Schoolage (5 - 12)
10 fun family activities from Janet Ellis
Ex-Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis and Dolmio have created a guide to help busy mums and dads keep the kids entertained with inspiring, fun and affordable ideas during the summer holidays - and any other time of year come to that!
1. Fishing
The most popular pastime in the UK is also one of the most entertaining so take your little ones out to a local lake or river and teach them the oldest survival skill in the world! It's the perfect activity to keep a few children entertained at the same time. Equip each with a fishing net and make sure they don't stray from your sight.
To make the day even more interactive why not make your own fishing nets? Simply buy some bamboo sticks and garden wire from your local garden centre and take an old lace table cloth or net curtain and cut it into circles. All the kids need to do is take one bamboo stick each, 40cm of wire and a large circle of netting / lace.
- Cut small holes around the edge of the circle of lace / netting every 2cm
- Weave the wire in and out of the holes you have made in the lace / netting
- Bend the wire into a circle and attach it to one end of the stick by winding the end of the wire tightly around the bamboo
And hey presto, you have a home-made fishing net! Then all you have to do is throw bait into the water and wait for the fish to come to you. (Bait can be anything from small crumbs of bread, pieces of bacon rind or even worms you dig up in the garden - as long as the fish think it's tasty!)
And if a day at the river or lake puts you in the mood for a fish dinner take some inspiration from Dolmio and go home and treat the family to a delicious dinner of tuna Bolognese. For the recipe visit www.dolmio.co.uk
Equipment
Life vests / Fishing nets / Bait / Sunscreen / Water
Recommended time required
3 hours
Heads-up
Always accompany your children when they're playing near water
Check if you need any licences or other documentation to catch fish in your local area Make sure you put fish back after catching
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- Breakfast ideas
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