Half term activities to keep the kids busy!

If you’re looking for something to keep little ones (and teens) entertained during the October half term, look no further. Team Bookends has got some great suggestions, including autumn craft ideas from Zoe Sugg and a delicious recipe from Mary Berry…

Amy

If you’re in the mood for some autumnal crafting, why not try this super easy Autumn Leaf Wreath from Zoe Sugg’s gorgeous new book, Cordially Invited, which is full of recipes, crafts, and ideas on how to make a special event out of the everyday. If you fancy a sweet treat instead, get the kids involved in making these wonderfully seasonal Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes. Full of autumn flavours and topped with adorable marzipan pumpkins, these are sure to be a big hit with little ones and teenagers alike. Now all that’s left is to get them equally excited about doing the washing-up afterwards…

Vicky

The chance of rain during the October half term is a sure thing, so why not spend an afternoon whipping up some delicious treats from Mary Berry’s latest book Mary Berry’s Fast Cakes? This book is full of recipes that are easy to bake in under thirty minutes… perfect for easily-distracted little ones. Make a start with these Iced Shaped Biscuits – colourful, tasty, and lots of fun to decorate!

Hannah

With noisy kids running riot, there’s one sure-fire way to get them sat down and concentrating, and that’s Stories for Kids Who Dare to be Different. 100 inspiring stories of 100 men and women who broke the mould and changed the world.

Boys will be boys and girls will be girls – or so the meaningless saying goes. Because what if you’re a girl and you like cage fighting? Or you’re a boy and you love ballet? And what if you’ve always dreamed of being a scientist but you can’t see anyone who looks or sounds like you, and who has left a legacy – in the form of microscopes and Bunsen burners – for you to follow?

If your kids are more into animals than role models, sit them down with a copy of True or Poo  – a guide to the wonders of the natural world and a manual for disgusting and one-upping your friends for years to come. How many spiders do you eat in your sleep? What does the ice-cream you eat have to do with the back end of a beaver? Do komodo dragons have toxic slobber? Is it true that a scorpion that sheds its tail dies of constipation? How far actually are you from the nearest rat? Find out all this and more with hours of filthy animal facts and falsehoods.