There are ways to have fun with your children without your finances suffering. Below are some suggestions for things to do that don’t cost a bean or which cost very little, ideal for making your money go that bit further during school holidays and weekends.
It’s also well worthwhile taking some time out to scour your local listings – you may be surprised that many things to do and places to go don’t come with a hefty price tag…
Root around the charity shops
This activity might incur some minimal cost but if the weather’s not so good this is a great idea to while away a wet afternoon. Take a trip to your local high street and give each child 50p or £1 to spend in the charity shop. If you’re lucky you’ll have a few shops to choose from so the idea is to just have a good root around, unearthing unusual items, books and toys.
Charity shops are often full of hidden little gems and offer you a guilt-free retail experience while your kids get to experience a different kind of shopping. You’ll almost certainly find something: a fun item for the dressing-up box, an interesting book, some fancy costume jewellery or some new cars…think of it as a kind or retail treasure hunt!
Bus around town
A bus trip might not inspire much excitement in you but if you tend to take the car most of the time younger children will find a trip on the bus quite a novelty. From our experience transport-mad little boys will be fascinated by watching the driver and the comings and goings as people get on and off the bus. And few children can resist climbing upstairs to the top deck and securing a front window seat to play at being driver! Children under five usually travel free so you’ll only have to pay your own fare.
A trip to the library
Dust off that library card and take the kids off to choose some books, DVDs or computer games. Many libraries run activities for kids, including craft days and story times. DVDs and games may come with an additional charge, but this will be minimal (around £1 – £2 per DVD) and certainly cheaper than your local rental shop.
If you live in the city it might be worth going to your central library where the range will be bigger. Many major libraries are housed in interesting buildings too, so that alone will provide some interest to the kids.
Get down to the garden centre
Garden centres are surprisingly child-friendly. Many of the bigger ones have aquaria, aviaries and nice cafes so you can quite easily while away a morning wandering around and looking at the animals. Most kids love pressing their noses up to the fish tanks and observing all those pretty-coloured fish, especially the tropical varieties – see if they can spot a ‘Nemo’ or a sea-horse!
A stroll through the plant and flower displays is also rather nice, and some centres even have children’s play areas. Top the morning off with a cup of tea and cakes all round at the cafe if you’ve been particularly thrifty all week!
A culture trail at the museum
Museums – especially the big, old ones – are full of excitement for children of all ages. More sedate art galleries are perhaps best saved for older children but like so many places these days the flagship city museums have a relaxed policy towards children and welcome visitors of all ages. Not only that but many museums are free of charge – including some great ones in the capital, such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tate – so if you find the experience is lost on your children you won’t have wasted any money.
But most children will be fascinated by the varied collections – think dinosaurs, Egyptian relics, Roman coins and stuffed animals! Furthermore, your local museum may also fun specific activity days or culture trails for children, to help the exhibits really come to life, and some have special areas for children, with books, toys and colouring sheets.
A day at the beach
Beaches don’t have to be reserved for the summer. Out of season you’ll have miles of sand almost to yourself, so they’re a great place to burn off some energy with a bracing walk along the shore, or a game of cricket or rounders. Beaches are packed with interesting natural features too – scour the surf for pretty shells and pebbles, or get your wellies on and explore some rock pools.
Nature Trail at the Park
If your children are bored of the local playground why not widen your horizons. More wooded parks are a hotbed of nature to discover so why not go on a nature trail and get the children to look at their surroundings in a little more detail – what can they see when they look into the pond – fish, frogs or dragonflies? Take some paper and do some bark rubbings, collect pine cones to spray and decorate back home, point out the different types of trees and ask the children to find as many different leaf varieties as possible…
Visit the farm
If you live in the city it doesn’t mean your children can’t experience a day at the farm. There may be a city farm in your city – Bristol, for example, has several and London has a whopping 17! They’re usually free of charge and you and your children can wander around, looking at and feeding the animals.
Article source: netmums.com