Make your own play-dough
Fun to make and fun to play with. A rolling pin and a selection of cutters will keep the kids entertained for hours

Put one cup of plain flour, half a cup of salt, 2tbsp cream of tartar, 2tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil, one cup of water, a few drops of food colouring and 1tsp vanilla essence (optional) in a large saucepan. Stir over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. The mixture will look lumpy but will come together to form a soft smooth dough. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes before kneading until smooth on a lightly floured work surface. When the dough is not being played with store it in an airtight box or in a sealable bag with the air squeezed out.

Birdy cake
Ever though you're indoors the birds will still be busy in the garden so why not make them something tasty to eat?

Using a skewer, poke a small hole in the bottom of a disposable plastic drinking cup or a large yogurt pot. Cut a 1m long piece of string, tie a knot in one end and thread through the hole in the pot. Raid the cupboards and collect together anything you think the birds might like to eat: wild bird seed, fruit and nuts, breakfast cereal, bread, pastry or old biscuits are all fine. Chop the food into small pieces. Melt about 100g of lard or suet in a saucepan and stir in the bird food. Don't add too much otherwise the mixture will be too crumbly. Pack the mixture into the plastic cup and leave to set in the fridge. When hard, carefully cut away the plastic cup before hanging in the garden

Potato printing
Potato printing is a great activity for a group of children of mixed abilities and ages. The younger ones will enjoy the printing and making a mess with the paint whilst the older children will be able to design and cut their own prints

Working on a chopping board, slice each potato in half and blot on kitchen paper. Using a pencil, draw your design onto the potato. Score round the shape with the tip of a vegetable knife before cutting away the potato from around the design. Tip a little poster, acrylic or craft paint on a plate and spread out with a spoon. Dip the potato prints into the paint, holding them flat, before printing onto white or coloured paper.

Make a table tent and dress up
The easiest tent to make by far is a table tent; all you'll need is an old sheet, a needle and thread and a pair of scissors

Clear the dining chairs away and lay the old sheet evenly over the table so that it hangs down at the sides. Any shape table is suitable but there are more options for doors and windows if the table is square or rectangular. Pin the sheet at the corners to give the tent four sides and fix in place with a few large tacking stitches. Trim away the excess fabric from the base of the tent so that it stops at floor level before cutting a doorway and a couple of windows. For a circular table there's no need to pin and stitch. Just trim the tent level with the floor and cut a slit for the doorway. Double check that you have removed all the pins before allowing the children to play in the tent.

Make a paper mosaic
Paper mosaics are fun to make and this technique can be used by children to make pictures or make special cards

Collect together a selection of coloured papers, wrapping paper, old birthday or Christmas cards, magazines or even newspaper. Cut the papers into 1cm wide strips; don't worry about being dead accurate. Then collect together a handful of strips in the same colour and cut them into 1cm squares. Repeat with each colour, putting the pieces into egg-box compartments or cups to keep the colours separate. Get each child to draw a picture on a large sheet of paper and then fill it in using the paper mosaics and either glue and a spreader or a Pritt stick

Make your own slippery slime muck
This might sound far too messy for words but kids will love making and playing with this slippery concoction, plus when playtime's over, it can just be slung in the bin

Put two cups of cold water in a saucepan and stir in half a cup of cornflour and a couple of drops of food colouring. When smooth, put on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. When the mixture is gloopy and bubbling, remove from the heat and leave until cool. As the mixture cools it thickens up and goes slimy. Glitter can be stirred into the slime before it cools completely.

* Play-dough and slippery slime muck are non-toxic but you should discourage your children from putting them in their mouths. Play-dough is very high in salt and would be dangerous to a pet if it was eaten.

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