According to You Want to Do What? the criminal age of responsibility, or the age at which people must take responsibility for their crimes is ten in England and Wales, and eight in Scotland.
These ages are very young, especially when they are compared with other countries. For example in USA the age of criminal [...]

I’m in the process of reading You Want to Do What? in preparation for a review, it’s throwing up a lot of great discussion points.
Where do you stand on clothing allowances?
The book suggests that fourteen or fifteen is a good age to begin sharing the responsibility of buying clothes. If you plan to give [...]

An Evening Program for Teenagers

The Problem
There’s a major problem in Britain today. Anti-social behaviour. And the teenagers are being blamed for a fair chunk of it.
Although I can’t find an excuse for the ASBO culture, after all I don’t think there were any more facilities when I was thirteen, I do wonder where our teenagers are supposed [...]

1. Penny Toss
Provide pennies and bowls, mark a shooting spot on the grass, every penny in the pot wins a prize. [from Having Fun with Kids by Marilee LeBon]
2. Penny a Weed

We did something similar with snails when I was younger! Two pence for a snail though, it’s a dirty job.
3. [...]

Three Pirate-Themed Party Games

Hunt For Treasure
Party games as kids get older get a little more difficult. Here are three ideas for a pirate-themed party, although they can be easily adjusted for other themes. The first idea is probably better for younger children, perhaps aged 3-5, the second is most suitable for ages 5-8, and the third [...]

How To Play Heads ‘n’ Volleys

Heads ‘n’ Volleys is a football game, or soccer to my American readers.
Heads ‘n’ Volleys requires 3 people or more. One goal, which can be mocked up with jackets or trees as goal posts. One football.
One person is elected as goalkeeper, and the rest of the players play with each other. The [...]

This quick activity idea comes from ‘Have Fun with Your Kids’ by Marilee LeBon.

You will need;
Marbles
Shoe Box
Markers (I heart sharpies)
1. Take your shoe box, and, on one of the longer sides cut out five doors of differing sizes.
2. Above each door give a points value, the smaller the door the higher the points [...]

You will need;
Pencil/Pen
Paper
1. Draw a scribble onto paper. Get your partner to make a drawing out of that scribble, it could be an animal, a mode of transport, an object. Take turns of being the scribbler and then the drawer. Alternatively the parent makes the scribbles, and the kids spend hours [...]

Cooking with Older Kids

I spent about two years when I was younger living with my Nan, one activity I really enjoyed at that age (11/12) was cooking. We would make bolognese, curry, onion bhaji’s, sausage roll, vol-a-vents, cakes etc….
When I moved back to my mum’s my brother and I would play ‘ready, steady, cook’, this game [...]

A couple of other bloggers have written an ABC list for summer inspiration. I did it for Christmas so here’s my Summer edition.
Aeroplane Spotting
Bark Rubbing
Chocolate Krispie Cake Making
Dvd Night
Eating Competition (Dooking for apples or donut on a string?)
Foot Printing
Gardening
Hide & Seek
Ice Biscuits
Jigsaw Puzzles
Kite Flying
Library visit
Make a Mosaic from Old Cards
Nature Walk + Scavenger Hunt
Organize [...]

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