Hit me with some low budget low effort activities when we're all stuck in a caravan

[ploooto]

We're on a tight budget and have a caravan booked in May, what essentials shall I take to keep the kids occupied (4-12)? Any tips? We've booked swimming a few times and hoping for a beach day but other than that I'm stumped! Also any ideas about meals etc? I'm trying not to spend a fortune or be tied to the kitchen all week. Thanks all!

Love caravan holidays! The site will probably have a playground and maybe even an indoor play. Scooters are a great idea for getting around plus the swimming pool and usually some sort of kids club. Pizza and pasta and sauce for easy tea. Food on site is often chains that aren't so good. Find a proper chip shop in the nearest town! Have a great time!

Cards, charades,

Definitely geocaching! Make sure you take lots of little goodies with you to swap. We used to take badges, hair clips, Christmas cracker novelties.

We've also taken frozen meals. Make a bolognese and a chicken curry in the next week or so for dinner, double up and freeze a portion to take with you. Then you just have to make the spaghetti and rice.
Other meals we usually take is pizza and salad, baked potatoes with tuna Mayo, chilled filled tortellini.
Bagels, sandwiches and fruit and snacks for lunches to pack and take out on adventures.

For indoors
Sticker books
Paper for origami, paper planes and boats
Colouring pencils
Pack of cards or card games like uno
Top trumps
Books

Can you give us the rough location?

Go to the supermarket and let the kids choose a ready meal

Take a massive bolognaise with you! All you need to do is warm it! My kids love colouring in stones on the beach so we take a bag of sharpies!

We've done movie afternoons with microwave popcorn. My kids also like the i-spy colouring sheets. Board games are a staple and we like the Smart Games series, they can usually be played on their own too, which can work well. Badminton or scatch (velcro catch game) are quite good. Badminton especially as the shuttlecock doesn't go too far even if you whack it.

We take our slow cooker to the caravan, which means we can leave it on during the day while we're out and it's a quick meal in the evenings. I find caravan ovens aren't often great and can be slow to heat up/cook.

A beach tent, even a cheap one can make a huge difference on the beach, especially if it's a bit grey or a bit windy.

I try to find nice local parks with play equipment for a change of scene. I've even joined local FB groups to ask for free/cheap/good value recommendations for things to do. Local folk usually know of great little gems to visit.

I'm having a panic attack just thinking about this thread 😀

Uno

We do a ton of camping - days look like hiking, biking, hanging at the beach, lake swimming, visiting local attractions. We play a lot board games and a lot of badminton.

Some things we bring:

-inflatable paddle boards
-portable badminton (we got our set on Amazon)
-Kubb (outdoor game)
-baseball gloves and ball
-bikes/scooters
-various boardgames (lots)
-sometimes I've brought craft bits to make things
-"table topics" cards for around the campfire
-books - I still read to my kids when we camp even though they are older as for us it is a cozy tradition

Helpful toys for us are ones that can get mucky/muddy/sandy and where they lend to making stuff out of nature:

-bin of hot wheel cars and ramps
-bin of plastic green soldiers
-bin of assorted trucks
-bin of assorted shovels/buckets

Sometimes we will eat at the site and they can help with roasting hot dogs etc and sometimes we foray into town to eat

Rock pooling, if you are in an area with rock pools! Take wellies and waterproof coats, plus nets and buckets.

Depending where you are, some of the local museums or art galleries may have free activities for kids. Once they’re over 8yrs they may also have activities you can leave them at for a few hours, which are paid-for but heavily subsidised.

Yes, exactly. I came on this thread just to check that Irish dancing and cow spotting had been recommended. Holiday sorted.