Hello April!

School Holidays have officially arrived again and since the little (or big) munchkins are probably running around looking for things to do, we have put together a list of some fun things to do all month long.

However, seeing most events have now been cancelled, we have put together a list of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy in your own home.

And, with an extra long weekend now in full view, it’s time to turn that frown upside down and start planning your April activity calendar.

Lastly, the team at Menangle Park would like to wish everyone a very Happy and safe Easter break.

Enjoy!

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

MAKE SCOOBY DOO (AKA SCOUBIDOU) BRACELETS

Scooby Doo’s are an amazing craze that has recently swept through schools again. Once there were pogs, tazos, tamagotchies – today it is scoobies. But this is not the first time.

The popular scooby strings are thin hollow plastic tubes, usually brightly coloured which can be bought in loads of shops. They can then be easily knotted to form thicker creations which can be made in jewellery, put on key rings or made into ornaments.

These are a lot of fun for kids and big kids of all ages and are relatively easy to make. They are also quite addictive once you get going.

Youtube has a lot of videos on how to make Scooby Doo’s, here is one of the better tutorials. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQV1qd4vUaI.

FINGER KNITTING

Finger knitting is a fabulous and easy craft for kids of all ages (from around the ages of 5 and up, but younger kids may be capable also).

If you’ve never finger knitted before fear not. It’s a simple stitch, requires no experience or expertise, no equipment other than yarn and scissors and it is much, much quicker and easier than traditional knitting.

The Craft Train have put together some great step by step instructions to have the whole family master finger knitters in no time at all. Visit https://www.thecrafttrain.com/finger-knitting-for-kids/.

GROW YOUR OWN HERB GARDEN

Kids just love gardening! They love getting their hands in the soil and watering plants, so starting their own herb garden is one of the easiest things they can do, and it teaches them about nutrition, cooking and responsibility.

You don’t need much space to grow a herb garden, so no matter what size your home, everyone can do it.

They are also very easy to grow with a little sunshine, soil that drains well, some watering, and a little fertilizer or compost and can be grown in pots; however, the plants always prefer to be in the ground where they can spread out.

The best part, however, is when you are cooking dinner and you get to use your own beautiful herbs in your meal.

Delicious!

You can read more on growing your own herb garden at Gardening Know How: Growing Herbs At Home: Making An Herb Garden In Your Yard https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/hgen/plant-herb-garden.htm

MAKE YOUR OWN EASTER CUPCAKES

Easter is fun! The colours are so bright, and the designs are so cute. I mean, c’mon. Where are you going to beat bunnies and chicks?

These colourful Easter cupcakes are designed to be bright, fun, and super easy. The designs were created to make super simple cupcakes that kids could make.

Short of cutting the marshmallows/gumdrops and doing the piping on the sheep, most kids over 2 years old will be able to do the rest of the decorating.

You can use any cake and frosting recipes you’d like, but its recommended to use either your own vanilla cake recipe or a good quality cake mix and buttercream icing.

You can view the full recipe and decorating instructions here: http://homanathome.com/2017/03/easy-easter-cupcakes/.

DIY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS

We all know that kids are very experimental and love a science project, however if you think science experiments are all about Bunsen burners and beakers, think again.

From growing rock candy in a glass to making gooey slime (not to be taken into the living room) and playdough, here is a list of 63 of the best science experiments for kids using things from your pantry and recycling bin.

No goggles required!

Visit https://mommypoppins.com/kids/50-easy-science-experiments-for-kids-fun-educational-activities-using-household-stuff.