Just add wellies
Week 5 of a new Monday Money series of blog posts I’m hosting with Emma at EmmaDrew.info and Lynn from Mrs Mummypenny. It’s a great way to share content about money, so do check the links at the end for other brilliant money posts! Plus, find out how to join in if you’re a blogger. We’d love you to add your posts.
Table of Contents
Half term activities on a budget
Keeping the kids occupied during school holidays can cost an arm and a leg. Tickets, travel, snacks, meals and drinks, topped up with pester power in every shop, can blow the budget.
If you need inspiration for activities that won’t break the bank, I’ve written a couple of posts in the past:
Five frugal things for the school holidays
Top 10 frugal things we did on our holiday
With half term looming, here’s 9 extra ideas for half term activities on a budget, based on how we survived the Easter holidays. My children are 8 and 10, but some of these ideas will suit toddlers up to teenagers.
Boxtastic
1. Bagged some boxes
Turns out boxes can be great way past toddler age, when offspring are often more interested in playing with the box toys came in than the toy itself.
My two love building elaborate box forts, and when we asked in our local branch of QD, the staff really kindly gave them some flattened boxes to take home. Total cost: 75p for parcel tape and resignation to cardboard city in the middle of the carpet.
Tricky for tent pegs
2. Put up a tent
Camping can strike fear in the heart of any parent. I even like camping, just not quite as much or as often as my children, given half a chance.
However, camping doesn’t have to involve trekking to the other side of the country with a car bursting with more equipment than you ever thought possible. I recommend acquiring a small tent for the younger generation to use closer to home, aka the back garden. Space permitting, you can even bung it up indoors when the weather is rubbish. Hours of fun but parents still get to sleep in their own bed. Winner.
Cheap and cheerful small tents for festivals cost around £30, but you can find play tents for less. My camping-crazy daughter had been campaigning for her own two-man tent, so we bought this basic Vango model* for her birthday, so the poles and fixings would fit together properly. It’s so easy to use she can put it up by herself.
3. Transformed a trampoline
While we’re on the den theme, this is a great idea from Sadie of Small & Ordinary Life – the trampoline tent.
When we moved house, the people moving out left their fabulous trampoline behind, and it’s still going great guns nearly four years on.
As an alternative to endless bouncing, try transforming a trampoline into a tent. We used big bull dog clips to attach a couple of cotton throws over the top, then piled up duvets, pillows, blankets and cushions underneath. It’s also a great place to curl up with a book, if you can ever evict the children.
4. Frolicked in foam
I’m not actually suggesting turning your entire garden into a foam pit (although I believe Fairy liquid and a hose do go a long way). But when my husband announced his work needed children for publicity photos for a charity bubble rush, my two were keen to volunteer. We headed over to a local park where the foam cannons created bubbles galore. The kids dived in and had a great time, and even co-operated with the photographer. We finished up the afternoon with a picnic near the playground.
Sadly, I can’t promise them a bubble fest every holiday, but if you’d like to support St Elizabeth Hospice later this summer, sign up for the Bubble Rush 2018 on Sunday 26 August in Christchurch Park, Ipswich.
5. Splashed in muddy puddles
Turns out splashing in muddy puddles never gets old, even when you’re eight. I took my son out for a walk through the local nature reserve, sold as an opportunity for crashing through the undergrowth and clambering up trees. Jumping in some of the biggest, muddiest puddles still turned out to be a highlight. Peppa Pig, eat your heart out.
Quidditch. Just add broomstick.
6. Hung out with Harry Potter
My two remain obsessed with Harry Potter. Books, films, fancy dress, the lot. I’ve even helped drag everything out of a cupboard under the eaves, to be transformed into an occasional Harry Potter understairs bedroom.
Last holidays, we borrowed the book about Quidditch from the library, and the kids decided to transform a couple of balls into a bludger and quaffle, thanks to half a ton of parcel tape. Meanwhile a googly eyeball from Hallowe’en became a snitch, thanks to gold Easter egg foil and rather a lot of sellotape. They also spent most of an afternoon planning the curriculum for an intensive Quidditch course. The lack of flying broomsticks didn’t seem to put them off at all.
I did fail on the frugal front when it came to Quidditch robes. Rather than running up natty robes, Blue Peter stylee, from a handy black sheet and a ton of inspiration, I caved in and bought costumes from ASDA. Fingers crossed the Harry Potter obsession will last long enough for next year’s World Book Day…
7. Made a movie
At one point, the children stopping watch films long enough to make their own movie trailer. They came up with a plot involving a bow and arrows and an unfortunate cuddly toy, dragged together costumes and props, and then did extensive (if wobbly) filming on a smartphone. My husband helped with editing on iMovie, bunging on titles and adding music, and they were all very proud of the action-packed result.
Spoils from the paperclip challenge
8. Took a paper clip challenge
My daughter spotted the paper clip challenge on YouTube, and decided to have a go herself. The idea is that you start with a paperclip, and see if anyone will swap it for something bigger, like a pen. Then you take the pen, swap it for something else, and see how far the swaps take you. The guy who blogged about the idea originally started with a paperclip and ended up with a house!
Anyway my daughter enlisted a friend, ducked into a few local shops and businesses, and emerged triumphant with three cartons of apple juice and The Boys Book of Survival. (Turns out this is much more acceptable to a 10-year-old than a house).
I’m still conflicted about whether it’s appropriate for kids to just ask for stuff and being impressed that she took the initiative. But many thanks to Sweet Memories, East of England Co-op, Harry’s Dad’s office and The Idler.
