At the holiday halfway point...

Are you running out of ideas to keep the kids entertained this holiday? In her column this month, Vicki Harris of From Suffolk With Love has some planet friendly suggestions to keep you going in the second half!

We’re halfway through the kids’ summer holidays and so far at FSWL HQ it’s been quite a chilled one. With mornings to work (sometimes!) and afternoons to blow off steam we have been looking for either cheap or free things to entertain ourselves. We have also been looking for some eco-friendly ideas, so here are some suggestions if you want to entertain your small people in a more planet friendly way:

Litter pick

Walking is more fun with a grabber! You could make it into a competition with who collects the most bottles, or the most colourful item. Everyone will get lots of fresh air and exercise, hopefully be worn out and ready for a rest, and it’s brilliant for the planet!

Take a bus/train ride

Are you planning on a day trip? Make it greener and much more fun by taking public transport instead of the car. You might want to start with a simple journey and see how they go but if you are usually in a car the novelty of a bus or a train will make it a special trip for the little ones.

Grow some veg

It may take a bit of patience for this one but it’s great for kids to learn how to grow their own veg. They’ll love seeing the progress of it growing and its kind to the planet too! Start with something easy to grow so there’s no disappointment, like cress. Or pumpkins are a good one in the run up to Halloween, it’ll save you having to buy one come October!

Get messy

Enjoy some messy play without the nasty plastic bottles of paint! Go to your nearest park or green space and collect some leaves, flower petals and anything else they think might be a good colour. Take them home and have fun mashing them up and adding water to make some paint. You may even get round to making a picture with it after all that messy play!

Down time

You will no doubt need a rest after all that so why not take some downtime for the day. You could treat the kids to my Kid’s Bliss Box so they can enjoy some chill out time. Everything in my gift boxes is plastic free and all handmade by small businesses in Suffolk, so good for the planet too. You could go a step further and get the Bliss Box for yourself to make it a spa day for two! You deserve it for getting this far through the holidays! Don’t forget to use the code FOLKFEAT10 for a 10% discount on any purchase.