The summer has flown by, and now we’re moving into autumn and hurtling towards winter. When the sun’s shining, it’s easy to keep the kids occupied at weekends. Trips to the park, playing in the garden, and bike rides are family favourites. But when it’s gloomy, or there are showers around, it can be a little trickier to keep boredom at bay. If you’re looking for some autumn outings or fun things to do at home, here are some suggestions.
City visits
Most large cities in the UK have plenty of sights and attractions to amuse and entertain youngsters. It doesn’t need to be boiling hot to enjoy museums, galleries or a trip to the cinema. If you’re lucky enough to live near London, you’ll find plenty of things to do on wet and windy days. You could easily spend the entire day at the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. You can also enjoy the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and Madame Tussauds without risking getting wet. If you’re based in the North, Eureka is a fantastic interactive science museum designed for kids. Manchester’s National Football Museum is also well worth a visit if you’ve got budding footballers in the family. There are also plenty of other free or cheap activities in Manchester to do too.
Movie nights
If it’s dark, cold and wet outside, there’s nothing like snuggling up on the sofa with a DVD. On a Friday night, why not celebrate the end of a busy week at school with movie night? Invite some friends over, download a film and order a takeaway. Get online and look for offers. You’ll often find deals like 2 Pizzas Any Size for £8.99, for example. Sometimes, you can even order and pay online and have your delicious feast delivered to your door. Put some logs on the fire, or get the blankets down from the airing cupboard. Pour some drinks, and press play.
Animal encounters
You may think that it’s best to visit the zoo when it’s sunny outside. But often, you’ll see more animals if you go when it’s cooler. Sometimes, when it’s very hot, the animals don’t like it, and they retreat to the shade inside. On colder days, you can often see them out and about, running around or splashing in pools. If it’s hammering down, the aquarium is an excellent place to take shelter and see some weird and wonderful species.
Creative activities
If your weekend plans have gone to pot because of the weather, why not try some creative activities at home? If you have young children, they’ll love painting, drawing, and crafts. You could also bake some cakes, or get the sand and water out.
Autumn is just around the corner, and this means that we’re in for some pretty unpredictable weather. We may have days reminiscent of an Indian summer. But there are also likely to be afternoons when the rain is bouncing down, and there’s a chill in the air. Hopefully, these suggestions will help you plan for all eventualities. It’s possible to enjoy fun-filled weekends, whatever the weather.
I love autumn but it does require some planning in terms of activities, some fab ideas!