Any parent at home with young children, three days into the Easter holidays, will probably have heard the words “I’m bored” at least once this week.

With household budgets squeezed tight, taking youngsters out for costly day trips isn’t always an option. So how do you keep them amused – and out of trouble – at home? Help is at hand, thanks to Netmums. The online support network for mothers of young children offers information about everything from family activities to support and advice for parents finding it difficult to cope.

More than 400,000 parents throughout the UK, along with grandparents and carers, have registered with their local Netmums site, providing access to information and a network of friends through the Meet A Mum section. There are 152 Netmums sites around the UK, set up and run by mums. Each local website is edited by a regional mum supported by a central team.

The information on offer includes tips about family-friendly restaurants, listings for parent and toddler and pre-school groups, credit crunch-busting suggestions and advice about returning to work.

This week, Netmums is coming to the rescue of stressed-out parents with suggestions on how to fill the long school holiday hours, without resorting to switching on the telly or the computer.

Every fancied making an Easter bonnet? Netmums spokeswoman Ruth Appleton says you can use various materials to muster up, with your child, anything from basic straw and boater-style hats to home-made card creations.

“Start by laying the table out with craft materials and search the house for useful accessories; egg cartons, old boxes, plastic plates, even plant pots can be used to create something fabulous,” she says.

“There are tons of ideas and your child will enjoy helping you create a bonnet with their own stamp on it. If they’re in super-hero mode, you could attempt a bonnet with special ‘super-powers’ and a matching mask. Fairies, princesses and wizards also make great themes for Easter bonnets.

“Other ideas include chicks – buy some cheap ready-made chick figures from your local craft or pound shop and stick them to the brim of the hat. Tie a yellow ribbon around the base and finish off with some home-made tissue paper flowers.

“Or you could opt for an edible Easter bonnet, with a sturdy rim to hold the chocolate – traditional straw bonnets or strong card hats are perfect. Mini foil-wrapped eggs are great for the brim, while larger eggs wrapped in bright paper make perfect centrepieces. Add extra flair with ribbons, tissue paper flowers and anything else your child fancies.”

Other ideas include letting your child draw or colour in a selection of Easter pictures and stick them on to your hat until it’s fully covered. To give more of an impact, use string or ribbon to tie some cut-out pictures to the base of the hat so they hang around your child’s head.

Ruth also suggests making an ‘Easter cone’.

“Give your child some card and let them decorate it with markers, card cut-outs, streamers, ribbons, tissue paper flowers and glitter. Fold the paper into the shape of a cone, using tape to secure the edges. Once the bonnet is finished, make a couple of holes in the end, thread some ribbon through and tie it under your child’s chin.

“To make a rabbit bonnet, cut out some bunny ears and cover them in grey felt or fabric. Make the inner section of the ear using pink felt, and stick that on top. Once your ears are ready, stick them to the bonnet and cover with chicks and mini eggs. Alternatively, just stick them to a headband for a quick and easy little Easter bunny!”

Once you’ve made your bonnets, you might be inspired to organise an Easter egg hunt; a traditional favourite that appeals to children – and adults! – of all ages.

You’ll need chocolate eggs (mini eggs are ideal, and make sure you allow for a reasonable amount per child) and small baskets or bowls to collect them in. Hold it indoors or outside, depending on the weather, and hide the eggs in various places around your chosen area. Depending on the age of the participants, you can make the hunt relatively easy or more difficult. You could try little verses to help children unravel the clues. If you want to avoid older children finding all the eggs first, set a limit so each child stops when they’ve found a certain number of eggs. Remember where you’ve hidden the eggs or you could be finding them for weeks afterwards!

Get baking, too

To round off your Easter fun, try a little seasonal baking. Netmums suggest getting the children stuck in with these delicious Easter biscuits. Even very young children can help stir the mixture, or cut cookies out, and they’ll love eating something they have helped to make.

Ingredients 3 oz/75g butter/margarine 3 oz/75g caster sugar, plus a little extra for dredging finely grated rind of 1 lemon 6 oz/150g plain flour ½ tsp mixed spice 2 oz/50g currants 1 egg, beaten Method Preheat oven to 190C, 375F, Gas Mark 5.

Cream butter/margarine and sugar until pale. Add lemon rind, then fold in flour, mixed spice, currants and enough egg to bind mixture to a stiff dough.

Roll out biscuit dough to approx 1cm thick and cut out bunny shapes or circles (you can squash these into ovals and call them eggs) with biscuit cutters. Put on greased baking trays. Re-roll any leftover dough to make more biscuits.

Bake biscuits for eight to ten minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with extra caster sugar when still hot, then transfer to a wire tray to cool.

For more ideas and to find out about Easter activities for children and families in the area, visit netmums.com or visit telegraphandargus.co.uk/families