1. Write your name or funny messages in the sand with shells2. Decorate sand-pies and sandcastles with different shaped shells3. Have a rock-pool ramble  Learn about the food chain of this natural aquarium so your child understands how it works: look at the different seaweeds, th...

GREAT BOOKS FOR ACTIVITIES365 Activities You And Your Toddler Will Love by Dr Roni Cohen Leiderman and Dr Wendy Masi, Bonnier Books, £7.99.Art Attack Great Stuff by Neil Buchanan, Dorling Kindersley, £9.99.Big Book Of Things To Do by R Gibson, Usborne Publishing, £6.99.Cooking Wi...

1. Make your coppers shine  Collect up a handful of copper coins, then set up five glasses on the kitchen bench and put at least one coin in each glass to test out ‘cleaning solutions’ that are ‘rumoured’ to magically shine your copper coins. Your child can choose any ‘magic solu...

1.  Pack a picnic hamper  ...with damper (recipe below), fruit and chocolates, then enjoy an afternoon in the garden with a variety of traditional games: boules, a giant snakes-and-ladders, skittles.2. Make gingerbread men  Why not try making characters from your child’s favourit...

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 history of the sport, as well ...

Grand MansionsThe mighty Gleneagles Hotel has just undergone an £18 million redevelopment and now has a redesigned leisure area for children and teens, a world-class destination spa and a Mediterranean food market-style restaurant. It also has

Grand AdventuresHead to Morgans Hotel, Swansea’s grand boutique hotel located in the beautiful marine quarter with its sandy beach, promenade, children’s lido, leisure pool and museums. The hotel’s elegant traditional exterior belies the superbly

1. Throw an afternoon tea party  A tiny table, a pot of lukewarm ‘tea’, cups, saucers, serviettes and spoons and your toddler will be acting like the perfect lady of the house... Encourage her to ‘pour the tea’ and ‘add the sugar’. Offer plenty of pleases and thank-yous.2. ‘Paint...

1. Do a circus routine  Encourage your child to practise being a clown (for costumes, use ping-pong balls for a big red nose, colourful oversize clothing, some funny glasses and a big hat), an acrobat (who does cartwheels, somersaults and handstands), a juggler (you could use thr...

1. DJ and disco Give your child the run of the CDs for the day and have her put together a playlist for a disco. Ask her to make decorations and name the event, then set a time when she will play DJ (with Dad’s help) while you take to the dance floor. If your child is too young t...