Published: 02/09/2010 16:34 - Updated: 02/09/2010 16:37

This summer holiday wasn't the usual Mission:Impossible for parents.

The council's Extended Services Team has been proving to local families that keeping children entertained in the summer holidays needn’t cost the earth, by setting them a series of tasks.

Parent support advisors, extended services coordinators and children’s centre staff teamed up with community mobilisers and Woughton Parish Council to hold activities during the first four weeks of the holidays for children in the Woughton Small Schools Cluster.

The team created five Mission Impossible sessions which encouraged parents and children to work together to create things and find out information, like decorating cupcakes and finding contact details for council services.

They were given no clues but had to work together to complete the tasks as quickly as they could.

Other sessions organised by the team included putting on a fashion show, multisports, den building, arts and crafts and African drumming.

Parent support advisor Ana-Maria Jones said: “The creativity of the children and parents at the sessions was amazing.

"We planted a seed with a small task and they unleashed this amazing imagination and resourcefulness which saw brilliant results.

"Not only were the activities fun, they also enabled parents and children to think through things, discuss and simply have one-on-one time together.”