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Original poster

How much is half term going to cost you?

55 replies

hidinginthenightgarden · 26/05/2019 07:19

I have taken the week off for half term. DD is in nursery wed and Thurs. DS is off all week but I have paid for him to go to a sports club for half a day on Thursday so I can have some time to myself.
We have a pass for a local attraction so I plan to spend tuesday morning there for the cost of icecreams.
Wednesday I have booked tenpin bowling - half term deal is less than £20 for 2 and we get a burger each. We have free tickets from a party for the trampoline park next door too so will do that aswel.
Thursday afternoon - cinema using free tickets from the bank.
Friday - whatever free activities I can think of. Treasure hunts, paper mache models, science experiments, make den in garden etc.
Total cost - Icecream - £6
Bowling £20 + £10 for drinks
Cinema - £5 for drinks and sweets
£20 budget for bumping up free(ish) activities
£15 for sports club
Total £76
Hoping to reduce it!
What are you doing?
Any free activity ideas or national deals you can share for others?

OP posts:
Youngandfree · 26/05/2019 08:13

No half term here so nothing 😂😭

Lolly86 · 26/05/2019 08:16

Actually.planning a quiet ish half term few trips to park indoor and garden toys and maybe a cheap cinema trip so dont want to spend more than about £40 including picnic snacks etc

ItsAllGone19 · 26/05/2019 08:17

Not a penny extra. They'll have the same lunches as school (packed lunch) and between the local parks/nature trails and their well stocked bedrooms there's no need.

My girls will have a mixture of chill out at home days and walkabout adventure days.

Our week's are normally heavily structured so half term is a chance to take a breather from racing around.

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Original poster
hidinginthenightgarden · 26/05/2019 08:18

Motortroll, when you are going away it is a bit different than staying home and speding hundreds!

OP posts:
WalkAwaySugarbear · 26/05/2019 08:19

100s as we're picking up the first lot of high school uniform.

Heymummee · 26/05/2019 08:20

DS1 is off for 2 weeks. DS2 is in nursery so no need to worry about him.
No work for me for tomorrow or Wednesday, he has a residential trip coming up so I’ve said we will go shopping for those bits on Wednesday, aside from that my sister in law will look after him on Tuesday and Thursday, and they usually take her dogs out for a walk somewhere and just hang out, he’s 11 so he’s generally good company. Friday DP will take the day off, they usually have long bike rides so that won’t cost anything.
Then at the weekend I’m taking both kids to stay with family and I’ll be off on the Monday, the train will cost about £40 return, then we will go to the beach, maybe take a trip to the pier and we will need spending money for that, no more than £20 I imagine for some food and the arcade.
Same again then for the Tuesday and Thursday that week, with me being off on the Wednesday - we will probably go bowling on the Wednesday if I can find an offer.

Ginfizplease · 26/05/2019 08:26

We are away this week but last half term we weren't. We didn't spend much though?
We went to the park, rode bikes, did crafts and picnics? I don't think I paid for any specific activities and not sure why that's needed if you don't have the cash? My kids are 5 and 7. I think we went out for tea one night to a local chain place as a treat but think that was it!

SpeedyBojangles · 26/05/2019 08:26

£2500 Blush

We are going on holiday Grin

Peabody25 · 26/05/2019 08:29

Tomorrow we're just doing a Pokemon Go walk so maybe just the coat of a treat and drinks

Tuesday he's with GPs but they're just playing and visiting a toy shop so no cost

Wednesday with DH so maybe a train ride if he fancies, at £10ish or just a Pokemon Go walk

Thursday to Saturday we're in Blackpool so hotel and breakfast already paid for £180, and just the cost of amusements, rides, two meals out etc so roughly £120 and hopefully the rest of the time on the beach. Potentially spending more if the weathers bad.

Sunday lazy day doing nothing then back to school and work.

hopeishere · 26/05/2019 08:30

Nothing. It's not half term in Northern Ireland. Mind you they break up in five weeks for the summer...

JoinTheDots · 26/05/2019 08:30

Mon - Local garden centre has a free activity on, so does hobbycraft (slime making) so will do those 2 and while in town need to get both kids new trainers and a few other bits. That will cost, but its not a half term cost as such... Will buy them lunch out though as we will be there all day I expect. £20 if they persuade me to get Nandos.
Tue - Local museum is free, but have a dino craft workshop £4 for 2 kids which will fill the entire morning. Afternoon we are Pokemon hunting in the woods, with time at the den building area and natural play area (free)
Wed - National Trust has a kids trail and craft thing on (£6 for both kids) and we will spend the whole day there with a picnic
Thur - Meeting friends at the park in the morning, there is a cafe there so I predict I will get stung for drinks and snacks, but they do a squash and biscuit deal for kids which is only £1.50 each, so will try to keep it to £3 total. If warm, will end up getting icecream too (£4). Afternoon at home, eldest has homework project to complete and youngest will be happy with lego and toys.
Fri - There is a big hill near by and the kids love flying kites there, that will fill a morning, then we will get the bikes out in the afternoon and ride around the woodland trust place near by they have loads of trails which are family friendly. Will take our own drinks and snacks to both.

Under £40 total and keeping pretty busy

LizziesTwin · 26/05/2019 08:32

Very little. DD is doing A levels and spends all day everyday working. Not even time to go out for dinner as she’d rather use her ‘free time’ to go for a long run or do a class at the gym.

