While there are some great apps and television shows to keep little ones busy and get them learning at the same time, it’s probably fair to say that most of us don’t really want our little ones glued to the screen all day on rainy weekends or the holidays. The good news is, there are loads of fun options to convince your kids to step away from their online activities for an hour or two, and they needn’t break the bank. Here are just a few to get you started….

Don’t assume that classic board games like Cluedo, Monopoly or Jenga need to be reserved for Christmas. If you have a stash at home, get them out on a Saturday afternoon (with snacks, of course!) and have a few rounds.

They’re a great activity to do together and you’ll probably find you have even more fun than expected.

If you don’t have any bought games to hand, worry not. You could play charades: just write out favourite movies, TV shows, plays or musicals on bits of paper and put them in a hat to pull out. Then, divide yourself into teams or play as individuals and act out whatever’s written on your piece of paper until someone gets it right.

For younger kids, a few rounds of “hide and seek” will have them finding nooks and crannies in the house you never knew existed. This one’s great fun but do make sure you have a few rules in place if you need them: no going into anywhere too dangerous, such as cupboards that can lock shut from the inside, anywhere too high up, etc.

Remember to give them enough time to hide, and have a “rescue” word for if you really can’t find them, so if you call that word: they have to reveal themselves.

Here’s one you can play in the house and outside. If the weather’s miserable, give the kids a list of things they have to find around the home and a basket. The list could include items like:

- something red

- a stone

- a pair of socks

- something made of paper

- something fluffy.

If you’re playing with just one child, you can give them a time limit and see how much they can bring back in, say, three minutes. If there are a few children playing, the winner is the one who fetches everything on the list first.

The body of this feature has been restricted...