London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Things to do in half term for families in lockdown

Things to do in half term for families in lockdown

A year ago families across the UK were packing suitcases, organising play dates and planning day trips - all in preparation for the February half-term break.

But this year's school holidays are set to look very different, with travel and social mixing restricted to stem the spread of Covid-19.

So, as children take a week off from Zoom lessons or socially distanced classrooms, what can parents do to keep the family entertained without burning themselves out?

Stay active


"Children are going to have to be quite resourceful to keep active during this half-term," says former England footballer Rachel Yankey.

She has been coaching children remotely as part of the Youth Sport Trust's After School Sport Club, which takes place most weekday evenings.

"If kids don't have an outdoor space, parents might need to make an exception and allow them to dribble a football inside in a controlled way.

"Even half an hour of physical activity makes a big difference to a child's day."

Jason Sugrue, a former British table-tennis champion who works with London-based charity Greenhouse Sports, says children should be "left to their own devices" as much as possible.

"Kids are bored of adults telling them what to do by now - so we've been doing a lot of peer-to-peer fitness classes online.

"Kids will work with their friends to find an object in their house [in a treasure hunt, for example] - it's simple, free and fun."

Greenhouse Sports organised more than 1,500 virtual coaching sessions for children in east London during the first nationwide lockdown.

Under lockdown rules, families can still get out of the house for exercise once a day, provided they remain within their local area.

"It's really important young people make the most of that time outside," says Sugrue. "Nothing beats fresh air."

"Whether it's a cycle ride, drills or just walking, families must try and find a designated time each day to do an activity together during half-term."

Escape in a book


"It's always said about books that they take you to another place," says children's author Michael Rosen. "It may be to the inside of a mind that's not theirs or a physical place, but that feels especially important for kids during lockdown."

Rosen says parents must try to make reading "feel relevant" to children's interests.

"My trick was always to try and connect books up to theatre, live readings and movies," he explains.

"Obviously, we can't do that now but parents must be open to using digital tools to trigger more interest."

The National Literacy Trust and Oak National Academy are offering online activities and making hundreds of e-books available to children through the virtual school library project.

But Rosen recommends parents let children's reading habits over the holidays "emerge organically instead of foisting their anxiety about the need to read on [them]".

Screen time is fine


"If ever there's a time to relax the rules on screen time, it's this February half-term," says child psychologist Laverne Antrobus. "Especially as it will be the main way for them to stay connected with their friends."

Oxford University research on more than 17,000 teenagers in the US, UK and Ireland showed higher levels of screen time had little discernible effect on their mental health, but many parents are still cautious.

"Screen time doesn't have to be isolating," adds Antrobus. "Choosing a film or a TV show for the family to watch in the evening is something that brings everyone together."

Virtual events are also accessible to families over half-term: the Royal Observatory Greenwich is putting on stargazing workshops and the Shakespeare's Globe festival is offering family tickets for storytelling masterclasses.

Antrobus warns it may be "easier" for parents to get younger children engaged than teenagers.

"With teenagers, it's a case of checking in on them and showing interest in the video game they're playing - they love to teach us dinosaurs about tech," she explains.

Get creative


"Arts and crafts is all about making the most of everyday objects - in the house or in nature," says illustrator Rob Biddulph, whose online drawing tutorials have become increasingly popular during the pandemic.

"We've been going out on walks as a family and we'll pick up beautiful leaves, pebbles and sticks.

"And when we get home we'll paint eyes on them and turn them into characters - all that takes is two splodges of white paint."

The Tate Museum and the Southbank Centre also have virtual art events available to children over half-term.

Biddulph says his 11-year-old daughter is less "receptive" to drawing and painting than she used to be "but can still be tempted away from the screen when she sees the rest of the family having fun together".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×