Last Updated on 15 April 2023 by Colette
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I have to be honest, much as I enjoy the time with the kids and the break from routine – I was glad that it was time to go back to school this morning. Mostly because the weather has just been so brutal in the last few weeks! February half term has always been my least favourite school holiday – the weather is rarely kind and so it becomes an expensive task to keep the kids entertained while they are off school. Last year we had an adventure to Formby and a good morning with friends in Heaton Park. This year was very much an indoors holiday but I thought it would be nice to do a quick round up of what we got up to anyway!
This Christmas, Father Christmas decided that the kids had enough stuff and that he ought to focus their main present on something experience based. They were thrilled to find he had booked the whole family a course of ice skating lessons for the half term holidays. Not only did this mean that a good chunk of the February half term was nicely booked up with an indoor activity, it also meant that we got to spend some proper family time together at the end of a two week stint of Dave being away on a course.
You can read more about our ice skating lessons here.
Outside of those ice skating lessons, we still had Tilly staying with us for the first half of the week so our afternoons were spent dodging the rain drops and getting muddy taking her for a walk in our local country park. The first afternoon this was really lovely as the sun came out briefly and we enjoyed exploring a new route while Tilly was able to enjoy some time off the lead to really stretch her legs. The second afternoon we went for a much shorter walk, we were all decidedly less enthusiastic and the wind just made life hard work!
On Wednesday we took Tilly back to York – it was a bit of a flying visit, we didn’t get there till mid afternoon and only really stayed a few hours to hear about Mum & Dad’s exciting Indian adventure and to have some tea before heading home again (via a very busy M62 – it took ages).
Thursday was a Butler Burgess day; one we had planned to spend at Formby. However, the weather had different plans for us and there was no way were going to be taking the kids to Formby in 49mph winds . . . nobody needs that kind of adventure! Instead, we went round to Michelle’s house where the kids played happily whilst Mich & I chatted in the kitchen. (It also meant we got to play with their latest addition Edie.
And the end of the week saw the weather controlling our plans once again. Usually when we meet up with Lizzy and the gang, we try to find somewhere around Leeds to meet up for an outdoorsy adventure. We’ve met at Roundhay Park, Temple Newsham and Nostell Priory – we’ve had picnics in October and had generally begun to think we were immune to bad weather but this time we had to make other plans. And other plans are expensive when you’ve got six kids to entertain! Luckily neither of us had really spent much over half term so didn’t mind a little splurge on the last day.
We met up in McDonald’s – hitting the sweet spot of 10.55am which meant Ben and I could order breakfast, but the girls could wait 5 minutes and order nuggets! We decided this was the McDonald’s dream and definitely something we’d aim for again! We spent about an hour chatting and catching up in McDonald’s before heading to Clip ‘n Climb where we had an hour’s session booked (at £12.50 per child this was not cheap entertainment!).
I panicked briefly when we arrived and my ever cautious, scared of heights, Chloe took one look at the equipment and told me she didn’t want to do it! Too late kid, it’s booked and paid for and you’re going to have a go! I explained to her that she didn’t have to climb to the top, she could just climb as far as she wanted and come back down again – and that it was no different to the climbing frame in the local park. After a couple of small climbs and jumps back off to test her equipment she realised she could trust her harness and her confidence grew – by the end of the session she was climbing right to the top of the towers and I was so very proud of her for really pushing herself. I was also pleased that it meant we had a new indoor activity to add to our arsenal now that the kids are generally too big for soft play!
Our weekend was very much indoors – I mean who wants to be out in this weather anyway? Dave got on with some jobs around the house, the big two went on an adventure with Cubs and Amy watched a lot of telly on Saturday and we rounded off the week nicely with a big Sunday lunch with the Butlers.
As I said, definitely not my favourite half term but we made the best of it!
Read these posts next!
What to do in Manchester this February half term!
Some of the best family friendly walks in Manchester
Nostell Priory – National Trust in Yorkshire
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