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Original poster

What small free/cheap things make life nice for your dc?

21 replies

PhoenixArisen · 31/05/2023 13:45

We have lots of threads about the small things we can do for ourselves that bring us a bit of joy, what about things that bring a bit of fun and pleasure for your dc as a family?

Mine is getting out as much as possible, especially for a picnic. A couple of our favourites were going for a bike ride before breakfast - We then had a picnic breakfast of filled bagels, fruit and juice/coffee and another was picking up a couple of pizzas and eating them in a local country park on a picnic blanket with games and running around afterwards.

Movie nights at home with popcorn is another one.

Looking for more ideas please Smile

OP posts:
FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 31/05/2023 13:51

For picnics specifically we love our food thermos.

On cold days I cook up some sausages and put them in the thermos then we have hotdogs on the park with another thermos of hot chocolate.

On hot days I've used it to keep ice cream frozen for up to 3 hours for ice cream sundaes on the park.

My DD loves collecting nature stuff to make crafts, bug hotels using sticks and pine cones stuffed into washed out tinned cans which can be painted and hung in trees. Collecting and pressing flowers, making seed bombs and bird feeders.

lovemycottage · 31/05/2023 13:51

Similar to yours op, picnic, ice cream, I'm usually taking book, kids playing- bliss.

Another one that my kids enjoy is going to the library.
Ours is newly renovated with a friendly staff and kids absolutely adore it there.

Queenfreak · 31/05/2023 13:51

My daughter, 6, likes to decorate cakes and biscuits- fairly inexpensive and easy to do.

She also likes no phone days. Means she knows I'm all hers for hours.

She loves "potions" either in the garden or bath. Leaves/petals/herbs with water and a few drops of food colouring, or a squirt of bathroom products with bowls and spoons.

Adventure days where we pack a picnic and she leads the way!

The local library is always a huge hit too.

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EsmeeMerlin · 31/05/2023 13:55

We are users of the local library. Our library runs free events too and a weekly Lego session. We just did a pirate event yesterday with different pirate crafts and a treasure hunt round the library. Killed a couple of hours.

We go to the park a lot and live right near the beach. It is a cost but we also have annual passes to our local adventure island. £56 a year but we live 10 minutes walk away. They have used their pass twice this week and are currently in the soft play section.

My eldest son also attends free youth clubs on our estate, and does cubs and guitar lessons which again cost money but not much. He has a scholarship for the guitar lessons and cubs is £35 per term. He also signs up for a free after school club at term, next term he is doing swimming and tag rugby.

Thesearmsofmine · 31/05/2023 13:56

I bought a big flask in the sales and one cold mornings we go to the park for breakfast with hot chocolates and pain au chocolat.

We have a cheap 2 man tent that goes up in the garden and they spend hours out there from spring onwards playing games, reading, bat or bird watching.

SummerInSun · 31/05/2023 15:45

Costs money to get in the first place, but having annual memberships to attractions so that you can then visit for as little or as long as you want without feeling guilty. Eg we have zoo membership so if we just want to pop in for an hour to watch the penguins for a bit and use the playground then that's fine. Whereas when you pay £££ for a one off visit you feel you have to stay all day even if everyone is exhausted and get disappointed if your favourite animals manly are all asleep or hiding. National Trust and English Heritage the best value for this.

MeinKraft · 31/05/2023 15:55

Thesearmsofmine · 31/05/2023 13:56

I bought a big flask in the sales and one cold mornings we go to the park for breakfast with hot chocolates and pain au chocolat.

We have a cheap 2 man tent that goes up in the garden and they spend hours out there from spring onwards playing games, reading, bat or bird watching.

Oh good idea about the tent!

My two (6 and 2) love the hose. I put it on a gentle trickle and they spray each other with it, spray the slide with it while they slide down, help water the plants etc keeps them busy for ages.

declutteringmymind · 31/05/2023 17:22

Geo caching

CheeseAndOnionIsMyFav · 31/05/2023 17:30

Great idea about the tent, I will get out our beach tent and put it in the garden. Bucket of water and a paint brush. They paint the fence and patio with water. On a hot day it dries really quickly so never ending 'paper'

We live in a reasonable sized city and there's usually free or cheap activities at the local museums and library.

We've also just put a small wildlife pond in our garden and there's quite a few bugs and things living it in now. Our youngest has a bugs book and pond dips to see what he can identify. Obviously an initial cost to this one though!

LindorDoubleChoc · 31/05/2023 17:38

We would always rush out to the ice cream van, even if we had ice cream in the freezer, it was so much more fun to get one from the van.

Another popular thing was a garden sprinkler shaped like a big daisy that attached to the hose and flopped around randomly so you never knew if it was about to get you. It had a name and was advertised on TV and everything.

chocspot · 31/05/2023 18:14

Laying on the trampoline in PJ's and dressing gowns really late at night during meteor showers. It's a treat to stay up so late and we always manage to see a few shooting stars!

Suncreamweather · 31/05/2023 18:25

A deck of cards
The library

chelseabunny · 31/05/2023 18:35

I could have written this post

coxesorangepippin · 31/05/2023 19:57

They love stuff out of flasks

Doing anything on a trampoline - colouring, reading etc etc

Camping, real or play

Papergirl1968 · 31/05/2023 20:05

Mine are older now but they used to like going to different parks and playgrounds for a change, ones in other nearby towns or at the country park or forest visitor centre.
Kids who travel mainly by car like to go on buses or trains.

Original poster
PhoenixArisen · 31/05/2023 20:30

Another little thing - mine love having their own mugs. I bought ones that had their favourite animals on them and aren't kids mugs. Now they're a bit older, they love having tea out of them occasionally, as well as hot chocolate.

OP posts:
Lenovolaptop · 31/05/2023 20:33

Papergirl1968 · 31/05/2023 20:05

Mine are older now but they used to like going to different parks and playgrounds for a change, ones in other nearby towns or at the country park or forest visitor centre.
Kids who travel mainly by car like to go on buses or trains.

This is what I did today. We caught the train 10 mins away to a different town (I don't drive so not much choice there but DP does drive). We went to a different playground with a splash park and sandpit. Had a picnic. Didn't buy ice cream as we had some at home. Cost <£5 return with a friend's and family railcard (well worth the money).

Edwardandtubbs · 31/05/2023 20:36

Going to the park after school, even if only 10 minutes

Playing a game like I Spy on a walk or in the car

Building a den in the garden

Playing their "made up games" described by a mumsnetter on another thread along the lines of 'pretend I'm a horse and you're the horses sister' 🤣

ISeeTrees · 31/05/2023 20:41

Following for more ideas!
A lot of my DD's favourite things have been mentioned already- bus trips where we hop on and off at different parks (we found a route that passes 3 good ones!) is a £2 day rider for me and free for her.
A walk to the local shop for an ice pop (30p and they cut the top off).
Eating lunch in the garden on a blanket, setting the tent up in the garden, painting outside, chalks on the patio, cloud spotting, library visits and sometimes we pass by a community allotment to see what's growing.

RandomUsernameHere · 31/05/2023 20:54

Mine love camping in the garden! A proper campsite would be fun too of course, but the garden is easier and free.

LittleOwl153 · 31/05/2023 21:14

Cardboard boxes... we had hours of fun one summer as we bought a new fridge freezer which came in a 7ft high cardboard box.... that box became everything. Eventually we gained another square box of similar footprint and there was a lookout tower established in the garden. Was actually sorry to see it go once it had been left out too many times in the autumn rain!

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