Five whole days of half term.
For children, that sounds amazing. For parents, it can sometimes sound a little more like: “What on earth are we going to do all week?”
Keeping children entertained during half term doesn't mean you need to plan an expensive day out every day, create a Pinterest-worthy craft table or become a full-time entertainer. The secret is having a simple mix of activities, downtime, outdoor adventures and things for children to do independently.
Whether you're looking for ideas for October half term, February half term, Easter or the summer holidays, we've put together a simple five-day plan to help you keep the kids happy, active and entertained throughout the school holidays. And because we know parents have work and plenty of other things to juggle, we've included ideas that don't require you to spend every waking minute organising activities.
How Do You Keep Kids Entertained During Half Term?
The easiest way to avoid the dreaded “I'm bored!” is not to schedule every minute of the week. Instead, try creating a loose routine with a mixture of:
- Active activities
- Creative activities
- Time outdoors
- Independent play
- Relaxing downtime
- Family time
- Seasonal activities
Having a rough plan also means you can spread activities throughout the week rather than trying to squeeze everything into one or two days. And remember: children don't need to be entertained constantly. A little boredom can be a good thing. It gives children the opportunity to use their imagination, come up with their own games and learn how to entertain themselves.
Need a little help with childcare this half term?
Planning five days of activities is one thing... finding childcare while you're working is another! Ultimate Activity Camps Ofsted registered school holiday day camps for children aged 4–14 are designed to keep kids active, entertained and having fun throughout the school holidays, while giving parents a little more flexibility.
Explore their multi-actvity and art day camps this October Half Term!
Your 5-Day Half Term Activity Plan
Here's our suggested five-day plan, with ideas you can adapt for different ages and weather conditions.
📅 Day 1: Get Outside & Burn Off Some Energy
Start the week by getting everyone out of the house. After a busy school term, children often benefit from having the chance to run around, explore and burn off some energy.
Try a family adventure
You don't need to go far. Visit a local park, woodland, nature reserve or walking trail and turn it into an adventure. Give the children a list of things to find. For an autumn half term, your list could include:
- A red leaf
- A conker
- A squirrel
- A yellow leaf
- A fallen branch
- A mushroom
- A feather
For older children, turn it into a photography challenge and ask them to take a picture of each item.
Make a family obstacle course
If you have a garden, create an obstacle course using whatever you have available. Try:
- Running around cones
- Jumping over cushions
- Balancing along a line
- Throwing a ball at a target
- Crawling underneath something
- Completing a short sprint
Time everyone and see who can get the fastest score. The best part? You can repeat it later in the week and challenge everyone to beat their personal best.
Rainy-day alternative
If the weather has other plans, create an indoor obstacle course instead. Use cushions, blankets, chairs and masking tape to create a safe course around one room.
📅 Day 2: Get Creative
Day two is perfect for slowing things down and getting creative. You don't need a cupboard full of expensive craft supplies either. Set out some paper, cardboard, pens, glue and whatever else you have at home and give the children a challenge.
Try an “anything goes” craft challenge.
Give everyone the same basic materials and one hour to create something. You could even create categories:
- Most creative
- Funniest
- Most unusual
- Best design
- Best use of recycled materials
Make seasonal crafts
If it's October half term, get into the autumn spirit. Try making:
- Leaf pictures
- Paper pumpkins
- Halloween decorations
- Conker characters
- Autumn wreaths
- Spooky masks
- Paper bats
- Monster puppets
Get older children involved, don't assume crafts are only for younger children. For tweens and teenagers, try more challenging projects such as:
- Tie-dye
- Jewellery making
- Painting
- Photography
- Sewing
- Model building
- Baking
- DIY room decorations
The trick is to make the activity feel like a challenge or project, rather than something that feels “babyish”!
📅 Day 3: Have a Day Out
You don't have to visit a huge theme park or spend hundreds of pounds to make a memorable half-term day. Pick somewhere you've never been before and make an adventure out of it.
Ideas for a half-term day out
Depending on what's available near you, you could visit:
- A farm
- A zoo
- A nature reserve
- A castle
- A museum
- A library
- A swimming pool
- An indoor climbing centre
- A bowling centre
- An art gallery
- A heritage railway
Make a local day out feel like an adventure. Even if you're only visiting somewhere nearby, give the children a mission. For example: “You have to find three things you've never seen before.” Or: “Take the best photograph you can of something interesting.” It turns a normal trip into an activity.
Looking for free things to do?
Don't forget to check your local:
- Parks
- Libraries
- Museums
- Community centres
- Nature reserves
- Local events
Many offer free or low-cost activities during school holidays.
📅 Day 4: Let Them Take Over
By day four, everyone might be getting a little tired. So instead of planning another big activity, give the children some ownership of the day. Let the kids plan lunch. Give them a selection of ingredients and let them create their own lunch. You could make:
- Homemade pizzas
- Wraps
- Sandwich creations
- Fruit skewers
- DIY salad bowls
For older children, challenge them to make something from a recipe with minimal help.
Create a “kids' choice” afternoon
Give the children three or four options and let them vote. For example:
A: Movie afternoon
B: Board games
C: Baking
D: Gaming tournament
The winning activity gets the afternoon.
Encourage independent play
This is a good day to let children entertain themselves. Set out a few options and let them decide what to do. They could:
- Build a den
- Read
- Draw
- Build with LEGO
- Play outside
- Make up a game
- Complete a puzzle
- Listen to music
- Create a story
You don't have to organise everything for them!
📅 Day 5: Finish With Something Special
You've made it to Friday! Make the final day of half term something to look forward to.
