I’m sure it was just the other day that the kids were off from school being loud and all attention seeking and ish!

YES! I’m still recovering from that almighty two week Christmas break and now, parents, guardians and anyone else who has the pleasure of being responsible for tiny humans, you’ll know February Half Term is coming up. Everyone else, well, you guys can rejoice. The roads will be clearer, buses a lot quieter in the mornings, hey, you may even get a seat on public transport!

Anyways, back you who may need a lil’ inspiration, I’ve got you! Here are 5 things that you could do with the kids this up-and-coming February Half Term.

Coco

Pixar did it again! Coco is a brilliant film which is suitable for all ages. The boys and I were lucky enough to go and see it on the opening weekend and I was pleasantly surprised.

The film is so good! Immediately I was wowed by the animation, and the story was so cute. The film is family orientated with a bit of over-the-kids-heads adult humour so definitely an all-rounder.

Oh, and you can’t have a good Disney story without a moral right? Remember your family, even the ones who have passed on, and family loyalty is everything. *Wipes tears. Yep, there were tears… from all of us. Zigs shed his first Disney tear bless him and I ruined my mascara, darn you Pixar!

Pyjama and movie day

You don’t have to go mad and take the kids out every day. Too many of us parents feel guilty about not entertaining the kids during half term. Yes, it would be nice to shower them with money and make up for all the times that you were stuck at home when you were a kid.

Chill out. Kids need the ability to entertain themselves, and if they can’t, well they better start practising!

Over here at ‘Fontaine Heights’ we have regular movie and pyjama days. Purely because we love to get our old DVDs out and show the kids how cool the 80’s were.

The Goonies, Flight Of The Navigator and *Batteries Not Included are films that even these modern-day technological kids will love. Great family films never go out of fashion… unless they’re like the Carry On Films filled with sexual innuendos. You can leave those ones out.

Colchester Zoo

Did you know that London Zoo wasn’t the only zoo in the UK? Ok, admittedly I’d only heard of London and Whipsnade zoos before I moved to Essex. What can I say, us born and bred Londoners think we’ll fall off of the face of the earth if we venture past North London.

Colchester Zoo is a great one to visit for those who don’t like massive crowds and have smaller kids who don’t have the ability to keep up due to their little legs. This Zoo has all the attractions that you’d expect to see. Lions, tigers, apes etc. You can even have a turn at feeding some giraffes and elephants.

My only gripe is the price of food. Most of the food outlets are burgers and chips and for a family of 5, their prices are pretty costly. Get around that by making your own lunches and taking advantage of one of their many picnic table spots.

Either way, if you want to spend a little or a lot, there are ways of making it work.

E-Tickets (tickets you can book online at least 24 hours before your visit) are the cheapest. Prices, however, haven’t been released for February half term (as of 17.01.17) so just keep an eye out. E-tickets are usually made available two weeks prior.

Cooking with the kids

It’s all about passing on those life skills people, and cooking is a great skill to have. Don’t worry about the mess, if a kid can build houses and create worlds in Minecraft, they can figure out how to use a broom.

Cooking with your kids is a valuable lesson,  you can introduce them to a whole new world of ingredients, cultures, table etiquette and more. Show them how much effort goes into preparing a decent meal and let them know what healthy really means.

If you’re not quite the Jamie Oliver type, that’s fine. The Internet is your friend, there are lots of great sites out there, including ours, which have recipes that are easy to follow and kiddie suitable.

If all else fails, you can’t go wrong with a Chocolate Cornflake Cake recipe. They’re surely the easiest thing to make.

London Fashion Week – Mini Mode

London Fashion Week starts 16th February, and therefore falls over February half term dahhhling!

During London Fashion Week, Mini Mode, the creation of Amanda Rabor, creator of Isossy Children, will be showcasing emerging designers and amazing kidswear brands. This means fashion shows dedicated to all things kids fashion!

Get a ticket for both you and your little one and take a look at the latest designs and ready to wear styles. This show is definitely one for the fashion conscious kid or parent for that matter.

See, you don’t have to miss out purely because you have offspring, put on your most fashionable garms and come to the to the show. You might even bump into me and Zachary. *OMGEE, we have nothing to wear.

20% of ticket sales go to The Osteopathic Centre for Children. More details of the show itself and donations can be found here.