So, we have reached that time of year again when the School bell has rung, the dinner ladies have hung up their aprons and the children are on their summer holidays. As exciting as this may be for our little ones, this means 6 weeks of keeping them entertained which isn’t always the easiest of tasks.
Providing entertainment doesn’t need to cost a fortune, we have put together a little snapshot of cheap and cheerful ideas to get you through the extended holiday.
Outdoor Fun
With all this amazing weather we have been having lately, get the best of both worlds and top up your tan with some outdoor adventures:
Become a nature detective
Enjoy the wonderful world of nature with a visit to one of the Woodland trust woods. There’s plenty to do, with acres of woods to explore, trees to climb and rare wildlife to spot. The best thing is that all Woodland Trust woods are completely free and yours to explore. They are dotted all over the country, so visit Woodland Trust to find one near you.
Get sporty with a Free Junior Parkrun
Keeping fit and active is always a bonus, especially when it can be fun too. With the free junior Parkruns children aged between 4-14 are able to take park in weekly timed 2k runs. These run all over the UK and are held every Sunday morning.
If you want to join in, children of any age are also welcome to take part at the weekly timed 5k runs on Saturday mornings. These are usually busier, but the advantage is the whole family can run (dogs too). Visit Parkrun UK for details of one near you.
Swing high in the trees with a trip to ‘Go Ape’
Looking for an adventure day out, filled with adrenaline? Go Ape is your spot. A sky high, Tarzan-inspired obstacle course with heights up to 30 metres. With each location including places to eat and some also with cycle routes and bike hire, this is an amazing day out and great for all the family.
Children can take part in the main obstacle course from age 10, they also have a junior course for children over 1m/3ft 32”tall”.
There are locations all over the UK so please visit http://www.goape.co.uk/ to find your nearest course.
Price: Junior: from £16.00, Age 10-15: £22.00 Age 16+: £28.00
More outdoor fun
If this glorious weather sticks around, why not head to the beach for a day of fun or your favourite picnic spot. Pick your own fruit and veg is also a good one for those summer days see pick your own farms to plan your visit. Farms are also an old school favourite, with plenty dotted all over the UK.
One of our favourites near us in Shoreham is Drusillas Park in Alfriston East Sussex, with a zoo, wet and dry play areas and rides it’s a whole day of fun! http://www.drusillas.co.uk/
Rainy day activities
Now, I know its summer but we are in England after all. Here’s a couple of ideas to keep their boredom at bay if the sun stops shinning:
Pizza making competition
Such a great way to keep the kids entertained, and it can be as simple you want it to be. You can make your dough from scratch or buy it ready made. Then all you need is your favourite toppings, get creative and have a competition for who makes the best pizza. This works really well if they have their friends round or with brothers and sisters.
Top tip: struggling to find a pizza base in your local shop, a flour tortilla wrap works really well for a thin and crispy base.
Bring the Cinema Home
Get your PJ’s on, dim the lights, grab your popcorn and have ‘movie night’. Why not show them one of the classics from your childhood and re-live them together. Think of movies like E.T, Ghostbusters and Back to the future. The kids will love the novelty of it and with the internet and Netflix, nowadays its easy to find something for everyone.
Take a Trip to London
Slightly more on the expensive side in comparison to the other activities, but with so much to do for all the family a trip to our capital city is always a winner.
It doesn’t have to be expensive, pick up a leaflet at the train station where there are often coupons for money off or deals for certain attractions.
London is a playground for children and adults alike with plenty of things on offer, including museums, tourist attractions, zoos and plenty more. Here are some of our favourites:
Warner Bros Studio Tour – Harry Potter
A behind the scenes tour of the Harry Potter films. See first hand the sets, costumes, and props used in all the Harry Potter films.
Madam Tussauds
The next best thing to meeting with all your favourite pop stars and movie icons.
The Science Museums
Learn about science the fun way, with plenty of hands on activities in one of London’s top museums.
Kidzania
A hidden gem that the kids will love. An indoor city run completely by kids, they can pick any roll that they want to play; police, doctors, dancers… there are over 60 real-life activities on offer.
Slots last approximately four hours.
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We hope you have found this useful.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!