Have a family games tournament
Choose a selection of games and keep a scoreboard throughout the day. You could include:
- Board games
- Card games
- Target games
- Table tennis
- Puzzles
- Charades
Award a homemade trophy to the overall winner!
Have a movie night
Turn the living room into a cinema. Make:
- Popcorn
- Drinks
- Pizza
- Snacks
Make cinema tickets, build a blanket fort and let the children choose the film.
Create a half-term memory book
Print some photographs from the week and create a scrapbook together. Ask the children: What was your favourite day? What was the funniest thing that happened? What would you do again? It's a simple way to finish the week and create something you'll actually keep.
October Half Term Ideas
If you're specifically planning for October half term, there are plenty of seasonal activities you can add to your five-day plan. Try:
Autumn activities
- Go for an autumn walk
- Collect colourful leaves
- Go conker hunting
- Make leaf art
- Visit a woodland
- Make an autumn wreath
- Go on a nature scavenger hunt
Halloween activities
- Carve pumpkins
- Paint pumpkins
- Make Halloween decorations
- Bake spooky biscuits
- Have a Halloween treasure hunt
- Make Halloween costumes
- Create spooky slime
- Have a Halloween movie afternoon
- Play Halloween party games
You can easily turn these into activities that fill an hour or two without requiring a huge amount of preparation.
What If It Rains All Week?
It's the UK. It happens. If the forecast is looking particularly wet, don't panic. Create a list of indoor half-term activities that you can pull out whenever the weather turns.
10 rainy-day activities for kids
- Build an indoor den
- Make homemade pizzas
- Have a baking competition
- Create an indoor obstacle course
- Have a board-game tournament
- Make a giant jigsaw puzzle
- Create a home cinema
- Have a craft challenge
- Organise an indoor treasure hunt
- Have a family dance party
You can also divide activities by how much time you have.
Got 10 minutes? Try:
- Drawing
- A quick card game
- A dance challenge
- A mini treasure hunt
Got 30 minutes? Try:
- Baking
- A craft
- A board game
- An obstacle course
Got an entire afternoon? Try:
- Building a den
- Making a film
- A big baking project
- A craft challenge
- A family tournament
How to Keep Half Term Affordable
Keeping children entertained doesn't have to mean spending money every day. In fact, some of the best cheap and free half-term activities are things you can do at home or locally. Try creating a mixture of:
FREE:
Parks, walks, libraries, crafts, games and scavenger hunts.
LOW COST:
Swimming, cinema deals, local attractions and community activities.
SPECIAL DAYS:
Choose one or two bigger activities during the week rather than trying to make every day a big day out.
This can make half term much more manageable for the whole family.
How to Keep Different Ages Entertained
One of the trickiest things about half term is having children of different ages. An activity that keeps a four-year-old entertained for an hour might not impress a 12-year-old!
Ages 4–6.
Focus on:
- Simple crafts
- Imaginative play
- Outdoor adventures
- Baking
- Sensory activities
- Treasure hunts
- Dress-up games
Ages 7–10
Try:
- Sports
- Challenges
- Science experiments
- Cooking
- Board games
- Nature activities
- Creative projects
- Team competitions
Ages 11–14
Give older children more independence and challenge.
Try:
- Escape rooms
- Cooking challenges
- Photography
- Gaming tournaments
- Climbing
- New sports
- Creative projects
- Video-making
- Outdoor adventures
The key is to make older children feel like they're doing something, rather than simply being “kept busy”.
Don't Feel Like You Have to Entertain Them Every Minute
This might be the most important tip in the whole article. You don't have to create a packed itinerary from 8am until bedtime. Children need downtime too. It's completely okay to have a slower morning, watch a film, play games or simply let them decide what they want to do. In fact, a balance of organised activities and unstructured time can make for a much more enjoyable week. And don't forget to look after yourself too!
Half term is supposed to be a break for children – but that doesn't mean parents have to exhaust themselves trying to make every moment magical.
What If You're Working During Half Term?
This is where things can become more difficult for working parents. You might have plenty of ideas for things to do with your children, but unfortunately, you still have to work. If you can't take the whole week off, consider creating a mixture of:
- Holiday childcare
- Family help
- Holiday clubs
- Days out
- Independent activities
- Time with friends
- A few days of annual leave
You don't have to organise everything yourself.
Holiday Camps: A Fun Option for Working Parents
Holiday camps can be a great option for families who need reliable childcare during school holidays, while still wanting their children to have an exciting and active day. Rather than spending the week worrying about who will look after the kids while you're working, children can spend the day taking part in organised activities, playing games, getting active and spending time with other children.
Ultimate Activity Camps Ofsted registered schhol holiday day camps welcome children aged 4-14, making them a convenient option for families with children across different age groups. Whether your child loves sport, creative activities, challenges, games or simply making new friends, Ultimate Activity Camps are designed to make the school holidays something they look forward to!
Your Simple 5-Day Half Term Checklist
If you don't want to plan every minute, here's the simple version:
Monday
-Get outside
-Go for a walk, visit the park or create an outdoor challenge.
Tuesday
-Get creative
-Crafts, baking, building or a creative challenge.
Wednesday
-Have an adventure
-Visit somewhere you've never been before.
Thursday
-Let them take over
-Kids' choice, independent play and some downtime.
Friday
-Make it special
-Games tournament, movie afternoon or family night.
And that's it! Five days planned without needing to organise five expensive days out.
Why not also check out our blog on 50 Things to Do With Kids This October Half Term or Rainy day ideas for kids!