A rock, transformed
9. Stumbled on stones
We’re lucky to be within shouting distance of the coast, here in Suffok, whether it’s nipping over to the sand at Felixstowe and Frinton, stumbling over pebbles at Aldeburgh or exploring Southwold pier. A trip to the beach can be very budget friendly, if you pack a picnic along with the swimming kit, and manage to avoid the arcades.
Anyway, during a trip to Felixstowe, my daughter found this beautifully painted rock. On the reverse, it says “Photo me then keep or rehide”, with a reference to the Love on the Rocks UK Facebook group.
My daughter was delighted by the idea, and campaigned to go back and find more. She also painted some stones of her own, carted them along when we went to London for the day, and debated the perfect places to leave them.
If you want to create your own, for longer-lasting designs the Facebook group recommends using materials like emulsion, acrylic paint, poster paint, permanent marker pens or nail varnish, and then sealing with spray varnish or yacht varnish from a pound shop afterwards.
Now – over to you. What are your favourite half term activities on a budget? Any suggestions for cheap and cheerful ways to keep the kids quiet in the holidays? Do share in the comments, I’m really looking for ideas!
Pin for later:
Monday Money linky
I LOVE the trampoline tent idea! My girls will love this – going to surprise them with it 🙂
Author
Brilliant! Hope they enjoy it. Make sure you get a go yourself – too good not to share.
Investment is one of the best ways to achieve financial freedom. For a beginner there are so many challenges you face. It’s hard to know how to get started. Trading on the Cryptocurrency market has really been a life changer for me. I almost gave up on crypto at some point not until saw a recommendation on Elon musk successfully success story and I got a proficient trader/broker Mr Bernie Doran , he gave me all the information required to succeed in trading. I made more profit than I could ever imagine. I’m not here to converse much but to share my testimony; I have made total profit returns of $20,500 from an investment of just $2000 within 1 week. Thanks to Mr Bernie I’m really grateful,I have been able to make a great returns trading with his signals and strategies .I urge anyone interested in INVESTMENT to take bold step in investing in the Cryptocurrency Market, he can also help you recover your lost funds, you can reach him on WhatsApp : +1(424) 285-0682 or his Gmail : BERNIEDORANSIGNALS@GMAIL.COM tell him I referred you
Our tent is proving really popular at the moment too, the kids make up some fantastic games with it. I’ve never heard of the paperclip challenge, that sounds like something they’d love too! #MondayMoney
Author
There’s something about tents that seems to work at all ages. Good luck with the paperclip challenge!
I absolutely love the film idea! Years and years ago, my friend and I used to record our own ‘radio show’ on a cassette player every Wednesday night – it was the highlight of our week!
Oh wow now I’m getting flashbacks to my own attempts at recording a radio show on tape, complete with my mother’s Frank Sinatra and Cilla Black singles because I didn’t have any records of my own!
Tents are great! We’ve done our own ‘Indoor Festival Camping’ with the tent bedecked with fairy lights, Glasto/Reading&Leeds etc on the TV and everyone dressed in shorts, wellies and glittery face paint. …..
Another good one for kids under 10ish is The Garden Gymkhana (works fine with 2 kids who then have to double up the pony names and compete against themselves.) Easy to set up ( create your jumps from buckets/ broom handles) use something as a start bell and just make sure you time them properly! Score each pony ehh sorry child and just like a real gymkhana hand out the home-made rosettes or certificates as prizes for the fastest/clear round. My kids who are now older teens still love talking about this and always moan that we didn’t do it more often.
Entertaining about the garden gymkhana. Hmmmm maybe I can borrow hobby horses from the grandparents.
These ideas are all great, active and don’t involve sitting at a game console – hurrah! My kids are older now but I babysit some younger ones occasionally. I think I shall take our pop up tent next time, they’ll love it!
Bet they will love the pop up tent, hope it goes well!
Such great ideas! My girls are all grown up now but we would all go for the foam… looks excellent fun
I think we all have a sneaky liking for masses and masses of bubbles.
Loving all these ideas Faith! The rock painting one is one that my girls would love, even now
I joined the Facebook group Love on the Rocks, and there are so many beautiful designs posted. Well worth a look.
I love this post Faith, so many great ideas that I hadn’t heard of and the boys would love to try out. Half term next week….that snuck up!
Can’t believe it’s half term already. Looking nervously at how I’m going to balance work and holiday.
Thanks for all the ideas! Only one of mine is in school but already half term with 3 little ones to entertain makes me worry about finding things to do!
Tricky with 3, good luck! Remember the days of getting through multiple drawing / playdough / book / lego / jigsaw type activities and it still only being 8am in the morning… We aimed to get out of the house every day, even if it was only to the local park, to keep everyone sane.
Hey, I enjoyed reading your posts! You have great ideas. Are you looking to get resources about Article Marketing or some new insights? If so, check out my website YH6
Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
It’s in reality a nice and helpful piece of info. I’m glad that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
There is obviously a bunch to realize about this. I believe you made various nice points in features also.
Greetings from Idaho! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your website on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m shocked at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, awesome blog!
F*ckin’ awesome things here. I’m very happy to peer your post. Thanks so much and i’m looking forward to touch you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
You made some fine points there. I did a search on the subject matter and found the majority of persons will consent with your blog.
I really appreciate this post. I have been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thx again
I like this web blog so much, bookmarked.
This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen
What i don’t realize is in truth how you are now not actually much more smartly-preferred than you might be right now. You are very intelligent. You recognize therefore significantly in terms of this subject, made me personally consider it from so many varied angles. Its like men and women are not involved except it?¦s something to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your individual stuffs excellent. Always care for it up!
Merely wanna remark that you have a very nice site, I love the style it actually stands out.
Great line up. We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you few interesting things or advice. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I want to read even more things about it!
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you’re a great author.I will remember to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back someday. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great job, have a nice morning!
I really prize your work, Great post.