Make The Most Of A Rainy Day On A Shoestring

It’s now officially summer… apparently. Tell that to the dark clouds and puddled streets. With any luck, Britain will afford us one or two glorious days of sunshine over the next few months, but if not it’s a good idea to be prepared, especially if you have kids. Plan in advance lots of activities and things to do in the event that a torrential downpour keeps you indoors. Here are some great ideas to get you started!

Baking buns and biscuits is always a great rainy day activity, but why not help the kids make their own ice cream instead? Double cream, natural yoghurt, lemon curd and some lemon zest are all you’ll need to make a batch of tasty lemon ice cream. And you don’t need a fancy ice cream maker either – just a little arm strength to whip the cream! Mix in the other ingredients and freeze the whole lot overnight. Perfect if the sun comes out the next day! For more ice cream maker-free recipes, check out bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/ice-cream.

Fancy a quiet afternoon? Help the kids to build a den out of duvets, blankets and chairs. Set the laptop up inside and pop on a film – hey presto! The world’s most inexpensive home cinema!

Time consuming and cheap, paper mâché is always a favourite. It’s fun, it’s creative and it’s messy! Blow up a balloon and let them cover it in a few layers of ripped up newspaper dipped in PVA glue. Make sure the final layer is plain white paper. Once it has dried, use a pin to pop the inner balloon and leave the little ones to paint and decorate it as they please!

Messy bedrooms? Perfect! Challenge the kids to a tidy up race – fastest gets a prize!

Grab a shoe box and start filling it with bits and bobs today. Whether it’s old toilet roll tubes, magazines, plastic bottles or loose bits of string, keep it all. That way, when a rainy day comes and extinguishes all your plans, you’ll have a go-to craft box to keep the kids entertained. It really is amazing the things you can make with a toilet roll tube and a bit of imagination!

If you’ve got kids whose likes, dislikes and skills differ from one another’s, why not challenge them to put on a variety show together? There could be a solo dance section, a dramatic performance for two or a team magic show. Not only will it get them working together, but you could invite the family round to watch them perform and make a real show of it. That’s surely a whole afternoon sorted!

So it’s been a week, the rain is still coming down and both you and the kids are going a little stir crazy. Perhaps it’s time to make a dash for the car or bus and head to the nearest cinema. All through the summer holidays, various Vue cinemas are offering a morning movie from £1.99 a ticket. See myvue.com/minimornings to find out more.

For more indoor places to visit and activities to try when the weather is drab, pay a visit to netmums.com/local-to-you/places-to-go, which will no doubt give you some ideas.

Christians Against Poverty runs money managements courses in locations all over the UK, designed to give you the skills to budget, save and get your head around your finances. The CAP Money Course is available to everyone who needs it, regardless of age, gender, faith and background.

Find your nearest course at capmoney.org. For advice and support on unmanageable debt, go to capuk.org or call 0800 006 328.

By Adriaan Van Wyk Centre Manager – Belper