the bullseye. 7. Run a shell race  Ask everyone to line up shells where they think the waves will come to. The shell that moves the furthest wins the game.8.  Play beach detective  Make a list of things you might see at the beach, then have a competition to see

 affair for older children) to be hung in the bedroom window as a reminder of magical times long after the big thaw. More leisure from Junior:Theatre shows inspired by booksTest out those twinkle toes with Darcey Bussell

his bikes, scooters and cars before hosing them off. Let your child paint himself (or his friends or, if you’re game, you!) with finger or bath paints, then let him shower off in the sprinkler.Turn an inflatable paddling pool into an imaginary world

. Turn it into a game, singing and dancing while you work like Mary Poppins, and your children will be surprisingly happy to help.2 Let’s decorateThe different spring festivals each have their own symbols, which you can use to decorate your home. Green

their post-prandial sleep. Then they're guaranteed an hour of marble-run fun without a 15·month-old's 'help'.• Split up. Get one adult to play games with a couple of children; another to do colouring and another to sit and have a cuddle.• Go out. Cooped up

1. Have a cricket tournament  There’s nothing like learning to bowl a cricket ball to inspire a love of the game. So grab a bat and a ball (a softball rather than the traditional cricket ball) and set up a cricket pitch in your local park. For a fun

Book of Children’s Games by Debra Wise and Sandy Forrest, McGraw-Hill, £9.99.I’m Bored! and I’m Bored… Again! by Suzy Barratt and Polly Beard, Bloomsbury, £7.99 each.Mama’s Little Book of Tricks by Lynn Brunelle, Chronicle Books, £7.99.

), a juggler (you could use three large pom poms). If there are a group of children, each can perform their own ‘speciality trick’ before ending with a human pyramid as the grand finale.2. Skipping games  For group skipping games, two people turn a long

, don’t expect your child to be taught formal swim strokes. Instead, there will be lots of fun and games designed to build confidence.Older childrenThe time children start school appears to be the logical time to start proper swimming lessons, with a

1. Children can bring the beauty of a winter snow flurry indoors minus the slushy carpets by making a pretty homemade snowglobe. Take an old, cleaned jam jar and remove the top, then trim a piece of cork to the width of a pound coin and superglue