February 19, 2001 13:57: WHAT do you do when half term looms? I asked colleagues.

"What do I do? Panic," says one.

Kate Barker, who lives in Little Chalfont and has boys aged two and rising-five, explains: "School holidays are always a problem now I've returned to work three days a week.

"Playschemes are helpful, but they don't start until 9am or later, and one of mine is too young. So it's a question of my husband and me juggling work. I take some days as leave and my husband takes the others.

"We've just built a house extension so one of the grandparents can come and stay during the summer holidays. When the boys are older they can go and stay for the odd week in summer.

"When I'm home we go to the soft play centres Zoom, Kidzone and Watford Playdome and places like Bekonscot. And I always catch up with a friend who has children of similar ages, which we all enjoy."

Margaret Smith has the perfect solution for working mums: "Marry a teacher. Then there is always someone at home in the school holidays."

Her children are now older, but she recalls the endless quest for fun pursuits that cost little or nothing. "We used to take the children on long walks and made every trip an adventure. If it was snowing we'd look at tracks in the snow, if it was raining we'd look for fungi in the woods. We would look at the map together and find a route. And there was always a picnic to look forward to after the walk."

The secret is to do something you enjoy yourself, she says, as enthusiasm is infectious.

"Often we would take other kids with ours onto the downs where they could rush around and have fun. We'd explore, or we'd see how far they could jump.

"I also made sure their friends were always welcome in the house and then left them alone. Don't worry if there's a racket and don't worry about the mess."

On the theme of doing what you enjoy yourself, another Kate gets her children making cakes and biscuits and painting eggs. Half term is also a great time, she suggests, for visiting relatives.

Lesley Parkes tries to keep one step ahead with creative ways to keep the kids happy on wet days. "We're decorating after half term, so I'm giving them a wall each that they can paint any way they like.

"I find it's a good idea to offer rewards for helping with jobs. You clean the bathroom and then I'll rent a children's video for you. Let's all tidy the bedrooms and then we'll go swimming."

Pat Bramley is now a grandma and gets called on to help look after her granchildren. "I take them to the places where I took my own like the Home of Rest for Horses at Lacey Green or Wycombe Museum which are both free.

"We used to go out for picnics, often taking their friends. If we didn't have a car we'd play and picnic on Holmer Green Common, if a friend had a car we'd go to Black Park or to Hughenden Park for cricket and pooh sticks. We always had great gaggles of kids around. The place was in turmoil.

"The first day of school holidays was a bit of a culture shock, then we all shook down a bit and had a great time."

By.Sandra Carter