The best indoor activities for a rainy October half-term

October half-term is upon us, and it seems so too is the rain and wind!
 
We don’t want to let this week’s weather forecast scare your family out of the half-term fun, so we’ve rounded up some of the best, trending ideas to enjoy the rainy days ahead that also don’t cost the earth.
 
Read on to discover a few Halloween-themed arts, crafts, recipes, and activities to keep your little ones entertained…

Arts & crafts 

Nature bats 

If you’re brave enough to venture outside during a brief moment of sunshine, be quick to pick up a handful of sycamore seeds which can be transformed into some very cool nature bats. They’re easy to make and even better to play with!
 
Difficulty: Easy
 
All you need is:

• Sycamore seeds
• Black non-toxic paints
• Paintbrush
• White paper
• Scissors

Method:

1. Rinse your sycamore seeds with water to wash off any dirt.
2. Using a paintbrush, paint the sycamore seeds black on both sides.
3. Cut out two triangles and two circles from white paper (around the same size as the seed’s middle).
4. While the paint is tacky, stick the cut-out shapes to make a face (two circles above, two fangs below) to the middle of the seed.
5. Wait until dry to paint two black dots onto the circles to make eyes.
6. Voila! Your DIY bats are ready for flight, simply throw and watch them spin to the ground.

Recipes

Spooky snake sticks

We don’t think rainy day recipes should be too complicated, as after all, waiting around for a timer to tick can feel like a lifetime when you’re stuck inside. That’s why we love these Spooky snake sticks which only takes 40 mins from start to finish, including baking time.
 
Difficulty: Medium
 
All you need is:

• 145g pack pizza base mix
• 200g tub salsa
• Pumpkin seeds
• Baking paper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven (gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Empty the pizza base mix into a bowl (reserving 1 tsp).
3. Add lukewarm water and mix into a soft dough.
4. Then, dust a worktop or surface with ½ tsp of the reserved pizza mix and knead for 5 mins until smooth.
5. Divide into 8 pieces and roll each into 28cm ‘snakes’ (keep one end thicker for the head), using the remaining mix for dusting.
6. Shape into zigzags or coils and transfer to the tray.
7. Brush with a little of the sauce from a tub salsa and press on small pumpkin seeds for eyes.
8. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden, then serve with the remaining salsa.
9. Wait until they’re cool enough for little mouths and enjoy your sss-scrumptious snakes!

Activities 

Creepy indoor camping

Don’t let the wet weather spoil your camping trip this half-term, instead, why not bring the fun indoors?
 
You can host an evening of creepy camping fun under the protection of pillows and blankets in your purpose-built fort.
 
Alternatively, to save your living room looking a little worse for wear, we love our range of tipis and tents that create the ideal space for tricks, treats and more!

On your crafty-camp site, you can partake in a whole host of things including:

• Watching a scary movie – Even U-rated films are sure to embody the Halloween horror!
• Enjoying lots of treats – One of the week’s sweetest highlights is getting to munch on all the Halloween goodies.
• Swapping spooky stories – On all hallows eve, stormy weather sets the scene for some spooky storytelling...

Don’t worry if you’re a little stuck on some child-friendly tales, Yoto and Tonies have some wonderful characters and cards to help. Some of our favourite ones that we’d choose include:

• Tonies Roald Dahl - The Witches
• Tonies - Room on the Broom
• Yoto Card - Ladybird: Stories for Rainy Days
• Yoto Card - Allan Ahlberg: Funnybones Collection

Toys and play

Brain games 

Sometimes, the classic board game or wooden toy is all you need to keep little ones entertained.
 
So, if you’re after something that will stimulate little minds, we love our collection of puzzles and games.
 
Ideal for improving baby’s motor skills and keeping busy these games are also great if you’re multitasking on entertaining the whole family.

Some Natural Baby Shower products we’d recommend include:

• Trixie Wooden Beads Maze Mr Lion 

Your Halloween maze has been called off? Well, the Trixie Wooden Beads Maze is the next best thing. It may not involve getting lost with wind-swept hair and muddy wellies, but this little maze is sure to get their brain ticking for a while!

• Stokke Mu Table DISKcover - Fruit + Vegetables

Perfectly apt for the October harvest season, this board game disk slides onto the Stokke Mu Table for the ultimate family fun. Save yourself from bobbing apples this year and instead watch as they work their way round the board and learn about all the different fruits and veggies!

Want more inspiration?

Keep up to date with all the trending toys and activities by following us on Instagram or Pinterest or subscribing to our newsletter. Here, you can be the first discover our latest offers too – great if you have some time to yourself and looking for a little retail therapy this half-term.

Shop Play + Activity>>