Baker day

Buy a packet of bread mix and get the children to bake their own lunch. Focaccia and ciabatta are especially satisfying to make as the olive oil in the dough makes it wonderfully slippery and stretchy - and gives a delicious end result too.

To go with the bread, try making this super-simple tomato soup together:

You'll need
1 onion, finely chopped (or use frozen diced onion)
1 clove of garlic, crushed (or use frozen or puréed garlic)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Half a teaspoon of mild chilli powder
Half a teaspoon of ground cumin
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of chickpeas (don't worry if your family aren't chickpea fans - they won't notice them in the finished soup)
1 dessertspoon of balsamic vinegar
1 dessertspoon of apple juice
1 dessertspoon of tomato purée
4 teaspoons of stock powder/bouillon (low-salt for young children)
A kettle-full (approx 1.7 litres) of boiling water
Ground black pepper

Sizzle the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan for 3-5 minutes. When they become translucent, add the chilli and cumin, and then the tomatoes, chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, apple juice and tomato purée. Pour in the boiling water and add the stock/bouillon. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add pepper to taste, then blend well until the soup is smooth and velvety.

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Children of all ages are fascinated by marble runs, and making their own can keep them occupied for hours. Try...

The junk modelling marble run. Gather together as many cardboard tubes, packets, foil and polystyrene trays, etc, as you can find, together with a roll of masking tape and strong pair of scissors. Then set a challenge - for example creating a run that will take a marble from the table, across a chair and down to the floor, or down a small flight of stairs.

The magnetic marble run. Instead of masking tape, put sticky magnets on to the back of your cardboard tubes and stick them to a fridge, dishwasher or cold radiator for a marble run that can be endlessly reconfigured.

The cardboard box marble maze. Find a shallow cardboard box and use drinking straws, bottle tops, corks, matchboxes and more, stuck on with blu-tack or masking tape, to create a maze to roll a marble around by tilting and tipping. Use a small foil pie case, lid or similar to make a 'goal' to get the marble into, then race against the clock to see who can get the marble around the maze in the fastest time.

The Lego marble run. If you have plenty of Lego or Duplo, try creating a marble run or maze out of that too.

Nice ice, baby!

Everyone loves ice cream, so try one of these ideas for making your own at home...

1. Slice some over-ripe bananas, lay the slices on a plate and freeze for about two hours. Then blend them and enjoy a delicious ice-creamy pure fruit dessert.

2. Get two large resealable (zip-lock) plastic bags. Into one put one cup of single cream, two tablespoons of caster sugar, four tablespoons of crushed strawberries (or any other flavouring you fancy) and a teaspoon of vanilla essence. Into the other put four handfuls of ice cubes and four tablespoons of rock salt. Then seal the first bag securely, place it inside the one containing the ice cubes and seal that, wrap the whole lot in a towel, and shake non-stop for five to ten minutes until the mixture in the small bag has thickened and blended. Take it out carefully to ensure none of the salt gets into your tasty strawberry ice cream.

Digging for dinosaurs

For cool (and free) fun on a hot day, get the kids excavating their very own dinosaur icebergs.

The night before you want to try this activity, put a couple of toy plastic dinosaurs or sea creatures into a sandwich bag for each child, along with a few shells or pebbles. Fill the bags with water, then twist or tie them shut & pop them into the freezer.

The next day, peel the dinosaur icebergs out of their wrappers and put each one on a tray, along with with a few utensils - spoons, spatulas, maybe a turkey baster (nothing too sharp). Then challenge the children to free the 'fossils' as fast as possible.

Ask them a few questions as they work. How does the ice feel? Which tool works best? What happens if they put their iceberg in the sun, pour a cup of warm water over it, or add some salt?

Up, up and away...

Spend a day making, decorating and flying paper aeroplanes. Instructions for different models are easy to find online (eg at paperaeroplanes.com). Try them out using different sizes and thicknesses of paper. Then take the children's creations outside and hold an airshow, giving marks for distance, style and speed.

Once you pop...

On a rainy day, what could be better than a movie? A movie with popcorn, of course! Shop-bought varieties are often high in fat, refined sugar and salt, so try this healthier homemade recipe.

You'll need

• half a cup of popping corn
• two tablespoons of olive oil
• two to three tablespoons of agave nectar (a plant-derived sweetener available in most large supermarkets and health food shops) - or maple syrup if you prefer 
• a level teaspoon of cinnamon.

Put three or four popping corn kernels and the olive oil into a large saucepan with a lid (a non-stick pan with a glass lid works best) and place on the stovetop on a high heat. Once the kernels start to pop, add the rest of the popping corn, replace the lid, and keep the pan on a high heat while the corn pops, giving it a shake from time to time. When the rate of popping starts to slow, take the pan off the heat and stir in the agave (or maple syrup) and cinnamon, making sure the popcorn is well coated. Then spread the popcorn out on a baking tray (or two) and bake at gas mark 5/190C for 10 minutes, turning it over halfway through. Yum!