There's a particular kind of relief in finding an activity
that keeps small hands busy without a screen anywhere in sight.
School holidays have a way of stretching long around week two, and by then most families are searching for anything that buys back an hour of calm.
Here are three of our favourites — all of them a little messy, all of them entirely worth it.
Make marshmallows from scratch
This is the one that surprises people the most — marshmallows are far simpler to make at home than anyone expects, and there's something genuinely satisfying about watching a bowl of sugar and gelatine turn into something soft and pillowy.
Our Marshmallow Making Kits come in three themes — Rainbow Unicorn, Mermaid Dream, and Dinosaur Roar — each with its own colours and sprinkles, so the choosing is half the fun. One note: the syrup step needs a grown-up nearby, but the whipping, swirling and decorating is entirely a kid's job.
Three themes to choose from
- Rainbow Unicorn Soft pastel swirls and a shower of rainbow sprinkles.
- Mermaid Dream Ocean blues and shimmering, sea-toned sprinkles.
- Dinosaur Roar Bold, earthy colours and playful sprinkles.
Each with its own colours and sprinkles, so the choosing is half the fun.
The whipping, swirling and decorating is entirely a kid's job.
Build a treasure hunt in the backyard
You don't need much space for this — a handful of good hiding spots (the letterbox, behind a pot plant, under the back step) and a few clues written on scraps of paper is genuinely all it takes.
It buys thirty focused minutes, which on a long holiday afternoon is worth more than almost anything else you could plan.
✦ ✦ ✦Set up a hot chocolate bar
Small children get cold faster than they'll admit to, and a pot of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top solves that problem while doubling as its own activity — there's no child alive who doesn't want to choose their own toppings.
It's also the easiest possible way to use up whatever's left in the marshmallow bowl from activity one.
None of these need much — a kitchen table, a backyard, and an afternoon. But they tend to be the ones the kids remember once the holidays are over.
Cloud Theory
Choosing between Rainbow Unicorn, Mermaid Dream, and Dinosaur Roar?
Shop our Marshmallow Making Kits.