Ideas please?

They also like playing with our boules set

Bubbles

Painting (much better done outside than in) - I found an easel in the charity shop and poster paints, plus old clothes, kept them happy

Large chalks to chalk on the paving slabs (rain will wash it away afterwards)

A ball to play 'football'

Simple things keep them happy at that age.

dressing up box and competition?

Tents are a life saver with little ones; we make 'peg tents' - even cheaper than an Argos model! We throw an old sheet/bedspread or two over the line and stake to bushes or the lawn with pegs or skewers; they often spend nearly all day fitting out their tent, arguing over having food inside or out, and generally keeping themselves amused and out of the sun. Also, 'dodging' the sprinkler is another favourite; we leave it on rotate and they spend no end of time screaming and getting wet -great if you don't have touchy neighbours. Happy days!

Just a couple of things I have done with my little grandchildren. Hide a few teddies around the garden and sing The teddy bears Picnic. You can find it on You Tube and play it/ sing along as you all - or just the children look for the bears. Bring them back to a little tablecloth or such spread out on the grass with a few snacks and have a teddy picnic. With slightly older children you can then make up stories about the bears- names, where they've been, why they were hiding etc. My five year old grandson loves this story bit. I've also used the book We're going on a Bear Hunt - read story as we go round our garden. You can create a river with a bit of material or a couple of blue towels and just pretend the rest.Go into the garage, round the house etc - perhaps screaming etc for 'I'm not scared' bit! That goes down a treat!! Puppet shows or make up plays and perform them - hats, coats dressing up stuff. Some lovely ideas on here from other folk that I will try too. Have fun! X

Do you have a local library? Often lots of childrens' things going on there but we tend to forget about them. Just a rummage in the books can be fun. It's certainly an area I plan to visit when GCn arrive next month. Also..... local swimming pool?

Making box theatres, writing the script and putting on the show can while away the time, save cereal boxes or get a huge box and make a proper Punch and Judy type of stage. Old socks for puppets or make Teddy take a turn.....little figures made of card can be made to play the parts in toy theatres, or old wooden spoons with faces on, designing scenery etc all good fun.

Home made popcorn in the interval........

Be prepared to watch a lot of shows!!!

My gran used to let me clean all the brass, she wasn't silly made it seem like a privilege and a treat.

Pavement chalks.
Mine also used to love cornflour slime.

What's the bus service like in your area? Kids can make an ordinary bus ride interesting/exciting/entertaining. GOOD LUCK.

I am still working on promoting the tidying up game....

The only way I cope with all three at once is to have a plan.

Mostly they will amuse themselves but when they get bored or arguments break out and then I need to step in with my divergence plan.

Cooking. Usually I will ask one of them to do some 'cooking'. This might be helping with sandwiches, cooking sausages, making pancakes, Icing plain biscuits or making fairy cakes.

Mini Olympics. Get them to draw up a sheet with their names and 5 sports. Throwing a ball. In to a bucket. Balance on a chalk line. Simple things which can be adjusted for age.

Movie night. I pull the sofa or armchairs around the tv. And we have a big bowl of snacks.

Make a camp competion. Done as individuals around the house. DH judges does a blind test o. The best camp.

The important thing I find is not to force them into,activities. Who wants to? Rather than we are going g to. I also make them tidy up after themselves and help with chores. It is exhausting otherwise.

If you have a wall along a garage or similar - a bucket of water and a paint brush each can occupy them for hours as their pictures dry quickly and they can do another one- they also love using the big brushes.

I agree with the tent ideas - they all love tents even if it is a blanket over the line or the garden table. All the normal activities such as eating their meals can go on in there.

If possible camp in the garden, my daughters and grandchildren loved it

If they bring old clothes including shoes it's great fun to water the garden.

We play cards with our granddaughter 7, she loves snap, but also donkey, then dominoes, hide the peg (grandson 4 always tells where he has hidden, as he has yet to get the hang of what its about). make fairy doors with lolly sticks. we make up a tent with old curtains and giant pegs, cushions and a beach mat for a carpet. they spend ages in there. how about a bit of gardening? watering, planting something which they can watch as it grows. i often buy seeds earlier on, or a small tomato plant, beans or sunflower for them to take back and look after. trouble is they often forget to water, so not generally successful, but they do get the idea. cooking of course, but i think your grandchildren will just enjoy being with you.

I used to bake cakes with my granddaughter when she was small. We would both get in a right old mess (and so did the kitchen) but she loved it. I used to let her put the icind and sweeties on the cakes. Also, if you have a pack of cards, children love to play snap.

We bought a really cheap tent from Argos and the children gave it up almost all summer . They have a few old cushions and a fleece blanket in there too. They are 7,9 and 11. Everything is better fun in that tent ! They have picnics, do their colouring, play lego etc. In the tent.
Also take some old trays and create fairy gardens or pretend beaches using small stones ( painting stones is good fun too) grass seed or sand. Fill little shells or lids with water for ponds or the sea .

Make a bug catcher and find garden bugs- how to do it and loads of other ideas for activities here
diy.org/skills/entomologist/challenges/525/make-a-bug-catcher

If it's fine, have a sports day in the garden. Make a list of sports , add in a few things like best roly poly, etc. Let them make certificates before you start. You sit on a chair in a shady spot and say 'ready steady go' 5 million times. Reward everyone with an ice lolly .

Indoors - pick up a roll of brown paper, pound shop do them , and get everyone to help draw a town, add shops, cars, people , even little ones can help and you can add toy cars or Lego to it if you have some. Then roll it up and store it for next time.

Or make some salt dough and let them make models you can bake and paint. Ours also will sit happily for a movie providing there are snacks.

Good luck!

If it's raining you could do some baking with them. When I was little we used to get sheets and blankets and position stand chairs so that we could throw them over and make an indoors den and have a picnic, seemed like fun at the time.

If fine, have competition to make hanging decorations for a tree or bush made from household "bits & bobs",(string , wool, foil, stripped blue kitchen cloth, buttons, paper, straws, lolly sticks, spoons etc. etc)
If wet, the same but decorate a dining chair. Paper cutting or weaving (make "placemats"), dressing up, be pirates for an hour. Download a line drawing for colouring in (patchwork Elmer's are lovely)
Have fun

Making miniature gardens in seed trays keeps them occupied. Use twigs, small flowers, gravel etc. Use a tiny dish in it for a pond.

Agreed Jane GS aged 8 was obsessed with playing junior monopoly when he came to our house.

Boring old board games such as Snakes and Ladders can keep kids happily occupied when you play too.

Thank you. I haven't done a treasure hunt for a while and there are loads of nooks and crannies in our garden. I love that website Shysal. I think I have a few of the necessary 'ingredients' too. Perfect.
Keep them coming, anyone else?