Taken from guest blog by Sally – Harrogate Mumbler
School’s out for summer, but spending quality time with the kiddos doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune for six whole weeks! Cheap doesn’t have to mean boring though, and with a bit of creative thinking, you can plan a summer break to be proud of!
Here are some quick, easy and cheap summer holiday ideas to make memories and save pennies!
Have breakfast in the park!
Pack up an easy breakfast – we usually grab some croissants, yoghurt tubes and fruit – and beat the playground crowds. The kids will love having breakfast outdoors and there won’t be a queue for the swings! Make it extra fun by letting them go in their jammies, or by taking a few teddies for a Teddy Bear Picnic.
Make banana bites
Chop up a banana, spread it out on baking paper then stick it in the freezer for a few hours for a deliciously icy, sweet and healthy treat!
Make microwave popcorn
We love this easy popcorn recipe from My Fussy Eater. You just need a brown paper bag, popcorn kernels and a few minutes.
Lick ice lollies – in the bath!
It’s a great way to cool down and you don’t have to worry about them getting sticky!
Decorate bikes
Gather some craft supplies like stickers and streamers then let the kids transform their rides into the brightest bikes on the block. They’ll love showing off their new creations and burn off energy riding them around later.
Face painting
You can get lots of cheap kits in the shops, some come with stencils and accessories too. Experience has taught me this is best done outside and NOT anywhere with a light-coloured carpet!
Nature faces
Use what you have in the garden or go on a walk to collect flowers, twigs etc then make fabulous faces with your finds.
Sidewalk chalk
Make giant snakes and ladders, hopscotch, or draw huge pictures on the path.
Make a marble run
With sticky tape, toilet rolls and cardboard
Turn the garden into a science lab
Take the mess outside and conduct some cool and easy experiments. There are some good ones here.
Have an “unbirthday party” at home
A whole summer off school is reason enough for a party! Go the whole hog with balloons, party games, streamers, a pinata and a cake. You don’t have to worry about cards and presents, or inviting people if you don’t want, just spend the day partying with the kids!
Hold a Neighbourhood Sports Day
Gather the local parents and kids together and hold a good old fashioned sports day – or night – in someone’s garden, or somewhere else that’s safe. Think egg and spoon races, sack races, wheelbarrows,all the oldies and goodies.
Try geocaching
This isn’t something we’ve tried yet, but have friends who do it all weekend. Geocaches are treasures hidden by other players; usually little plastic containers with a few trinkets inside. You download an app, get GPS information for the geocaches you want to find, then start hunting. There’s usually a logbook inside and you can take one of the knickknacks home, leaving one of your own behind for the next people to find.
Visit the pet shop
Pets at Home often run school holiday workshops where you can hold the animals and learn all about them (we did one over Easter and loved it) but just visiting to look at the animals is always a hit.
Make invisible ink
Send the kids on a secret mission with the help of some lemon juice, instructions here.
Invent a code
Write each other secret letters and crack the code. There are a few ideas to get started here.
Write a story together
You could write a line each, either by saying it out loud or by writing something and folding it over, then passing the paper on. We also like to write sentences onto pieces of paper, put them into a bowl then pull them out to create a wild and wacky tale.
Sign up for the library reading challenge
It keeps their hand in reading over summer, and they can collect a prize at the end.
Toast Smores over a campfire
For an easy Smore, toast a marshmallow over the flames then stick it between two chocolate digestives. Delicious!
Backyard camping
Skip the drive to the campsite, shower blocks and shared loos and pitch the tent in the back garden. They can play camping all day, and even sleep in it at night!
Thanks so much to guest blogger Sally. If you have family or friends in Harrogate then be sure to let them know about the Harrogate Mumbler website.
There’s plenty on Gateshead Mumbler to help keep little ones (and big ones!) busy, check here for more ideas and info for playgroups, classes and fun days out from tots to teens!
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