Mustering up energy to enjoy school holidays with no money and no family around

[iWouldlike]

Anyone in the same situation? We have no family nearby. We see my family once a year and havent seen Dh's family in 4 years.

I work term time only which is lovely in theory but we are on a very limited budget at present and I have emptied all my emotional energy reserves over the last few school holidays trying to come up with interesting budget ideas for my 2 children 7 & 5. So now I'm just looking ahead to the holidays with a feeling of lethargy and defeat.

DH works one day every weekend as well so I also have the children alone then.

For the last few weekends they have been watching TV whilst I've been hiding upstairs pottering around, tidying, reading etc. I just can't muster up energy to do something that costs no money and even cheap things seems expensive when you start adding the cost of transport, parking etc up. I have even ruled out doing things with friends as that adds up as well (interesting picnic foods to share, coffees out etc)
Feel really stuck in a rut at the moment and wondering if anyone is in similar situation and could inspire me

Trips to the park and play hide and seek, eye spy etc. Mine loved nature walks, look for berries, leaves, seeds, twigs, pebbles and make a display box out of cardboard. (Lots of hand washing and no eating, obvs.)

Christmas baking and decorating little cakes and biscuits with icing, decorate rich tea biscuits if short of time. Use raisins or cut up sweets or chocolate bars, don't buy cake decorations. Jelly sweets work well.

DIY pizza to teach them to cook (dough from scratch or buy plain pizza base eg from Tesco)
Craft, any craft really but mine liked to make woven Danish paper hearts (just Google, there are loads, you/they cut them yourselves) and hang them on the tree with a sweet inside.

You can invite friends round so they and their children share these activities. We used to do this as it's a levelling activity when friends have different incomes.

Finally (My favourite) put them both in the bath (maybe with bubbles and toys, any toys will do), cover the floor with any old towels and let them play until they complain the water's cold. Let them really tire themselves out. Great if you're tired too.
Hope you get lots more ideas.

I'd take the pressure off yourself OP and use the time to focus on rest as much as you can. It's not going to matter too much if you don't fill the holidays with activities.
How about family movies with popcorn, snuggle up under a blanket. Will they have a few pressies to play with after xmas? Let them do that while you relax a bit. Can you get friends to pop by with dcs and just give them a cuppa and a biscuit, then they'll hopefully return the favour? Or get a friend round for dc to play with and do a swap.
It's really hard at the time of year and with that age group. They can get so excited hyper too. It's not easy. Lower expectations.

Its often easier to spilt the day up.

Maybe try and do up, toys and get ready with no tv. Then spend the morning somewhere. Home for lunch. then you can spend the afternoons at home. Homework, reading, game together, bake something. Then a christmas film each afternoon once it starts getting dark 3-5pm. Do fancy baths with lots of bubbles, music, lots of toys and that will pass an hour before bed or dinner.

The mornings fill with like others have suggested. Invite school friend over one morning, walk somewhere, library. If you drive, drive to local woods, take hot choc in flask, can ask others to join if interested.

Many areas will also put on christmas activities for children if you look up your local area. Cheap swimming times, £1 early morning cinema, see santa, craft times at library etc.

Is there somewhere local which does a family membership for a reasonable price? many places like farms, national trust type places, historical, go ape climbing type place do an annual pass. its a one off fee, which means although maybe the £60-100 seems pricey, if you then have free access all year its really good value, its worth looking at for next year if not this.