Need to entertain your kids? Try this lollipop stick hack

Virgin Radio

22 Mar 2022, 17:24

Sometimes it can feel like you've run out of ideas for entertaining the kids.

Here's a handy tip to try one weekend or for the next school holidays.

Many parents are keen for their kids to avoid over-the-top amounts of screentime, but sometimes it can be hard to come up with ideas to keep them entertained without resorting to a YouTube video.

One mum has shared her genius hack on a Facebook group

Claire Marie uses a series of lollipop sticks with different ideas written on.

The clever parent shared her idea on the Facebook group Family Lowdown Tips & Ideas.

She captioned the post: ‘Something I had to invent yesterday.

‘Two children that couldn’t decide what to do with our afternoon….if one chose something the other would disagree. 

‘So, I got lollipop sticks and wrote some ideas on them. 

‘I colour coordinated them too.’

All of the ideas on the sticks are colour-coded by cost.

The yellow sticks are free activities, while the green ones will cost very little.

Moving up the scale, the orange sticks are medium, while the red sticks are the most expensive.

Ideas range from freebies like visiting the park or the forest, with red sticks including the aquarium or a theme park.

Orange ideas include a farm, museum or ice skating.

Stick them in a cup and let your kids choose.

If you're on a budget you can take out the red and orange ones and leave them for special occasions.

She says that ideas can vary from family to family.

For Claire, the zoo is a 'green' idea as they don't have to pay every time to visit.

She continued: ‘Soft play is on orange because entry, plus food plus parents have to pay to get in some of them,’ she adds.

‘Swimming is orange because it could be water parks. Obviously, everyone’s colours will be different. Just sharing what I did.’

What ideas would you include?

Will you give this a go?