Fun days don’t have to be expensive! With the current cost of living crisis putting pressure on all of us, we have put together a list of some of our favourite family holiday activities which won’t break the bank.
Outdoor Activities
1) Garden Camping
Kids always love camping and getting back to nature and whilst it is a cheap holiday option, campsites and the cost of getting there can be expensive. Pitching a tent and sleeping out in the garden can be great fun for the whole family. You can also cook on an outdoor stove or BBQ, plus you have the benefit of being able to pop inside back to your own bed if it gets a little chilly. You can also have fun sitting around a campfire, toasting marshmallows and enjoying a delicious mug of hot chocolate. Our Cocoba Belgian Hot Chocolate stirrer spoons are currently on sale and make a delicious treat.
2) Visit a Splash Park or Local Lido
Cooling down in the summer in the water outside is a great activity but if you don’t live by the sea or a lake, visiting a splash park or local lido can be a great option on a hot sunny day. Alternatively running around in a sprinker in the garden can be just as fun, just don’t forget the sunscreen!
3) Bike Rides
Have fun together planning a bike ride, there are more and more traffic free cycle routes which can make for a safe and fun family activity. If you are really organised, you could cycle the route ahead of time and hide some little treats along the way for your kids to find when they go. Asking on a local facebook page can be a great way to get recommendations for routes or Cycling UK have a great list of UK wide family friendly cycle routes.
4) Make Ice Lollies
Much healthier and less added sugar, homemade ice lollies are simple to make. Easiest if you happen to have ice lolly moulds (worth the investment in my opinion) but if not, you can use disposable or plastic cups or even muffin tins lined with foil work just as well if covered with foil and a lolly stick added. If you do want to buy some moulds, Lakeland have some great ones available.
5) Go crabbing
Definitely a favourite in our household. If you are near the sea like us, crabbing is a fabulous activity which keeps the kids (and adults) entertained for hours. Just find a suitable spot on rocks, a harbour wall or jetty. You can either use a cheap crabbing line (they only cost a couple of pounds) or make your own by using some fishing line. We recommend using a small mesh bag to hold the bait (one used for washing tablets is ideal) and weight it with a small stone so that it sinks to the bottom. Ideally, you will also need a net with a long handle and you will definitely need a bucket filled with salt water to put all your crabs into. For bait we recommend using bacon or any fish offcuts, the crabs will love them. Just lower your line to the bottom and wait patiently for a few minutes for the crabs to take the bait, then slowly lift the line and use the net to put the crab into before putting it into a bucket of water.
6) Geocaching
A wonderful way to get the kids out walking. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt, where people have hidden small waterproof boxes outside that you find using an app. There are thousands of geocaches hidden all over the world, and so wherever you are, there is sure to be one nearby for you to find.
Indoor/Rainy Day Activities
7) Indoor Games
Whether it is cards or traditional board games, playing games together can be such a great activity for all the family. My kids love playing card games with their grandparents. You can take it in turns to choose your favourite game.
8) Baking
The activity of baking together is really special. Baking and cooking are great and fun ways to develop so many skills and nothing is better than freshly baked goodies that you can enjoy afterwards. Obviously, our baking mixes are a great choice because they are so simple, have all the dry ingredients measure out already so all you need to add are a couple of store cupboard ingredients, so no need to pop to the shops. They are totally fool proof and guarantee delicious results every time plus there is less mess to clear up.
9) Homemade Play-dough
Like baking but obviously you can play with the result, rather than eating it! This recipe to make homemdea play-dough from BBC Good Food is so simple.
10) Rock Painting
Wherever you are, you can always find some rocks that can be painted on a rainy day. Get creative with paint (acrylic paint is best and will last longest or you can varnish them afterwards). You can also use marker pens to write short inspirational messages or kind words on the rocks. A nice idea is to leave them around your local area for people to find.
So whatever you are up to this summer, hopefully we will have provided a few cost effective ideas to entertain the family and ways to make some lovely memories to treasure.
