To ask what's your summer holidays cost?

I don't think you've got off too badly, there. Sounds like you and DC have had a lot of fun together.

I have 4 kids so the holidays are expensive - I'm lucky enough to work term-time only so really make the most of it. I get a few vouchers in advance from Planet Offers and Groupon type places, and have National Trust membership to help with the cost. We also like going to a couple of small, local museums and the library.

I don't think one paid-for day out, as PP suggests, in 6 weeks is realistic. It's nice to be able to go to the cinema in the middle of the day and have a trip to the fair and 6 weeks is such a long time to fill. Also it doesn't sound like you're not able to afford it, just that you've noticed the cost?

It strikes me that growing up we didn’t do anything - and I mean anything in the school holidays in terms of days out or ‘entertainment’. We used to play out from dawn until dusk and that was it. We were lucky enough to be surrounded by corn fields and woods and we (us kids, on our own) would go on ‘missions’ that would last the entire day.

I know times change but these were seriously the happiest days of my life.

Can you look for free activities? I live in quite a big but there’s loads of free things on, free kids parties, splash parks etc.
We’re national trust members too so technically it’s costing me £13 a month but all those parks have summer fun things on for kids.
Some days we’re just going to the local bike park too with a picnic.

You're doing a lot of expensive stuff 🙈

I don't have children but growing up we'd have done one major activity per holiday - so either zoo or theme park or farm - never all three. My parents weren't struggling for money either but we did mostly free stuff - strawberry picking, park, bike rides etc.

We don’t do theme parks and entertain as much as you do! Why are you doing all these expensive activities?

The park isn’t costing us anything- take a football and a bottle of water and that’s it we don’t even take money with us.

We don’t pay for parking anywhere we go- either free parking or we go somewhere on the road and walk the rest. Take a packed lunch as well. Do free activities.

Two here aged 9 and 11 and we aren’t spending that much

Looks like you've got off lightly compared with what it could cost, but if it's not affordable it's obviously going to be a struggle.

But you've managed a fair few activities including some that were a bit more expensive (farm, fair and theme park) so it's always worth having a think about whether or not things like this are worth the money and/or could be done cheaper.

All you can do is recognise that school holidays cost money and put aside what you can towards this.

My sanity 😂
Sadly we've been unable to do as much as I would like as I haven't had any holidays (started new job at the start of July)

Took kids to a caravan park for 3 nights, the caravan alone was £569 😖