The at-home half term activities that will keep the kids entertained for HOURS – and the crafts not to bother with
PARENTS are well and truly ready for kids to go back to school, but unfortunately, the start of half-term means there's still some time to go yet.
Why not keep up the home activities with some fun arts and crafts as we reveal which tasks will keep them entertained for HOURS - which means more alone time for you.
Experts at were intrigued to find out which crafts will keep your child distracted the longest, and naturally, we'd love to know too.
Over 1,600 parents were sent a range of popular craft activities, and were asked to time and record the noise level of their child while they were involved in each craft.
Turns out, making slime, painting rocks and paper mâché came out on top, meaning kids could enjoy these crafts for the longest time without getting bored.
We admit, they aren't exactly the cleanest of activities, and they may leave you with a whole load of mess.
The 10 crafts that will keep your kids distracted the longest
- Paper weaving
- Making slime
- Origami
- Jewellery making
- Painting rocks
- Coloured sand bottles
- Mosaic art
- Macaroni frames
- Paper mâché
- Finger sewing
But it's a small price to pay for a little peace and quiet so we reckon it's worth a try.
Slime is super easy to make at home too, you just need a few readily available ingredients to do it at home.
Meanwhile, if you're wondering what you shouldn't bother with, we have the answer for that too.
Finger paint and regular colouring should be avoided if you want some extra time, with the average child distracted after just nine minutes - definitely not worth the mess.
Stefan Gheorghe at discusses the three main benefits of crafts for your child:
Enhances decision-making skills: Crafts at any level involve a degree of critical thinking and planning.
Solving these artistic challenges will improve your child’s ability to problem solve and make independent decisions.
Improves self-esteem: Creating something you’re proud of is an extremely uplifting and motivating feeling.
Experiencing this through artistic expression is an amazing way for your child to feel confident in what they think and what they can produce.
Relaxation: Crafts are known to be relaxing as they tap into our imagination, which helps us to detach.
Being relaxed is extremely important for a child’s concentration, something even more vital now many children are being schooled from home.
Crafts are therefore a great way to break up their home-study schedule and keep them focused throughout the day.
The 10 crafts that will keep your kids distracted for the shortest time
- Printing shapes
- Finger painting
- Scoubidou
- Foam crafts
- Paper chains
- Playdough modelling
- Designing t-shirts
- Straw blowing painting
- Drawing and colouring
- Glitter art
Most read in Fabulous
In other parenting news, mum creates genius reward box to ‘motivate kids’ to help around the house & the budget-friendly treats work for everyone.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
this mum who lost her toddler in a supermarket shares the tip she used for finding him – and EVERY parent needs to know it.
And this mum hits back after she’s slammed for buying budget-version of ‘Heelys’ from Asda for her 5-year-old daughter’s birthday.