The school summer holidays have officially commenced. This means one thing and one thing only. It is time to entertain the children for 6 weeks straight, yikes! Creating an action-packed 6 weeks whilst being on a budget might seem near impossible, but there are so many free, and subsidised activities that are out there for the whole family to enjoy. In some aspects, you will need to get creative, but depending on your local community, there will likely be some events taking place to keep kids busy and having new experiences during this time.
From movie nights to hiking days out, giving your children the summer they have always wanted is possible. Save your pennies for essentials whilst curing summer boredom for the children with the following suggestions:
Go To Your Closest Beach
First things first, summer is all about enjoying the nicest weather of the year. What better way to honour this than to go to your closest beach to enjoy a beach day? Beach days are the best day out, whilst also spending minimum pennies whilst you are there. All you need is a few miles of fuel to get there, a comfy picnic blanket, some packed lunches, and perhaps a sandcastle bucket, and you’re ready to roll! The kids can explore the rolling dunes, splash in the sea, and run a muck on the beach. You must include the beach on your bucket list of summer activities this year, the whole family will thank you for it!
Look Out For Local Kids’ Clubs
Kids clubs can be your saving grace for the days when you are stuck for ideas. Check with your local community for any organised events that might be taking place to round up all the kids in the neighbourhood to do group activities. Local leisure centres also are great places to find kids’ clubs, but they can sometimes cost too much depending on the activity they organise. Meeting other children their age, they will be able to experience new activities within the safety and care of professionals. It might just give you the peace you need when you are struggling to keep them busy!
Go Camping
Camping isn’t for everyone, but every child should be able to experience camping at least once. Being with nature and experiencing the beautiful landscapes is amazing for children needing some fresh air, and to get off their electronic devices. It can also be a fun day out shopping for all of the camping equipment you need, whilst also offering them a learning experience setting up the tent and learning to respect the wildlife!
Visit A Museum
The summer holidays should also include some aspects of the environment and education. Educating your children about history is best done within the museums. Most museums offer free entry, but it would be best to check your local museum’s website before you show up without any tickets. Often there are educational guides and also materials for children to learn from as they walk through the museum. That’s an exciting activity and some education enrichment completed in one day!
Create a Treasure Trail
If you are the type of parent who likes to get creative, you might consider creating a treasure trail for your children. Even better, consider organising one for all of the kids on your street and make it a community event! Hide various treasures or chocolates within a safe area of your community and let the children race each other to find the treats. Children need to spend time with other children during the summer to get them comfortable with the interactions and making friends, so organise a community treasure trail for everyone to take part in!
Bake Cakes
Are your kids asking for sweet treats? Why not make them from scratch with the whole family? Consider having a bake-off with the family, with different teams making different cakes to compare against each other. Guide them through the steps, and let them get as creative as they want with the decorating process. Allow them to take the reins, and let them make mistakes! Showing them how to move on from mistakes is a valuable life lesson and start again. Enjoy your sweet treats as a family once you are finished with your favourite film too. Easy and cost-effective, the cost of the ingredients will last you much longer than a ready-made cake!
Go Hiking
Hiking could potentially be paired with a camping trip if you choose to do so, but a day of hiking will get your children fresh air, whilst also giving them the exercise they need. Find a local trail that is safe for the little ones but also offers some beautiful scenery. Make sure you wear your muckier clothing and also plan to have a nice cafe meal at the end of the trail to feed the hungry tummies. You can also bring packed lunches to have whilst on the trail to avoid any moaning!
Go E-Scooter Riding!
Finally, you might consider riding e-scooters with the whole family! Many towns and cities now have their fleets of adult electric scooters and also children’s ones so everyone can ride through the cities on fun vehicles. Find your closest city that has electric scooters to hire. They usually charge per hour, so once you are finished riding around the city you might consider being a tourist in your city.
Bottom Line
Overall, the summer holidays can be filled with fun, whilst avoiding breaking the bank with the correct planning. Opt for activities that are free to attend such as going to the beach, organising treasure trails, and also baking a cake to spend time together as a family and come together.