Cheap ways to entertain the kids

[Crochetandcoke]

Been thinking about some cheap ways to keep the kids entertained/ busy this summer and beyond, wondered if any of you had any ideas, plans or things you've done which went well.

We've been doing lots of junk modelling, drawing and I've made some play dough, water and food colouring, shaving foam mixed with food colouring, some baking, so far this year, but running out of ideas. Ideally not too bad a clean up. My kids are on a glitter and sand ban!

There is a reading challenge on at libraries which my two have enjoyed doing (especially my 10 year old). They get a small prize (sticker, magnet, pencil etc) for each book they read so it keeps them going back to the library.

Paper mache? We used balloons and made heads - kitchen paper works well, you do this over a few days as things dry

Air dry clay is also fun or make salt dough

Freeze some small figures in tubs then when frozen, excavate them with spoons

Look at twinkl for some free printable resources.

Make a den in the garden

Making forts - both indoor and outdoor

scavenger hunt - - can be as a co-operative thing. Eg go for a walk and try to spot certain things eg house with a green door, 4 dogs etc

we did a summer of cheese one year - bought and tried different cheeses eg Swiss, Brie, mozzarella

get a roll of wallpaper and use the back side for painting on. Get the kids to lie down on it, draw around their outline and get them to paint themselves

outside picnics

Grow plants

collect leaves etc outside and use to make collages

go to the park one suburb over for a change

We did a fairground day at home. Hook a duck in the paddling pool, some empty tin cans stood on boxes that you had to knock off with a tennis ball, some old plastic bottles set up as skittles to be knocked over with a football and some buckets set up which the kids had to throw balls in to to score points and a ring toss.

We also did hot dog night which went down well. The hot dogs and buns were excluded from the weekly shop so we could nake a specail trip to the supermarket to get them which doesnt sound particularly exciting but it was a break from the usual routine, got us out of the hiuse and the kids were looking forward to it. Kids helped to cook the hotdogs and we sat out and ate them in the garden on a picknick blanket. It was something very simple but the kids were vry excited about it.

Treasure trails are great!

It depends on ages really doesn't it. My DC are 9 and 5 and we spend lots of time just faffing about outside on the trampoline or playing basketball/football/swingball. All things we already have.

We play board games, go for walks (usually past costa for a chocolate though), do just dance together, do drawing tutorials from you tube, have movie afternoons and they really enjoy a 'dance party' where I put a pop channel on Alexa and put out some bowls of crisps and haribo while they jump about the living room 'dancing'.

I also play a game with them where I create challenges between 1-6 and get them to throw a dice. They then have to do whatever challenge from the number they roll. Just silly things like stand on one leg and touch your toes, pretend you are a ballet dancer with ants in their pants etc. Eldest thinks he is too cool now but still joins in and loves it.

Water play is always my answer. give them the hose pipe/buy a sprinkler from Smyths. Ours are entertained for HOURS.

Similarly washing up liquid in a bottle, spray it on the slide. Find some old balloons and fill them with water or a pack of sponges for a reusable option.

@Bootothegoose hosepipe or sprinkler probably not the best use of water given the current state of reservoir levels and the foreseeable weather forecast!!
Geocaching
pavement chalks
bike / scooter rides
baking
sort out old toys / clothes they’ve grown out of

Dressing up box
Board games from charity shop or ask on freecycle
Library
bike or scooter ride
picnic
Olympics in your garden (easy to set up an obstacle course etc)
Leaf rubbing
Make a collage

Watching trains, planes or ships depending on where you are. Level crossings on a busy line are especially exciting waiting for the bells to ring.

Sock puppets, make comics/ magazines, make a list of local plants,animals,wild flowers go for walk tick them off, free museams( google nearest) , potato print on old wallpaper ( outside can get messy), cheap fishing net and go to nearby stream/sea,build a camp over washing line with bedding or in living room, movie afternoon.