Explore from your door
We may not be able to do much of what we want to this half-term, but there
are still lots of ways for you and your family to have fun!
Here's some inspiration and ideas for how you can explore from your door.
Please ensure that you follow social distancing guidance while out of your
home and do not travel unnecessarily outside of your immediate area.
are still lots of ways for you and your family to have fun!
Here's some inspiration and ideas for how you can explore from your door.
Please ensure that you follow social distancing guidance while out of your
home and do not travel unnecessarily outside of your immediate area.
Getting out
Find your local footpaths
By now it may feel like you have exhausted every walking route in your area, but you might be surprised just how many footpaths are near you. Use this handy map to explore your local area.
By now it may feel like you have exhausted every walking route in your area, but you might be surprised just how many footpaths are near you. Use this handy map to explore your local area.
Dorset countryside scavenger hunt
Turn a walk into an adventure, by working together to find items from the Dorset countryside scavenger hunt list. You can download this PDF to your phone, print it out at home or even try creating your own!
Turn a walk into an adventure, by working together to find items from the Dorset countryside scavenger hunt list. You can download this PDF to your phone, print it out at home or even try creating your own!
Create some art with your walking route.
Have some fun with your child by planning your walk before you head out. This can create an image of your route to look back on.
This is a great way to make outdoor adventures interesting, discover new routes and have something to look back on afterwards.
Strava is a good free app to use for this as it will track your route using GPS then give the image to share when you're finished.
How to make your own
Make a journey stick
Keep a record of your outside adventures with a stick that you attach with objects found along the way. You can either make a new stick for each new walk, or take one stick with you and choose one thing to attach each time you are out.
Keep a record of your outside adventures with a stick that you attach with objects found along the way. You can either make a new stick for each new walk, or take one stick with you and choose one thing to attach each time you are out.
Cloud watching
Moors Valley Country Park have created a great activity sheet for how to make sense of the fluffy clouds above us. For younger children you can use your imagination to find characters and objects in the sky. While older kids can try to categorise them scientifically.
Moors Valley Country Park have created a great activity sheet for how to make sense of the fluffy clouds above us. For younger children you can use your imagination to find characters and objects in the sky. While older kids can try to categorise them scientifically.
Litter pick walks
It may not sound like fun at first, but you can play lots of games whilst also cleaning up your local area.
Who will collect the most?
Can you find the smallest and largest piece of litter?
Who can fill their bin bag first?
Who will collect the most?
Can you find the smallest and largest piece of litter?
Who can fill their bin bag first?
Use gloves and be sure you never touch the litter directly.
Litter-picking should not be carried out in areas where there is a high risk to participants. This includes highways, or within close proximity to cliffs or riverbanks.
Colour catching
This time of year we start to see lots of colours popping up all across nature. Use this activity sheet from Moors Valley Country Park to collect as many different colours as you can and make your very own butterfly.
This time of year we start to see lots of colours popping up all across nature. Use this activity sheet from Moors Valley Country Park to collect as many different colours as you can and make your very own butterfly.
Sounds of nature bingo
The National Trust has created a bingo sheet based on the sounds of the British countryside. How many can you tick off in one go?
The National Trust has created a bingo sheet based on the sounds of the British countryside. How many can you tick off in one go?
Staying In
50 things to do in your garden
The National Trust has put together a collection of activity ideas that you can do from your garden. If you don't mind getting chilly you may like No. 3 - camping outside. If you don't mind lots of noise try No. 25 - join nature's band.
The National Trust has put together a collection of activity ideas that you can do from your garden. If you don't mind getting chilly you may like No. 3 - camping outside. If you don't mind lots of noise try No. 25 - join nature's band.
Learn about Dorset's wildlife
Looking to get closer to nature? Moors Valley Country Park rangers have created lots of short video diaries on all things outdoors. Give them a watch together and they may inspire your own outdoor exploration.
Looking to get closer to nature? Moors Valley Country Park rangers have created lots of short video diaries on all things outdoors. Give them a watch together and they may inspire your own outdoor exploration.
Creating 3D art from your recycling
Local artist Darrell Wakelam has an enormous collection of free digital instructions for creating amazing artwork from everyday recycling, including:
Find out more
Local artist Darrell Wakelam has an enormous collection of free digital instructions for creating amazing artwork from everyday recycling, including:
- egg box monkey
- paper plate chameleon
- milk carton penguin
Find out more
Shadow drawing
Bring your children's favourite toys to life with shadow drawing. Simply place the toy between a light source and a piece of paper and it will cast a shadow. Trace around the shadow and you have an outline for your drawing.
Bring your children's favourite toys to life with shadow drawing. Simply place the toy between a light source and a piece of paper and it will cast a shadow. Trace around the shadow and you have an outline for your drawing.
Virtual day trips
The walls around you may be becoming all too familiar, so why not transport you and your family across the globe via virtual day trips. You can start the day at Buckingham Palace, then switch over to the Great Wall of China and move onto Huston Zoo in the USA all in time for lunch!