CuppaSarah · 26/05/2019 08:35

Obviously there's the increased food bill with DD being home all week, instead of having lunch at school. But that should only be about £5.

We have a community cafe with messy play one day, so that'll be £2 for some juice and snacks. We'll go to the big park for a day, so that'll cost about £5 in parking. The rest of the time we'll spend walking, going to friends houses or having friends round here. So all in, it shouldn't be more than £20 hopefully.

Blankscreen · 26/05/2019 08:38

I've got a 15, 8 and 6 year to entertain
Got a couple of things planned.

History show in London for 8 and 6 year old £26 plus train fare and lunch do £60 ISH total

Go karting for 15 year old £80(already paid for)

Woodland adventure trail £60 includes raft building, bush craft session golf and paddle.boarding

We have inset day Monday after half term so going to a theme park as it will hopefully be quieter.

15 yrar old will rifle through snacks constantly but probably won't want to come out for the day. .

I've just added it up and it's.extortinate and thats without all the extra food. The other days we can do some free activities like bike rides

mindutopia · 26/05/2019 08:38

£80 for 3 full days of holiday club for my school age one and then £18 for a Rainbows activity she is going to next weekend though that isn’t really because it’s half term so not sure that counts!

I’m working Tuesday to Thursday so littlest is in nursery those days, but that is a normal expense. Friday is a normal day off for me. My dh has a business that involves going to a lot of festivals during the summer, so we’ll be at one tomorrow and on Friday (festival is all week but only he is there that time because I’m working). So we will go there and spend some money on food and activities, maybe £50 a day for the 4 of us (mostly food and drinks for us though). But that’s a normal thing we do many summer weekends, not because it’s half term. We are also working so making more than we spend. Next weekend will be a quite one at home.

Picnics in the park, going to the beach, going for a walk, etc are all good and free. You may find some local fetes or fairs that will be not too expensive. Then we usually do 1-2 days of a paid attraction if I’m off all week (which I’m not usually anymore), but that can be pricey to get in.

Echobelly · 26/05/2019 08:39

Well it would have been £180 for three days at camp for the two of them (7 and 10), though I was able to pay with childcare vouchers. I'm off work on Friday, not sure what activities we're doing, but I expect it'll cost us £70+ by the time you include lunch out. That's London for you.

Curlyshabtree · 26/05/2019 08:53

WE are staying with gp’s.
Biggest expense is fuel, £80. Everything else is around visiting family and friends so just picnic supplies. We have a trip to London planned so we have the cost of train tickets (about £30 - we have a railcard). We’ll be visiting a free museum. DB and dsil taking us out today so I will be buying us all an ice cream! I am lucky to have such a lovely extended family whom I love to spend time with. We’re 200 miles away so don’t get down that often.

chipshopElvis · 26/05/2019 08:59

Mine are off for two weeks and we are going camping so about £400.00 all in for 10 days. Don't really spend much when we are at home, but we are in a city with loads of free museums and parks. We also go off on bike rides and National Trusting and they get free swimming in the hols. If we do cinema it's usually the cheap kids one. Tesco vouchers are great for eating out, but we save them for camping holidays.

BlueMerchant · 26/05/2019 09:00

£400. Chalet at park near the beach.
Hopefully no more than another £100 on ice cream, fish and chips, drinks and shows.
Weather has been beautiful but isn't looking too good for week ahead. Raincoats all the way....

NeedAUsernameGenerator · 26/05/2019 09:00

Childcare 2 kids x 2 days £160
Annual membership to a local attraction £50
Fuel and parking (estimated) £45
Kids' day out with DH £50

Just over £300. Will take picnics on days out and have a couple of 'free' (fuel/parking only) things planned.

SprogletsMum · 26/05/2019 09:01

My MOT is due on Friday so we'll be doing only free stuff but I'll no doubt be spending £££££££s Sad

Tessalectus · 26/05/2019 09:44

Not much more than a tenner for swimming. We both commute long distances, so actually save on fuel.

Went to the library, did some baking, will do clothes shopping (which is not extra as needed with growing children; we just actually have the time to do this). Other normal family admin, which would happen anyway: dentist, various appointments, termly de-cluttering of rooms etc. Some gardening and DIY, some crafts.

A week is not that long.

Greyhound22 · 26/05/2019 09:45

DS is 4 and has only been at a school nursery since Sept so these are our first set of holidays really.

Disappointed to see it's going to rain most of the week. Have just ordered new sand for the sandpit! Was planning on staying in tomorrow and Thursday DH is off so we were hoping to use the new Merlin passes to go somewhere. I might use them a couple of times actually and pop to the Sealife centre. I've always thought of them as massively extravagant but my friend told me you can pay monthly for them now. When I worked out how much it would be for a trip we have planned next month and DS wanting to go to LegoLand for his birthday it seemed worth it.

I really don't want to spend a fortune - I can now see why people moan about rainy holidays! Will pop and see family a couple of days too.

GrassIsntGreener · 26/05/2019 09:47

We'll go to a National Trust place, a local park, have a day or two chilling or sorting things at home, they've got friends coming over to play a couple of times...probably a bit of fuel, a few ice creams/snacks and drinks.

I didn't know people planned activities for every single day!

MyOtherProfile · 26/05/2019 09:50

Sports activity one day costing £30 each. Swimming pool one day costing £10. Other days are bike rides, seeing friends, picnics. Dinner out one day in a nice restaurant because we all enjoy that.