New research reveals that three quarters of people strongly agree that their family are the most important people in their lives, which is why it’s important to spend as much quality time together as possible. But this is not always easy. Work commitments (40%) and lack of money (14%) are just two of the barriers to the modern family spending time together.

So why not take the upcoming half term holiday as an opportunity to redress the balance?

School holidays can seem quite daunting and forced upon you but actually they offer the opportunity to spend some quality time with your children. And if money is a bit scarce then help is at hand.

There are plenty of things that you can do as a family that don’t require you to dig deep in your pockets. Check out your local swimming pool – many offer two for one deals – or grab a frisbee and a picnic and head down to the local park. If the weather is not so kind this half term, how about checking out your local shopping centre? From sports days to story time and film days, there are often a wide variety of free events suitable for the whole family and you never know, you might find a new hobby!

So if you are looking for some much needed ideas to keep the children entertained this half term, or any time throughout the year, log onto this live webTV show for some advice. Nell McAndrew and parenting expert Judy Reith will be offering their hints and tips just in time for National Family Week, (31^st May to 6^th June 2010) another great reason to spend a day together!

Nell McAndrew and Judy Reith join us live online at www.studiotalk.tv on Thursday 27^th May at 15:45 to discuss fun things to do with the family

For more information on what is happening in your local shopping centre visit www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk