Jodie and kids made their own festival in their back garden, complete with camping, a silent disco, food stalls and a dance tent. Let’s take a look at it…

What did you do?

A festival at home. We called it “Lockfest”. I heard my daughter role-playing with toys that they were attending a festival. I’ve always wanted to feed their imaginations so I brought the festival to them. 

  • tent for a campsite
  • gazebo for the dance tent
  • headphones connected to the iPods for Disney songs as a silent disco.
  • wood fire pizza
  • bbq food stalls
  • a bar for mummy
  • chill out zone, cushions on floor, sheets up in the guttering which became another dance area!
  • I used blankets over the railings to help create a sense of “zones”.
  • I had lanterns and lights I had bought and never got round to using so I used them to assist in creating a festival theme.
  • I had some old wood I used for a signpost and cardboard I painted to make the festival banner.
  • No money was spent in the creation! All things we had at home. 

The sheets were the simplest but biggest success. The children just loved running under them and dancing. It’s always the simplest things 🙂 

What’s your next project idea?

Dinosaur garden for the children that we keep adding too with things found on our walks. Like sticks, ferns and pine cones.

My boys have become interested in ice, so I’ve frozen toy dinosaurs in lunch boxes for them to dig out. I have frozen fish-shaped ice cubes for them to fish with mini nets before they melted.

Easy things like that are completely free!! 

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I am Jodie Sparey, I am a single mum with 3 children. Evie my daughter is 5 and identical twin boys of 2 years of age. 

How are you finding being housebound with kids so far?

I am enjoying the time to encourage my children’s development on the 16th of March one of my boys was diagnosed Autistic and I’ve spent time learning how I can support him better. He is currently non verbal and developmentally behind. He has learned 5 words he can now say because of our time in lockdown. Some days are hard, I won’t lie. The sibling fighting mainly but we are keeping busy as a family. 

Any tips to help people when they are housebound with kids?

Pinterest is amazing, loads of ideas on low budgets for crafty things to entertain the children. 

Has the Housebound with Kids Facebook community helped?

I’ve loved seeing other people’s ideas and creativity. Inspiring each other with things to keep them entertained at home.