Getting creative on holiday

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Holidaying with children can be very different to pre baby holidays. Gone are the days of quiet retreats and relaxing on sun loungers (well gone at least until the kids are a bit bigger). Instead not only do you have to worry about getting value for money by trawling the internet for cheap holiday deals you also have to remember to pack the potty, high chair and buggy. We tend to opt for self catering holidays so we can be more flexible over what the kids are eating and when. Although it may at first not seem as relaxing as a catered holiday, at least you'll know what and when they'll eat (and if The Fairy and The Frog don't eat at the right time we have very grumpy children). I do always make sure where we are going has a dishwasher as cooking AND washing up isn't fun!

Just because you're on holiday doesn't mean you can't be creative. Here is a list of things we like to do,

1) Painting stones. These make great holiday memories and a great starting point for getting creative. Painting something you have collected on holiday makes it seem like the holiday has lasted longer. Here are some rocks The Fairy and I have recently painted. We washed them first then painted them using some acrylic paint.

We are hoping to use them in a gardening project (more to follow soon!) See another painted pebbles post here.

2) Using a sketch book. Holidays are times where you have a bit of extra of time to try out new things and being away from home gives you an opportunity to take a new look at things. Sitting and sketching is a great spark for creativity. So packing the sketch books can not only be fun it can help to develop observational skills. Don't be put off by thinking you need to be an amazing artist to sketch - give it a try!

3) Seashell discovery bottle. A few shells picked up on a beach walk make a fantastic discovery bottle - just add some water for a mini beach. Or alternatively make a sea shell collage (although do be careful in some countries there a rules preventing you from removing shells and if you take too many then you are increasing the risk of erosion). If you like discovery bottles you might also like this post.

4) Let the kids take the photos. Letting the little ones loose with a camera can be great fun and you end up with some unexpected results. We let The Fairy use an old compact camera, but you might prefer a disposable.

 Do your children like to collect things? Do you or your kids use a sketch book? Have you got creative during or after being on holiday?

Disclamier: This post is sponsored by Icelolly. We received payment for publishing this post.