing Rad Tee Popsicle and Black Stripe is more your style or even the White Icecream Tee which seems to be appropriate for those hot summer days.

Also, have a look at the Minti Summer 2012 Babies range for the newborn.  There is a great selection to choose from such as the Black Baby Owl Bib, or the Comfy Black Bones Pants With White Print. 

All of these products and whole lot more from Minti are available online so get your order in now for summer.  Also, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news, updates as well as our special offers.

How To Throw A Boomerang

A great activity for anyone is throwing a boomerang.  As long as it is done outside in a safe environment it is not only great exercise but great fun.  Getting the angles right, allowing for the wind, imparting enough spin and throwing the boomerang at the right speed are techniques required but not that hard to perfect with a bit of practice.   It’s an activity that boys will love because it’s so “hands on”.

The Boomerang Association of Australia has a great website that explains in more detail how to throw the boomerang as well as a lot of other information and resources.  This website also provides details on where to buy the correct type of boomerang as well as information on clubs and competitions.

After you have learnt how to throw the boomerang and make it return you need to work out how to catch it.  This is actually not as hard or dangerous as it seems.  When you have perfected the technique of getting the boomerang to return it should not be flying too hard at you and in some cases it almost hovers near you.  When this occurs all you need to do is clap your hands together making sure the boomerang is between your closed hands.  Again, with a bit practice you will find this is not hard as it seems.  A simple competition you can have is to see how many times you can catch the boomerang without dropping it.

If you get the chance, give it a try as it is great fun and a fantastic outdoor activity.

They say never to work with kids...

The old saying tells us never to work with kids or animals, but I think some of the best moments in life come when you do.  Kids make us laugh like we did when we were young.  The biggest belly laughs I have are always because of something a child says or does.

One of the things I enjoy is the photo sessions we have where children model our new stock.  Most kids are natural clowns and show offs so the sessions can be really hilarious.  They can also produce some incredible, character filled shots like this one.

They know how to take up the role, don't they?

So does this little girl at a live modelling event.  Watch the video and let me leave you with a smile.

Munster Clothing

One the many brands we supply comes from MunsterKids.  They were founded in Sydney in 2003 and now supply their range of clothing all over the world.  Their clothing range is inspired by music, art and street culture and is intended to add some attitude into clothes that kids can wear.
 

The concept behind MunsterKids is based on the urban legend called Mickey Munster who is a good hearted and mischievous trouble maker.  He was a skinny street kid who lived in Dunster and could easily be recognised by his fat pudgy nose, white pointy teeth and long sharp ears but disappeared at the age of six and no one is too sure what happened to him.

They say that one way to check if Micky Munster is near is to shine a torch on your child and look to see if the shadow of Mickey Munster can be seen.  For more on this urban myth have a look at the  MunsterKids website.  I am sure we can all recognise that devious element in our kids and may even remember what we were like at the same age.

The style of the clothing and range of accessories have been designed to be comfortable as well as durable and are suited for babies, girls and boys from 3 months of age up to 12 years.  Have a look at our range of Munster clothing and don't forget to check if Mickey Munster is near your child.

Last One Left Sale

If you are looking for some fantastic value then it is worth having a look at our Last One Left Sale.  There is a great range available including baby clothes, sweaters, hoodies and tees that have been heavily discounted by up to 50%.  Here are just a few that may be of interest:

·       Baby Big M Shortie Shorts by Minti:  These baby shorts with a funky Big M print on the bottom are made from stretchy cotton with comfy leg ribbing.  They are available in grey and are fantastic value at only $19.

·       Baby Long Sleeve Envelope Tee by Minti:  This long sleeve top made from cotton in Seafoam colour has a cute “I Am New” print on the front.  Reduced from $34.95 to $19, this is a huge saving and would make a great gift.

·        Black Sky Crew Neck Jumper by Munster:  This grey fleecy crew neck jumper features birds in the sky print on the front.  Ideal for the cold winter months this jumper has been reduced by 50% and is only available in a size 7.

·       I Am Awesome Sleeveless Hood by Minti:  Printed with “I am awesome” on the front, this sleeveless hoodie with mitten pockets can be matched with a pair of trackies in the winter with a long sleeve tee or a pair of shorts for the warmer summer months.  This has been reduced from to $39.95 and is available in a size 5.

·       Pirates Rock Print Tee by Sooki Baby:  This tee is ideal for a newborn baby and has pirate pictures on the front.  It is made from cotton and features snaps at the back to make it easy for dressing.  This has been reduced by 50% to the sale price of $15.00.

These are just some of the range from our Last One Left Sale so follow the link and have a look for some great bargains. 

Visit us on Facebook

Did you know we have a Facebook page?  The great thing about the About a Boy Facebook page is that we have a lot of fantastic discussions and feedback in relation to the different clothes, toys and accessories we offer.   This can be very helpful when you are not sure which product is most suitable for your child.  Being able to read a comment or advice from someone else can be of great assistance.

The other great aspect of the Facebook page is that we often share details of special discounts or even updates in relation to products such as when new stock, colours or designs have arrived.  Plus we often have regular competitions that are great fun to participate in and always have great prizes.  Also, the Facebook page always has great stories, anecdotes and pictures that are funny and entertaining so when taking a break grab a cup of tea or coffee and check it out and add in your contribution.

Anyway come and have a look at the About a Boy Facebook page, browse around and give us your comments and opinions.  Plus don’t forget to ask any questions if you need to so you can get a response that should help you when it comes to shopping from our website.

Making Playdough

The holidays are almost here and the weather in many parts of the country means that your kids will be playing indoors quite often.

What can you do with them to keep them amused?  What about allowing them to make their own playdough?

This recipe does not involve cooking and all the ingredients are edible so if your child is a nibbler it won’t matter if he or she eats any of it.

The recipe is so simple that any child can do it so they can each make their own batch and choose their own colour.

There’s nothing quite as much fun as playing with something you’ve made yourself, is there?

Things To Do On School Holidays

Keeping kids busy and active can be a challenge at any time but with school holidays close by this can become an even greater challenge.  Here are some tips and ideas for you to consider to follow on from our post entitled “Keeping Boys Active in Winter”.  Most ideas are relatively cheap, will get them out of the house and as they are just a little bit different, they may get to experience something new.

·       Go ice skating; it is great exercise and fun.  Some ice skating rinks offer a free lesson so this can be ideal for the novice skater.  Also, as a parent and for those who are not too keen on skating, you can take a break in the café while watching your kids skate around.

·       Tenpin bowling is becoming popular again and most places are bright, colourful and designed to entertain.  Plus if you or your kids need some extra help, you can put up the bumper bars to stop the balls going down the gutter or alternatively, use the ball ramps so kids of any age and strength can participate.

·       Have a movie day or night where you hire a couple of dvds so your kids and their friends can be entertained.  Great for those cold wet days plus with popcorn, the kids are sure to have lots of fun.

·       Horse riding is another great activity for your kids that they may not have done before.  Most places will have ponies for the small kids that are under the control of a handler and will allow longer rides for the older kids. 

·       Get a couple of simple recipes and get your kids to try and cook or bake something.  Scones can be a good start plus they can eat what they cook.  While this can get messy make sure they also clean up after they have finished.

Obviously there are so many other ideas but the challenge can to try and make it interesting, maybe educational and possibly give them something new to experience as it might spark an interest or passion that may stay with them for life.