Things to keep the kids happy during local lockdown in Liverpool

New local lockdown rules have clipped our wings for the time being and if it wasn’t bad enough not being able to go and see our family and friends, keeping the kids happy at home is another challenge altogether.

We need to do our bit to try and get rid of the virus, so we can all move forward and get back to a little normality. (You can see the full list of new restrictions here.)

But we also need to keep everyone in our household happy! 

So we’ve come up with a list of ideas that’ll put a smile on younger faces, and which will also put the smile back on yours…

Get your sequins on for disco with the queen of pop

She’s taken a break from her Friday night live-streamed discos to release an album inspired by them but that doesn’t mean you can’t reach for your dancing shoes and party frock, and join Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the dancefloor.

A glittering Sophie captivated households across the country when she performed disco hits in her home during national lockdown.

Now she’s releasing an album on the 23^rd of this month – Songs from the Kitchen Disco – so you’ve got your playlist sorted, and all 10 ‘shows’ are still on her YouTube channel, so why not sing and dance along to hits like Take Me Home and Murder on the Dancefloor… to make sure there’s not ‘murder’ anywhere else! 

Build a bug house

Helping nature starts at home, and the RSPB is keen to get us all started on helping the wildlife that comes into our gardens or, even better, encouraging it.

The simple activities you can do will help your local wildlife, contribute to the nation’s efforts to support nature, and improve your outdoor space for you to enjoy during local lockdown.

That’s why the RSPB has come up with a host of ideas for you to do at home as a family including:

* Building a bug house

* Making a hedgehog café, and what to serve!

* Creating a bee hotel

And loads more.

You can even take part in a Wild Challenge where families can log their achievements on the RSPB Wild Challenge website – www.rspb.org.uk/wildchallenge – and collect bronze, silver and gold awards.

 More ideas from RSPB here.

Family games

You might have to do a bit of coaxing at first but who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned family game and the chance to act a bit daft together? It doesn’t have to just happen at Christmas.

So:

* Have a Treasure Hunt: Searching for something small like a bar of chocolate will do, just write some simple cryptic clues and leave them around the house or garden, so one leads on to the next and finally to the prize.

* Play juice pong: It’s just like beer pong … without the beer! You need paper cups, juice and ping pong balls. Split into teams (or you can do it even with two) and lay out six cups for each team in a triangle at each end of the dining table. Take turns throwing the ball into the other team or person’s cups. If you get one in, the other team or person drinks it and it gets taken away. Whoever has cups left at the end wins.

* Board games: From Monopoly, Cluedo and Operation to newer ones like Soggy Doggy and Windy Knickers (?!), you can’t beat a good board game although, if it’s Monopoly you go for, make sure you’ve got a few hours to spare – it can go on!

Keep fit together

There are loads of choices here from joining Body Coach Joe Wicks for a conventional class on his YouTube channel – here, to quick-stepping to Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse for a few structured moves to music – here.

You could shove the latest Davina DVD in the DVD player and get everyone star jumping and crunching in the lounge.

And, you could even set up your own obstacle course or circuit in the garden, with a broom on bricks for a jump, a skipping rope, a hula-hoop and, even, a few weights to lift.

Get cooking

It doesn’t have to be a banana loaf, we’ve all got cooking more since Covid-19 pounced, and there are loads of things you can get the kids to make from a simple tea to cakes and biscuits that they’ll love to bake (and eat after).

Kids cooking guru Annabel Karmel has got a great website – www.annabelkarmel.com – with everything from pasta and pizzas to marshmallows and muffins for kids to make at home.

At the moment she’s also got tons of Halloween recipes for kids to get their (vampire) teeth into, like Ghoulish Chocolate Ghost Cup Cakes and Rice Krispie Monster Bars and, worry not if you want a healthier option, there’s a Fiendish Fruit Platter.

Save the Children (and yourself)

Watch new toy episodes of Peppa Pig or learn how to make pom-poms.

They’re just two ideas of how to entertain the kids from the top children’s charity which has come up with its own rescue package to help parents and their offspring as we try to deal with the pandemic and boredom.

It’s got things to make, things to make you laugh and lots of stuff to do (you can even pic up dance tips from Strictly’s Bruno and bake a cake with DJ Cuppy).

More info here.

Read a book

Sometimes it’s great to escape from reality – now more than ever – and one of the best ways of losing yourself is in the pages of a book.

Waterstones has lists of all the latest books and best-sellers, for the kids to read themselves or you to read to them (always a great bonding time). It splits into age groups and sections of fact and fiction so you know what will appeal –  and one that will appeal to everyone at the moment is the Guinness World Records 2021 book, already out and half price at £10.

You can meet the world’s tallest, shortest, hairiest and heaviest humans; get the lowdown on the world’s most successful and prolific actors, musicians, TV stars and influencers, and review the greatest sports achievements from the past year and celebrate today’s top athletes.

And, if you’re wanting questions for a Family quiz night (another great idea) then this could be a good place to start.

Get crafty

You can make cardboard zoo rolls, edible slime or a Halloween spoon puppet…

All kids love getting crafty – and messy – and there are hundreds of ideas of things kids of all ages can make on Hobbycraft’s website, along with free activity and colouring sheets to download. www.hobbycraft.co.uk

With the things to make, they tell you what you need and show you what to do in simple, straight-forward step-by-step instructions that you don’t need to be a Blue Peter presenter to follow.

Get out the popcorn for a family film afternoon

If the weather’s foul and you fancy an afternoon in, grab a bowl of popcorn, get a drink and settle in and enjoy a film on Netflix.

There are tons of classic films on the movie site as well as new ones this month, like A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, in which a babysitter embarks on a mission to save a child who’s been abducted by monsters (well it is nearly Halloween), and The Addams Family with Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia.

What’s not to love?!

And there’s still great days out to enjoy

You can still visit plenty of attractions in and around Liverpool including Knowsley Safari which is open 10-5pm on weekdays and 10-6pm of a weekend, you need to pre-book here.

You can take your pick from seven different National Museums Liverpool sites including World Museum, Mersey Maritime and Museum of Liverpool, but further afield you will also find Sudley House and Lady Lever, now back open. All museums are open Wednesday-Sunday and you must pre book your time slot here.

Get the music playing and the Beatles facts shared at the Discovery Zone at Beatles Story here. Check for regular opening updates due to the current restrictions.

Find more Days out in Merseyside and beyond here.