Occupying kids

Mess is almost essential in my opinion, just protect your surfaces or contain within a tray. I used to provide craft projects, scientific experiments and building dens from chairs and blankets, in which they enjoyed a picnic sometimes made by themselves. You could even play shops with the contents of your cupboards. I bought some lengths of jazzy fabric remnants from Ebay for dressing up and putting on a 'show'.
I am afraid a bit of effort is required, but you will reap the rewards and find it less tiring in the long run if they don't argue. I wish you a good day!

Board games can be good old fashioned fun? Plan out the day with meals as markers. Perhaps find a film you can all watch for a couple of hours in the afternoon? Are there chores that they can 'help' with? Might be boring but good life skills.

I think you are allowed to feel negative.

My inlaws had my kids for 48 hours and out them in a holiday club for 8 of them!!!!!

Yes I thought that too Riverwalk. Baking is a good idea and of course children love to put on their boots and go out in the mud. A short treasure hunt for natural items would suit even a lazy child. My grandchildren are now in their twenties and the time went so quickly, enjoy them while you can.

I suggest breaking the day up into some sort of activity and then " down time".
If they have pads or pods or whatever they are, let them have them.
Give them a healthy lunch and then a walk to a local shop for sweets?

I wonder why they fight.....

You sound very negative about the whole day

Crafts don't have to be messy - I have a big box of card, stickers, paper, sticky tape, crayons, coloured pipe cleaners, etc., and the grandchildren spend hours crafting, occasionally squabbling over the scissors or suchlike!

Even if your local playground is basic at least they can burn off a bit of energy there, followed by some TV, lunch, Lego, and maybe a short walk to local shops for a treat.

Ours love doing crafts and we contain it in the kitchen. We put anvoilcloth on the kitchen table, provide junk and glue, paints etc. I think grandchildren equate mess.

We also have lots of games and dvds.

We find that we need to have a variety of activities

Is there a local sports centre or swimming pool?

Mess is what children are all about and you are going to have problems if you want to keep your house mess free. DGC have been spending half term with me. They are much the same age as yours.

We have been cooking, doing needlework (DGD is making herself and a doll matching dresses), raking leaves in the garden, playing with lego, drawing, writing poetry, and, yes, the house is a mess but they are on their way home today and I can tidy the house and get it back to normal in an hour.

How about baking simple recipes and preparing simple meals. Teach them to sew/ knit or go to the library they sometimes have events going on. The countryside can be lovely just wear suitable footwear they’d love being outside exploring using up energy.