What to do with dc’s in summer hols with little money?

[Poppysball]

We’re just back from holiday and had a great time but spent a little more than we were expecting!

Now have a week off with dc’s, dd 7 & ds 12 and don’t know what to do with them that doesn’t cost much. The age and sex difference makes it harder as they like different things. DS would be happy to stay in on playstation all week but DD gets bored and needs to go out. She keeps saying she doesn’t know what to do and will I play with her😧. She does have lots of toys and arty things but she seems to just want me all the time.

I am knackered from our holiday and have all the unpacking/washing to do aswell as think about getting all school stuff ready for new term before going back to work.

Any suggestions would be appreciated as I have another 6 days to go!

whereabouts are you living, are there free activities, the park, pool, clubs, social events. can they help around the house or the garden, take pets out for a walk.

Bike ride and picnic
Blackberry picking
Beach or lake
Free local events eg at library, museum
Baking
Geo caching
Skate or bike park
Cheap 'kids am' cinema (ours is 1.99 per ticket)
Gardening
Scrapbooking and craft

I have joined every local facebook page and searched online but everything seems to cost money. Either that or it would suit one but not the other.
DD would be happy with park but DS now finds it boring. She would gladly help me round the house and garden for a bit I think but I worry that ds would just spend the entire day on his machine!

My DDs are much younger so this may not be at all helpful, but just in case it is - a few things we’ve done so far:

• woodland walk treasure hunt (using their Easter baskets to collect as many different fallen leaves / flowers as they could)

• dolly bath time (bubbles in the paddling pool)

• roll old wallpaper out upside down in the garden and see who can paint the prettiest pictures

• chalk pictures (around £2 for a tub of 12 colours)

• feeding duck challenge (who can feed the most ducks?)

*making bird feeders in carved out oranges and hanging in garden

• making a dance together and filming to show Nana

• making shell necklaces

• tie-dye tshirts

• rainbow jelly moulds (played in a big run for ages)

• baking

• trips to local museums, library, parks etc

• hairstyles (watch on YouTube and trial) take pictures for Daddy and he picks the best hair

• making and posting cards to elderly relatives to say hello and tell them what we’ve been up to.

*welly walks (counting puddles we jump in)

• learning new skipping songs

Mutual play dates ? My children seem to play a lot better with friends over and then there is the bonus of child free time to do those chores when they are invited back to the friends house !

Thanks for the ideas, i could see dd liking some of them but not sure about ds. Playdates good idea. I just feel like I should be spending every moment with them as I am on holiday from work but it’s hard to think of fun things to do/places to go every single day and also i do need some time to do my own stuff/sort things out.

I would leave DS home for short periods of time so he can play on his Playstation & take DD out to do some of the activities mentioned by everyone else. Then try to get him out in the afternoon?
Also try to do some reciprocal playdates for DD so you get a bit of time home when she is at someone's house & then if she is home but with a friend you won't need to entertain her so much.

I'd cut DS some slack and let him play if he wants, especially if he is going back t school in a week or so. Maybe make sure he has lunch with you all. Your DD could make the lunch, perhaps there is a film they could both watch (CGI type one) you'd get some respite and whilst DD is making the lunch you could get some washing done. She could hang it out etc. DS and DD could do any bed changes, split some chores? Then he could have console time as a reward and DD could do a craft or similar.

Can your 12 year old not stay home alone for an hour or so, so you can pop to the park with DD?

Go to a different and better park that you wouldn't usually go to
Hikes + picnic
Bike ride + picnic
Blackberry picking
Billberry picking
Swimming

Planning a meal and shopping and cooking the meal (age appropriate tasks)

Play dates

Films at home - make popcorn

Let DS play on his consol and you could do a more structured craft project or baking thing with DD

Tell ds to have a good clear out of his room and list anything he wants to get rid of on ebay.
Clean the car inside and out (I made that one last 4 hrs last week) bonus you have a spik and span car at the end!

Baking? I have 3 boys 14, 11 and 6 and they will all cook/bake at times. It works quite well if I set eldest a meal to make (eg tuna pasta bake) and keep an eye on his making a cheese sauce etc whilst making a cake/biscuits with other two. They all like swimming too and come on dog walks. But otherwise the age gap is hard and 14 does lots with his friends apart from us.