Yorkshire


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1642" height="1828" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/LyndseyNanny.jpg" alt="Yorkshire Nanny" class="wp-image-8274" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/LyndseyNanny.jpg 1642w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/LyndseyNanny-269x300.jpg 269w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/LyndseyNanny-920x1024.jpg 920w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/LyndseyNanny-768x855.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/LyndseyNanny-1380x1536.jpg 1380w" sizes="(max-width: 1642px) 100vw, 1642px" /></figure>



<p>One of the trickiest parts of half term, if you’re working as well as parenting, is the juggle. Meetings, routines, childcare, snacks, more snacks… it can all feel like spinning plates while someone tugs at your sleeve asking what the next activity is. Add the pressure to “make memories” and spend a small fortune on days out and it’s no wonder so many of us end the week more frazzled than refreshed.</p>



<p>Over the years – both as a <a href="https://www.theyorkshirenanny.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nanny</a> and now with my own two – I’ve learned that the secret isn’t a picture-perfect itinerary. It’s a loose plan, low expectations and a lot of flexibility.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ditch-the-rigid-schedule"><strong>Ditch the rigid schedule</strong></h2>



<p>A military-style timetable sounds good in theory but in reality it often means tears (sometimes ours) when someone’s not ready on time, the car keys vanish or the weather has other ideas. Instead, I stick to a soft shape for the day rather than fixed times.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1731" height="1800" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/YN2.jpg" alt="Yorkshire Nanny" class="wp-image-8275" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/YN2.jpg 1731w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/YN2-289x300.jpg 289w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/YN2-985x1024.jpg 985w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/YN2-768x799.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/YN2-1477x1536.jpg 1477w" sizes="(max-width: 1731px) 100vw, 1731px" /></figure>



<p>For example, we’ll have breakfast and get dressed, a morning activity, lunch and a bit of quiet time, then outdoor play or exploration before tea and the usual evening routine. That way there’s some predictability for the kids, but enough give to follow everyone’s energy and the weather, rather than the clock.</p>



<p>What would a “loose structure” that actually fits your usual mornings look like for you and your family?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plan-options-not-a-timetable"><strong>Plan options, not a timetable</strong></h2>



<p>Rather than plotting out a full week on Sunday night, we make a simple menu of ideas instead. We think in categories:</p>



<ul>
<li>Outdoor adventures</li>



<li>Rainy-day activities</li>



<li>Animals and farms</li>



<li>Museums and heritage</li>



<li>One or two “big treat” attractions</li>
</ul>



<p>My two like to split these into “indoor” and “outdoor” lists so that when we open the curtains each morning, we can pick something that matches what the famous Yorkshire weather is doing that day. It keeps things feeling spontaneous, but means I’m not trying to invent fun from scratch at 8am.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lower-the-bar-on-purpose"><strong>Lower the bar (on purpose)</strong></h2>



<p>It’s easy to feel like we should be doing a big-ticket outing every day, but children usually remember how we were with them more than what we did. They remember the mood, the giggles, the feeling of having our attention – not necessarily which expensive attraction it was.</p>



<p>So I deliberately lower the “activity bar”. Not every day has to be a blockbuster. In fact, leaving empty space in the day is often where the magic happens. When they’re not ricocheting from one thing to another, they tend to invent their own games, disappear into imaginative play and are far less frazzled by bedtime.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-embrace-the-easy-and-free"><strong>Embrace the “easy and free”</strong></h2>



<p>Some of our happiest half term memories come from the simplest days. Easy, low- or no-cost ideas that we lean on again and again, include:</p>



<ul>
<li>Local parks – scooters, football or just a long, chatty walk</li>



<li>Libraries – a treasure trove on rainy days, and brilliant for quiet time</li>



<li>Baking together – messy, yes, but they love it and you get snacks out of it</li>



<li>Scavenger hunts – indoors or outdoors, tailored to their age</li>



<li>Movie afternoons – duvets on the sofa and popcorn</li>



<li>Crafts – from junk modelling to simple colouring</li>



<li>Playdates – either in the garden or at a local park with a picnic</li>
</ul>



<p>These sorts of days build just as many memories as the big outings, without the big spend.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-favourite-local-days-out"><strong>Our favourite local days out</strong></h2>



<p>Of course, a couple of outings can be the highlight of the week. Three of our Yorkshire go-to spots for a local trip are:</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://birchfieldicecream.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Birchfield Ice Cream Farm</a> – animals, fresh air and the all-important ice cream.</li>



<li><a href="https://stockeldpark.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stockeld Park</a> – brilliant seasonal events and loads of space to run off energy.</li>



<li><a href="https://boltonabbey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bolton Abbey</a> – walks, paddling and picnics, and you can make it a quick visit or a full day.</li>
</ul>



<p>We usually pack a picnic if the weather is kind, which means the only spend on the day is an ice cream or a coffee. Other brilliant options in and around North Yorkshire that we dip into are <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/brimham-rocks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brimham Rocks</a>, <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fountains Abbey,</a> the <a href="https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/places/malham_cove/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ingleton Waterfalls Trail</a> or <a href="https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/places/malham_cove/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Malham Cove</a>, <a href="https://www.leeds.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/major-parks/roundhay-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roundhay Park</a>, the <a href="https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Railway Museum</a> and York City Walls – a mix of free and paid but all fantastic adventures for curious kids.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slower-days-are-not-second-best"><strong>Slower days are not second best</strong></h2>



<p>When I worked full time as a nanny, I actually loved the school holidays. The routine softened, there was more time to just “be” with the children, and we’d have some brilliant days out at different attractions. I still talk about those trips now when I’m out and about with my own two.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham-1024x1024.jpg" alt="Brimham Rocks" class="wp-image-8276" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2026/05/Brimham.jpg 1366w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>But if I think about the days that really glow in my memory, many of them are the simple ones &#8211; long afternoons in the garden, friends over for playdates, or a ramble to the park with a picnic and no particular plan. Those days with a slower pace and the freedom to potter and play outside were some of the best days and they cost next to nothing.</p>



<p>If you think about your own childhood or recent holidays, which kind of day do you remember most vividly – the big “event” days, or the slower, simpler ones – and how might that shape what you plan this half term?</p>



<p>IN THE MOOD FOR MORE? </p>



<p><a href="https://yorkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/the-yorkshire-nanny-company-yorkshire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Yorkshire Nanny Company, Yorkshire</a><br><a href="https://yorkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/spotlight/schools-out-may-half-term-fun-to-keep-the-kids-from/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">May Half Term sorted! Kid-friendly days out (that won’t drive you mad)</a><br><a href="https://yorkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/whats-on/sound-of-music-comes-to-leeds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sound of Music comes to Leeds!</a></p>


How to keep children happy this half term without losing your mind

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