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It's raining, it's pouring the old man is snoring, but you're not. Instead you're tearing your hair out trying to appease your children. If you have tried the 'lets go out and pretend were ducks' only to be met by stony silence and a glare that no parent wants to witness on the face of their little angel well then try one of the following to see if the day passes with your sanity intact by the end of it

Paper mache masks:
These are great from pre-schoolers to teenagers. You will need balloons, plastic wrap, some newspapers, masking tape, cardboard, paints and paste (one part flour to two parts water, mix to a glue consistency and add some salt to prevent mould) Blow up balloon, tie securely and cover it completely in the wrap to prevent the paper mache sticking to the balloon. Place the balloon in a cup or bowl while working on it. Tear the newspaper into strips (one inch wide by 6 inches long approximately). Dip each strip into a bowl containing the paste and cover the balloon evenly, with the strips, leaving the part in the bowl/cup bare. Leave to dry. Once dry add features like nose, lips etc by moulding the cardboard and securing with the masking tape. Cover with two more layers, leaving it dry in between layers. Once completely dry pop the balloon with a pin, make a hole in the bottom and remove the burst balloon if possible. Now you can cut the paper mache ball in half to make two masks. You can cut out holes for eyes, add hair by gluing on strands of yarn and paint in whichever style you like. Older children may want to make glamour masks by adding glitter. You can decorate a thin piece of bamboo which can be attached to the mask to make it hand held, or punch a hole on either side of the mask to feed elastic through.

Dressing up:
Both boys and girls like to dress up. You don't need to provide store bought costumes for children to enjoy this game.All they need is access to a box of old clothes, scarfs, jewellery etc. and an active imagination. They may even decide to put on a play depending on what they find.

Art box:
Always keep your art box well stocked, remember to pick up some shells, feathers etc when out on your walks. These come in useful for projects like the following.
Mobiles: Both younger and older children enjoy these. For the younger the may want their favourite characters from TV or movies. Cut out the character (from magazines) and mount on a piece of cardboard. Get two pieces of bamboo and form them into an X, secure them with some strong string

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