Ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend- most parents will be starting to think up things to do with their children. As all parents know, it’s not something that you can decide the day before or even on the morning of- you need some ideas in your back pocket to stop your little ones from getting bored. So, if you are looking for activities, we have you covered with our top six suggestions- get your Prime on now!
Paul Doyle / Alamy Stock Photo
Reading
Luckily, there are a handful of authors who have considered the little ones during this celebration, so while the adults are pouring over coffee table tribute books to their Queen, we have the likes of The Queen's Jubilee: An illustrated children's book to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee by Frances Rose and Fluffy and The Platinum Jubilee: A Children's Rhyming Storybook about The Platinum Jubilee by Joshua, Joseph and James Grant to both inform and entertain your tiny readers. So if your kids already love books, this is a great tie-in to the event that won’t break the bank and will be a keepsake when they get older.
Activity and Sticker Books
The Queen's Jubilee Sticker Activity Book by Marion Billet is an excellent way to mark the celebration and keep little hands occupied because what child doesn’t love a sticker? With 400 stickers to choose from, your house (and you) will be tacky by the end of the weekend but who cares if they’ve had some fun in the process?
Fact finding
There are so many videos on YouTube that explain what the Jubilee is all about and why we're celebrating it. So if your child is curious about why mum and dad are getting some extra time off work or why there are lots of people out on the street hanging bunting up- one of these will explain it all, without you getting bombarded with questions for the full four days.
Colouring
The Platinum Jubilee Colouring Book by Rita Larson is the ideal colouring book for those kids who can’t get enough of their crayons, pencils and felt tip pens. This one has a generous fifty pages to colour in, so plenty to keep them going over the four days even for the fastest of artists. Get them to do these on the first day and you will have something to put all over your home for the following three- a cheap and cheerful way to decorate, especially if you are hosting a weekend party.
Journaling/Scrapbooking
Even if your child is just a baby, you can still record your memories of the Jubilee in an appropriately themed journal. Print out some pictures of your weeknd, where you might have had the opportunity for days out, a street party or a BB in your back garden and glue these inside. You could even place your baby’s hands and feet in child friendly ink and keep a record of their hand and footprints at the time.
If your child is old enough to draw, or seek out small mementoes from the weekend- why not let them glue tickets and maps from your days out and draw their own pictures of the Queen, the Union Jack or write down all the food they ate from the party buffet! Whatever age your child is, there is an opportunity to use a journal as a place to keep all of your precious memories of this once in a lifetime event.
Crafting
Purchase something like the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Royal Themed Craft Paper by Julie Angelblessed and you have a plethora of activities at your fingertips- from paper crafting, to making bunting, cardmaking to send to relatives, origami and creating bespoke street party decorations. Do these one day one and you will have plenty to make your home Jubilee ready to get you in the mood.
