![\"Bird-Feeder\"](\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Bird-Feeder.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAt the time of writing, the UK is still under strict lockdown rules, as are many other countries around the world. And understandably, more and more of us are looking for the best ways to pass the time at home, especially if we\u2019ve got children who are veritable bundles of energy. We\u2019ve already talked about how tackling your decking project is a great individual project to keep you busy right now, but how can you keep the family entertained too, and spend some quality time together without it all descending into madness? Well, we\u2019ve got one or two ideas for you there. Seven, actually.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the most imaginative idea, but we might as well start with the obvious ones. If you\u2019ve got a football to hand, it\u2019s a great one to get the kids running about (and hopefully exhausted by the end of it). You don\u2019t have to worry about goalposts, improvised or otherwise, it\u2019s just to just have a quick kick about. Nobody has to be Ronaldo, and it\u2019s just as much about spending time together as it is about practising your football skills. Same with any games of Frisbee, if that\u2019s your preference.<\/p>\n
In fact, it\u2019s probably better if anything to keep it relatively low key – no power volleys or anything like that – as going to fetch errant balls probably doesn\u2019t count as \u2018essential travel\u2019!<\/p>\n
Yes, we know that we\u2019re well past Easter now, but that\u2019s the thing about a national lockdown – Easter eggs haven\u2019t sold all that well recently. In fact, plenty are now going for discount rates in shops, so it might not be a bad idea to pick up a few next time you\u2019re doing your run for essentials. It\u2019s not compulsory of course – if you\u2019re not a big fan of Easter eggs, or don\u2019t have any in the house, it\u2019s easy enough to find substitutes you can squirrel away around the house or garden instead. And if you\u2019re working from home (as many of us are), you might find it\u2019s the perfect thing to keep your children busy for a while!<\/p>\n
A popular variation on the traditional scavenger hunt. Since our gardens are the greenest spaces we can enjoy with impunity for the foreseeable, it\u2019s a great time to learn exactly what creatures live there. You can send kids out armed with pen and paper to do some quick drawings, or if they\u2019re old enough, a camera of their own to record what they find. You can award points – or even treats – for the most interesting finds, or the best drawings or photographs.<\/p>\n
Before you send them out to seek their fortunes though, it\u2019s worth setting a few ground rules. The most important of them obviously being – respect all life in the garden. That means observing with eyes, not hands! (Hopefully they won\u2019t need to be told about bringing animals or creepy-crawlies into the house, but you might want to reiterate that one, too.)<\/p>\n
You can get a little crafty with this painting stones, and allow the kids to express their creativity! It\u2019s also a great one to get them busy with outside if you\u2019re busying yourself with other DIY or outdoor tasks, like building your decking. Alternatively, you can combine it with the scavenger hunt we mentioned above to have them sketch elements of nature that interest them – whether that\u2019s birds, bugs or plantlife.<\/p>\n
If you can\u2019t go and explore the natural world outside your home, you might be able to bring some of the natural world back to you instead. Container gardening is an easy project to get the kids involved, since all you need is something that can hold soil, with a few small holes at the bottom. You can let the children pick their own plants -it\u2019s a good way of keeping them invested, and keeps them coming back to the project over time. Or, you can build homemade feeders for birds or squirrels, which is a handy way to use up any spare wood you might have over at the end of your decking project.<\/p>\n
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We\u2019ve already previously discussed a few ideas on how you can decorate your decking yourself, but since you\u2019re all together it\u2019s never a bad idea to get the whole family involved, too. It\u2019s a great bonding activity, and ensures the final space will be a comfortable one that you can all enjoy together. What\u2019s more, it\u2019s another great opportunity for you all to express your creativity when it comes to furniture, lighting and similar elements, so you can really think outside of the box. You might be surprised at some of the ideas they come up with!<\/p>\n