Cheap half term ideas thread

[changedmyname24]

As my DS3 keeps reminding me, there is only one more school week (after tomorrow) until half term! I'd love some ideas of low cost things to do & thought others might too, so popping this thread on for a brainstorm!

My DC are nearly 12 & 14 (also have 17 but he'll be spending it with the girlfriend). 14 has SEN & an Access card, so we get a free carer place often & we're on UC. We're in Essex.

Random ideas from me:

• UC £1/£2 tickets. Lots in London, not sure where else.
• Essex Chronicle had a free family National Trust day voucher recently (used this at the weekend)
• Kids' clubs at cinemas?
• I think P&O are doing a £45 day trip to France

Disclaimer: we will be doing usual stuff at home - crafts, board games, baking, having friends over- but we like to get out when we can, especially as I work Saturdays & football on Sundays so we don't get weekends. DS2 in particular needs supervision all the time he's awake so can't go off with friends etc (epilepsy).

Coming back to my own thread for inspiration 😁

We ended up going to the cinema yesterday. Tickets were £1 each, we parked for free & bought pick & mix from Poundland, which is half the price of cinema pick & mix! Spent £12 total. Plus a scoot to run some errands, baking/cooking & inevitable screen time

Today we are going to a nearby estuary town for a walk as it's actually not raining 🥳 Then stop off in Morrisons & hopefully get lunch for the 3 of us for £5. Back via Aldi to stock up for DS3's birthday sleepover.

On Saturday we managed to drag DS1 out as well & played shuffleboard at Boom Battle Bar. Used his student discount so was £26 for us all, which didn't seem too bad.

No football again on Sunday so thinking of ideas for then.

Pottery painting is quite cheap. Well, it’s £5 to do it, but if you budget and say o my choose something to paint to the value of £10 it’s not bad.

We are working our way through this list - so many great ideas arloriverrex.com/family-days-out-for-a-tenner-in-birmingham/

Great idea! We have one in our village but I think more expensive than that.

Just bought lunch in Morrisons & it's not as cheap as you'd think! £15 for 3 of us- 1 adult & 2 kids main meals, 2 kids' milkshakes, 2 packs of Oreos & a coffee. Quite good value but more than I had intended to spend! I guess because only 1 child eats free 😏

One year we did a challenge to go to a different park with a different snack/picnic every day for a week. Meant we could justify loafing around all afternoon too!

What was the cinema deal that made it £1?

Park challenge sounds great! Bit chilly atm 🥶

Odeon (most standard ones I think) do a Kids' Club every morning during half term & weekends. £1 any ticket including premium seats. Older films, we watched 'Bad Guys 2'. Showing was at 10am. I think Cineworld (near me) were doing similar for £2 each.

The works and hobbicraft have either pottery, wood or plastic stuff that is great to pant

We’re having a trip to IKEA tomorrow to buy binoculars for the dgks. Then walk to Asda on Thursday down the canal for £1 dinner. It’s only a 20 minute walk but they think they have been out for hours 😋

Making a mental note! Our mid term is over but I just spent £35 on tickets for me and 2 kids to see some utter shite movie just because the weather was bad!

Take part in your local Park Run might work.
With primary age children, there is usually a story time or other similar session in the local libraries.
Not sure how much it costs, but my local golf range usually has sessions where you get a bucket of balls to hit. Another course has a crazy golf course, which isn't too expensive, and quite fun.

I work in a library so avoiding those at other times in half term 😂 Although there are lots of great events on. We have a Therapy dog visiting this week, as well as our usual craft & Rhyme Time sessions.