Share your tips with other members of the Mum and Working Community. Every month there will be a different theme...and for the best advice our partners Community Times are offering a £50 prize!
Our subject in July is all about Money Saving Ideas (for the School Holidays). For some parents the School Holidays stretch ahead as a whirl of endless expensive activities - swimming, cinema, play barns etc..etc..Send in any advice about fun activities, things to do, cheap days out with children that won't blow the bank and you could really be helping other parents out! - email tips@mumandworking.co.uk.
Money Saving Ideas!
- Organise days out before School ends!
-
Before school finishes is the time to pre-arrange some group activities. Set a date and time for mums and your kids school friends to meet at a local park for a picnic. Everyone bring their own picnic or arrange for everyone to bring a dish and tick off a list. Great way for your kids to catch up with their mates - the kids are usually busy playing in the playground while mums can relax and chat. We arrange rounders and games for the older kids. Its a fun day out and really easy to organise. We post a message at the class doors and mums simply add their names and tick off which dish they will bring. We do this two or three times over the holidays and gives the kids something to look forward to. We are lucky to have Bushey Park in our catchment with a huge sandpit but any local park is good.
Su
- Wednesday Dates
-
Myself and our friends, each year we choose a place to visit each week say every Wednesday to bring a picnic and meet at a free to get in place ie the local park beach etc. Very cheap day out and all the kids have a great time playing with their friends at the local paddling pool, feeding the ducks or playing on the swings.
We have quite a big gathering of mums this year. There are loads of places to visit in Bournemouth. Parks, duck ponds, the river, the beach, country parks even each others gardens. You don't have to pay expensive entry fees to have a great day, take a trip on a bus, again with a picnic, can work out to be less than £4. Watch the planes at airports. Visit museums. May sound boring but kids love looking at things and they are usually free to get in.
We share cars, so we only have to pay 1 lot of petrol every other week, it saves pennies and the environment too. We always take picnics no matter where we go, this saves a huge amount of money.
Ellie
- Art-tastic
- My top tip for the summer holidays is to make it Art-tastic ! There are lots of great arty things you can do for very little money. The other great thing is that children / siblings of different ages can do arty things together as they just work to their own level.
1. Go to 'The Works' which sells really cheap art materials and get loads of
really good quality stuff such as proper art paper and some pastels or
watercolours for the same price as cheap kits from the ELC or kids
magazines. Children respond well to good materials and get better results
too ! My kids like to pretend they are 'proper' artists and it keeps them
amused for hours. You can also buy very cheap packs of blank cards and get
your kids to produce a few masterpieces for grandparents / thank you
letters etc.
2. Phone every single museum and art gallery near you and ask for their
summer programme for kids. We have been to loads of sessions which are quite
often free, sometimes £2-3 per child. These sessions provide all the
materials, a theme and really enthusiastic staff to guide your children. We
have made puppets, clay fossils, animal pictures, painted self portraits etc
and you get to sit down and have a cup of coffee whilst they make a mess
somewhere other than your house. Bliss! Make sure you find out early and get
booked in as these sessions are always popular.
3. If you are lucky enough to be going to St Ives, do not miss the Tate St
Ives art beach activities. They produce a fantastic art pack and your
children sit painting on the beach , totally absorbed in something other
than getting wet and demanding icecream. Also, paying a small fee for this
activity gives you free access to the Tate St Ives, which gives you a bit of
extra change to go to the Tate Cafe for the best cream tea in the
universe.... happy days.....
4. Try taking a mini art pack wherever you go , for example a small water
colour pad and some crayons, maybe some stickers, whatever it is your kids
like. I find that producing this at a picnic or in a cafe usually buys me an
extra half hour to enjoy my coffee ... and sanity is priceless after all !!!
Kate
- Ideas from a Mum of 5!
-
It's a real treat to go to theme/fun parks etc, but as anyone knows costs a fortune to achieve!! I have tried and tested every possible avenue with five children to provide for and swear by the following:-
One of the cheapest and fun things to do, with minimum cost for children in the holidays and anytime is to make up a picnic basket and go along to the nearest park with a rounders bat and ball/footbal bats and balls and just have a fun time letting the children tire themselves out. They will burn up a lot of energy and enjoy themselves whilst doing it! Minimum fuss and sun hats/suncream added to your lot makes for quality family time.
On warm weather days seaside trips with bucket and spades in addition to the above is also a cheap way of getting the kids out and enjoying themselves cheaply. On wet days trips to museums which are free are a good educational way of building the children's interest in the world around them, where you can spend hours looking around and enjoying yourself too.
A trip in the car with an in car dvd player/movie and picnic is also a cheaper way of entertainng children rather than the expensive trip to the cinema, toilet trips, popcorn/hotdogs spends and lots of interruptions.
Haven Holiday parks, are also excellent value for money with everything provided to keep the children entertained. Staying in a caravan is a big adventure for children, better than tenting it anyday.
I hope this is of value to others, and believe me I have tried and tested more than the above, but have found these particular ways of keeping the children busy and entertained the most cost effective.
Amanda
- Gardening and Hats!
-
I have just discovered that my 8 year old likes planting. Perhaps your children would like to plant cress on damp cotton wool, or peas/strawberries in a pot...it keeps them occupied and they can make mud pies at the same time! also, dead leaves and petals make wonderful potions when mixed with water...empty washing up liquid bottles also make great water squirters! My daughter also likes to make paper hats and cloaks for our two cats!
Lisa
- Discover what's local...
-
As a single working Mum I struggle to find things for my two daughters to do that doesn't cost the earth, but have discovered that our local gallery in Milton Keynes holds free craft workshops not just in the holidays but weekends too.
Also the local parks trusts have a range of activities most days through the holidays such as walks and and activities that get the children familiar with wildlife and environments around the local lakes and parks.
Michelle
To read January's top tips about Potty Training Click here
To read February's top tips about Food & Feeding Click here
To read March's top tips about Children's Birthdays Click here
To read April's top tips about Holiday Activities Click here
To read May's top tips about Being Green Click here
To read June's top tips about Holidays Click here
To find out what's happening in the School Holidays or for ideas for days out visit - www.whatson4littleones.co.uk
