SCHOOLS are closed, the weather is grim and the lockdown rules require us to stay in and near home as much as possible.

It is tough at the moment for parents with young kids and according to YouGov, almost a third – 32 per cent – of parents have noticed negative changes in their child’s behaviour since the coronavirus upheaval.

To help families, Parkdean Resorts have compiled a list of free or cheap creative ways to keep your kids entertained that are easy to do during the pandemic.

GO ON A NATURE HUNT

Wrap up warm and set off on an adventure – even if it’s just in your own back garden.

Search for pine cones, squirrels and listen out for robins or go on the hunt for mini beasts.

The Woodland Trust has created a winter scavenger hunt which can be found here where you can also learn more about your discoveries

TURN YOUR LIVING ROOM INTO A CAMPSITE

Perfect for those chilly winter nights, turning your living room into a campsite brings all the fun of camping indoors.

Pitch up a small tent and if you want the full experience how about whipping up some smores which can be made quickly and easily in the microwave?

Click here.

LEARN ABOUT THE PLANET WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

David Attenborough has worked with the BBC on child-friendly and educational natural world topics such as oceans and animals.

Lessons are available on BBC Bitesize Daily, BBC iPlayer and BBC Red Button.

EARN A BLUE PETER BADGE

If you or your kids are itching to get your hands on one of these, lockdown is the perfect time to start working on your application.

Get the entry-level Blue Badge by sending in letters, stories and sketches and then start applying for more.

Having the badges to work towards will hopefully keep your kids focused on completing tasks rather than saying they are bored every five minutes.

Visit bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/about-blue-peter-badges

MAKE SOME PEBBLE ART

Painting pebbles has become a commemorative mark of lockdown, along with rainbows hung in windows and gates of all shapes and sizes. Pebble art is a great gift to give to a stranger – simply create your designs and dot them around walking trails or parks for people to find – you’ll brighten up their day.

There are various Warrington groups dedicated to this such as Lymm Rocks.

GROW YOUR OWN VEG

Warrington Guardian: Grow your own vegGrow your own veg

Versatile veggies can be grown outdoors or inside, and there’s nothing quite like watching them sprout up with your children and with more free time in lockdown it’s a great way to introduce them to gardening.

With spring just around the corner, now’s the time to get planting.

Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbages, and leeks will stand through the tough winter weather, and are great soup ingredients.

The RHS has the full advice here. 

MAKE A MUD KITCHEN

If you don’t mind your little ones getting a bit mucky, mud kitchens can provide hours of entertainment.

Children pretend to prepare and cook food using any combination of mud, sand and water.

For obvious reasons they are best used in a garden or outdoor space but if it is too cold you can bring it indoors and lay down a blanket under it that you don’t mind getting messy.

Good at DIY? There is a 16-step guide to making one out of wooden pallets at instructables.com/mud-kitchen.

CREATE A FAIRY GARDEN

This is simple and a lot of fun – perfect for lockdown.

The first step is deciding your theme, whether that’s a fairy castle or something like a winter wonderland. There are kits on sites like Amazon and John Lewis or gather your own ornaments and decorations

Next find a cute spot to set up, whether that’s in the garden or indoors in something like a plant pot.

BUILD A FORT

Who doesn’t love building their own den? It’s classic childhood fun that’s passed down through the generations and that no one really grows out of.

You know the drill – put the fort together using cushions, blankets and seats and back rests from the sofa if they are removable.

Fill it with pillows and, if you want to go all out, how about putting some fairylights in there?

CREATE YOUR OWN BIRD FEEDER

Warrington Guardian: Bird feeders are very straight forward to make Bird feeders are very straight forward to make

This is a great way to teach your kids all about different bird species that reside in the UK – from robins to goldfinches – you could even create a little checklist and tick them off as you spot them.

They are really easy to make too.

A basic one only requires an apple, sticks, string and seeds. Go to bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/bird-feeder