On this page you'll find at list of your ideas for keeping the children entertained. All the suggestions have come from parents. We've split them into two sections, 'At Home' and 'Out and About.

If you'd like to share you own ideas please email the site at contributions@forparentsbyparents.com

At Home

a washing up bowl with dollies, plastic cups and saucers keeps my kids entertained for hours. If lino or tiles can even be done when its raining!

I had a happy half hour the other day making sets of cards with 3 year old grandson. I had several sets of large stickers/labels left from my teaching days and we stuck them on to squares of card (two cards for each kind of sticker) to make three sets of cards.

After a break for hot chocolate and to give the glue time to dry, we played Snap with them a few times and then I introduced him to what we used to call Pelmanism. (All cards face down and take it in turns to turn two over, trying to make pairs.) We started with just eight cards as he is only three but after four goes we were up to sixteen!!. He enjoyed the games and we stopped whilst he was still keen to play more so that the enthusiasm is still there for next time. Of course, you don't have to make the cards, you can buy packs to do this, but it's much more fun with cards you've made yourself. You don't have to use stickers even; pictures cut from magazines, Christmas cards etc. will do fine as long as you have two of each."

When it's too wet or cold we create the City of Atlantica in the bay window with a clothes horse and a large blue scarf, they play in there for hours and I get to sit and drink my cup of tea! The magical thing about this though is it only appears when the tides are right, that is, when it suits me! Have fun."

My tip for keeping the kids amused is to write a long list of activities, things like: jigsaws, make play dough, make a children's garden, paint, Lego, treasure hunt (my kids love these), baking biscuits, picnic etc etc. The children shut their eyes and pick one. Funnily enough, because they pick this way they seem to enjoy an otherwise 'boring' activity. It's never failed for me!

A few mums could arrange a cookery class once or twice a week. Simple salads, sandwiches & easy desserts can be taught. You can also take the children shopping as well for the ingredients."

My tip for keeping kids busy is to get them to do a scrapbook. They can stick/draw pictures and write about what they do.

We live on a busy main road, and so my children can't play out on the street. What I've found useful is a Scavenger Hunt. I give them a list of things they have to find, and once they have completed it, they get a treat. The treat ranges from ice-cream for my son who's 4½ to an hour on the Internet for my 7yr old daughter. The list includes things like a fire engine, a blue bus and a purple one, two ambulances; passers-by who have: two shopping bags, a double buggy, a hat; and also things they have to search for in the garden: a ladybird, washing on a line, a daisy, etc. This gets them out of the house for a while, and out of my hair!

Collect empty plastic juice bottles. Fill one third full with water, sand or anything heavy. Then use these as indoor or outdoor skittles, you can even involve the children in the decoration. Start your own mini-league and hopefully keep them quiet for 5 minutes!

Re-enact your favourite nursery stories - my son loves to hop round the garden with me chasing him shouting "who's seen Peter Rabbit, come here you pesky varmit

A fun way to keep toddlers entertained in the garden is to tie a balloon on a long piece of string and suspended it from your washing line. Make small bats out of strong cardboard or use long cardboard tubes (such as from the tinfoil). This sounds simple but I guarantee they will be over the moon with this idea, hitting the balloon. This can be played by one child or more, just put a balloon up for each child.

One way of entertaining children is by putting up a tent at the bottom of the garden and pretend that you are camping, take lots of food, drink etc and have lots of fun.

Out and About

I would like to recommend a soft-play centre that I recently discovered? It's called Playtime and is on John Street, Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire (tel: 07742 792 520) and is absolutely brilliant.

It's for 0-8 year old children and has a lovely snack bar that serves the most delicious toasties and also on the menu I saw things like kids peanut butter/choc spread/cheese spread sandwiches amongst other things (plus healthy options).

There was a great variety of toys, play houses, a bouncy castle, ride-ons plus the soft-play structure. They also do a coffee morning on Tuesdays. I was very impressed and will be returning soon with my two children."

"THE EXPEDITION" - Grandson 1, just four a few weeks ago, is very into anything to do with soldiers.......even his clothes preference tends towards camouflage and khaki!! I had to baby sit Grandson number 4 whilst Grandson number 2 was taken to his swimming lesson, so something that Grandpa was capable of doing with Grandson 1 was needed.

A standard scavenger hunt was turned into 'an expedition' very easily. The picnic lunch became "PROVISIONS", the list of things to collect became "TOP SECRET ORDERS", and with instructions to be away for an hour and a half at least, off the two intrepid Squaddies went to investigate the "ENEMY ROCKET LAUNCHER" (a local windmill atop a nearby hill! ). They both enjoyed themselves thoroughly on their trip and were delighted when they gained top marks for their collection and a prize of a bag of chocolates (9/10s of which had to be taken home to show and share with Mummy)."

"We go to the beach and bury some treasure. We find an old box the children donate the treasure or make it, a picture of some jewels is a favourite. Then we take pen and paper and make a map and bury the treasure. We're lucky we live close to the beach but we also did this successfully for my daughters birthday and the guests all followed the treasure map (carelessly left by passing pirates) and helped Daddy dig a big hole in the garden to retrieve it. It's still talked of now."

The secret to keeping the children entertained is variety. It is easy to rely on doing the same things, going to the same park, visiting the same people or sitting the kids in front of the TV. Kids get bored of routine so every now and again they need to do something a little different. Here are a few ideas:

• instead of taking the car, try using the bus or local train;
• instead of going to the local park, visit parks that you have not been to before. Take a picnic and make a day of it!
• become a member to your local zoo so that you can come and go as you please;
• visit National Trust or botanical gardens - children love to run around and explore;
• make a note of phone numbers of parents from School or Nursery that you don't know that well. It's always nice to get to know more people and on those rainy days you can phone around and you're almost guaranteed to find some one else who does not know what to do with their kids that day.

I would recommend Wilton House in Salisbury. It's a beautiful house in lovely grounds. The children loved it with an enormous play area, the gardens are wonderful and there's a very good restaurant." For more information visit www.wiltonhouse.co.uk.

Why not try a visit to Bowood House, Calne, Wiltshire. Beautiful House. Large gardens. A good day out for young and old. There'a a soft play area, sand pit, swing boats and Wendy house to name but a few childrens activities and high adventure walkways and climbs for the older child. It's a great place for picnics or there's a restaurant on site." For more information visit www.bowood-house.co.uk.

Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire. Where else can you entertain 3 children all day where they can touch a spider and a snake and live to tell the tale. No matter what age you are there is always something for you. Extensive grounds for play or picnic. The passport scheme allows you to visit anytime. Too much to see in one day so can return to see more. Something for everyone and every weather with indoor and outdoor attractions. Always something happening there. A must inside and out. The family ticket is excellent value for money. Great watching all the animals being fed from the safari park to the pets zoo. Great maze & gardens." For more information visit www.longleat.co.uk.

Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre, Wareham, Dorset - Well organised, informative and entertaining with lots to see and do for our little monkeys." For more information visit Monkey World