How to Entertain Children for Less During the Summer Holidays

The summer holidays can be an expensive time for families, with six weeks of childcare to organise and activities to fill. Especially during the cost of living crisis, many parents are looking for budget-friendly ways to keep the kids happy and engaged over the summer. The good news is there are plenty of low-cost and free options to entertain children during the long break from school.

Take Advantage of Free Events and Activities

Many local councils, libraries, museums, community centres and other organisations put on events and activities aimed at children during the summer holidays. These are often completely free of charge. Pick up brochures and flyers at your local library or search online to find out what’s happening in your area. You can find everything from craft sessions and teddy bears picnics to nature walks and outdoor theatre performances. It’s a great way to get the kids out of the house without spending a penny.

Explore Local Parks and Nature

The UK is full of beautiful parks and nature reserves just waiting to be explored. Pack a picnic or snacks and let the children run wild, climb trees, spot insects and get back to nature. If you have a garden or outdoor space, set up a paddling pool, run through the sprinkler or get creative with pavement chalk. Outdoor play is often the simplest and cheapest way to let kids expend energy.

Stage Your Own Olympics or Talent Show

Tap into children’s natural creativity and competition. Host your own family olympics with three-legged races, egg-and-spoon dashes, sack races and other silly games using things you have around the house. Hand out medals made from tinfoil. Or put on a talent show where the children sing, dance, put on a magic trick or perform their special skill. Let grandparents be the adoring audience on video chat.

Get Crafty

Crafting provides hours of entertainment for minimal cost. Get creative with materials like cardboard boxes, wool, fabric scraps and natural finds like pine cones, pebbles and shells. Let the kids make their own costumes, puppets, models, pictures and more. Bake play dough together using simple homemade recipes and let their imaginations run wild.

Cook or Bake Together

Cooking and baking is educational entertainment and your foster parents allowance can help cover the cost of ingredients. Let children help prepare simple healthy recipes like smoothies or no-bake energy balls. Bake easy treats like cookies or rice crispy cakes as a rainy day activity. Not only does it keep them engaged, but it teaches valuable kitchen skills too.

Create an Indoor Obstacle Course

Bring the outdoors in by building an indoor obstacle course. Use furniture like chairs and sofa cushions, and household items like broom sticks, buckets and blankets to create a circuit in your home. Take turns timing each other completing the course. This is a high energy activity that costs nothing.

With a little creativity and planning, summer doesn’t have to break the bank. Focus on simple arts and crafts, outdoor play, and engaging your child’s imagination for entertainment that taps into their natural curiosity. The holidays will fly by with these budget-friendly activities kids love.