The walls around you may be becoming all too familiar, so why not transport you and your family across the globe via virtual day trips. You can start the day at Buckingham Palace, then switch over to the Great Wall of China and move onto Huston Zoo in the USA all in time for lunch!
The Wayward Adventures Guild
Start your adventure in creature creation, world building and story writing with The Wayward Adventures Guild.
Get started with the 'Mini Quest' to search your house for signs of goblins. Have a go at drawing them and see if you can find clothes and tools for them to use.
Currently the team behind these quests are sending out free activity packs to food banks across Dorset, and are looking to open this up to more families at some point soon. They will be providing more information via their Instagram account.
Start your mini quest
Follow on Instagram for updates
Start your adventure in creature creation, world building and story writing with The Wayward Adventures Guild.
Get started with the 'Mini Quest' to search your house for signs of goblins. Have a go at drawing them and see if you can find clothes and tools for them to use.
Currently the team behind these quests are sending out free activity packs to food banks across Dorset, and are looking to open this up to more families at some point soon. They will be providing more information via their Instagram account.
Start your mini quest
Follow on Instagram for updates
Library Service resources
Although our libraries are closed at the moment, they are still hosting a range of online activities like ‘Rhymetime’ for young children, weekly Lego challenge and book chats for the grown-ups.
Find out more
Although our libraries are closed at the moment, they are still hosting a range of online activities like ‘Rhymetime’ for young children, weekly Lego challenge and book chats for the grown-ups.
Find out more
Active indoor games
Change4life and Disney have partnered to create loads of active indoor games to get minds racing and blood pumping. The 10-minute shake ups are all linked to Disney characters and are great for breaking up the day.
Onceupona Children's Festival
Join a fun and interactive virtual festival full of storytelling and children's theatre everyday over half term. If you're looking to engage your family with the arts, this is the activity for you
Join a fun and interactive virtual festival full of storytelling and children's theatre everyday over half term. If you're looking to engage your family with the arts, this is the activity for you
Make, Play, Watch
Save the Children have a collection of activity suggestions, resources and videos to help you 'Make, Play and Watch' your way through any rainy days this half term.
Save the Children have a collection of activity suggestions, resources and videos to help you 'Make, Play and Watch' your way through any rainy days this half term.
Print out colouring
The build up to spring is all about new colours. You and your child could observe the colours you see in nature and use them for some spring time colouring in?
There are lots of free printable colouring resources online for children and some great ones for adults too, just don't go outside the lines!
Free colouring - children
Free colouring - adults
The build up to spring is all about new colours. You and your child could observe the colours you see in nature and use them for some spring time colouring in?
There are lots of free printable colouring resources online for children and some great ones for adults too, just don't go outside the lines!
Free colouring - children
Free colouring - adults
Ice art
Take advantage of the last of the winter weather and create colourful art from ice and items you have found from your adventures.
Take advantage of the last of the winter weather and create colourful art from ice and items you have found from your adventures.
Tate Kids
The Tate museum have added lots of online activities for children of all ages, so they can learn about famous artists or make their own masterpiece.
The Tate museum have added lots of online activities for children of all ages, so they can learn about famous artists or make their own masterpiece.
Science Museum virtual tour
It's not quite the same as exploring the science museum for yourself, but it is the next best thing! take a tour of the mind blowing exabits and receive extra commentary as you make your way around.
It's not quite the same as exploring the science museum for yourself, but it is the next best thing! take a tour of the mind blowing exabits and receive extra commentary as you make your way around.
No Dragons for Tea
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire service have created a collection of fun activities for you to do at home that help educate your family about fire safety. You can watch a reading of the fun fire safety book 'No dragons for Tea' for free on their website.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire service have created a collection of fun activities for you to do at home that help educate your family about fire safety. You can watch a reading of the fun fire safety book 'No dragons for Tea' for free on their website.
Cooking
Pancake Day - Tuesday 16 February
Don't miss pancake day over half term! When the food is as fun to cook as it is to eat it must be pancakes. Here's our favourite sweet and savoury recipes, for you to try at home.
Don't miss pancake day over half term! When the food is as fun to cook as it is to eat it must be pancakes. Here's our favourite sweet and savoury recipes, for you to try at home.
Homemade trail mix
A great portable healthy snack for getting out and about. Pick your favourite ingredients together and create your own personal trail mix to take with you when you go outside.
No bake cooking
Looking for easy recipes to make with your kids that don't require any cooking? Get creative with ingredients and create snacks to fuel the spirit of adventure, you may even be able to follow some of these recipes outdoors!
BBC Good Food
Kidspot
All Recipes
Delish
Looking for easy recipes to make with your kids that don't require any cooking? Get creative with ingredients and create snacks to fuel the spirit of adventure, you may even be able to follow some of these recipes outdoors!
BBC Good Food
Kidspot
All Recipes
Delish
Other online resources and activities
Do you have some feedback, or something you'd like to add to this page? We'd love to hear from you!