School summer holidays stock up list/ideas!

[heedlesschicken]

I've changed jobs and because of my new working hours, I have the majority (though not all) of the school summer holidays off work. I am really excited about this and hugely grateful but also a bit nervous as I am going to be flying solo a lot with my 8, 5 and 2 year olds... eek! I'm also trying to budget as much as possible because I have reduced my hours so trying to keep an eye on costs.

I've got a day off next week so I was planning on doing a big stock up of everything we'll need, obviously I will get the usual weekly supermarket food delivery throughout the summer but next week I'm going to go to Lidl as well as the works and maybe a few other places so I can stock up on things that are going to help keep the costs down over the 6 weeks. Things I've thought of so far:

Those 6 packs of juice cartons to take on days out/park trips so I don't get fleeced in the cafes
Ice pops for the freezer
Suncream
First aid supplies mainly to take on holiday and also to top up what we have in the bathroom cupboard
Craft supplies from the works

Any other ideas or tips would be much appreciated!

Baking ingredients, paddling pool (depending on kids ages), water pistols, are you in any workplace schemes that give discounts on access to activities/ days out etc?

It's not a big stock-up kind of thing but have a good idea of what your kids will eat for a packed lunch/picnic/treat and actually be organised enough to pack it before going for a day out. I found that the cafe fleecing was by far and away our biggest spend as we'd go to the cafe just because I was exhausted and throwing money at the problem in the form of a hot choc and a piece of cake would keep everyone quiet for a bit. So in addition to the juice boxes, a travel flask and some kind of baked thing that isn't too healthy that you can make at home that the kids will eat.

I've found whipping up a few loaves of lemon drizzle cake (fave in this house) and freezing individual slices in tin foil to be a snack game changer. Would probably work with cupcakes or just standard slices of cake too. Flapjacks also works. Keeps the lunch boxes cool on days out, satisfies the cake craving, cheap than buying a slice each when out. We also seem to go through ice at a crazy rate in the holidays so I've been stockpiling it in freezer bags in readiness.

Also whatever we're eating at the moment I'm freezing an additional portion for the kids for the days where we get back hungry, can just grab a home cooked ready meal from the freezer and dinner is on the table with very little effort.

We tend to make a list of outings to work through. It's colour coded depending on cost (just how my brain works!). So beach with a picnic (we live near the coast), skate park, library etc in one category, mid-budget things like swimming in another, big ticket items like a theme park in another. I set a budget for the summer and then help the DC work out what they'd like to do with their budget. Last year the ideas they had included lots of lovely things for at home like having a pancake feast, freezing toys into ice balls that they could excavate with salt and little hammers they got from one of those gem kits, but also added outings I wouldn't have thought of like a trip to a pottery painting cafe.

Start looking through the local websites for what's on and add to a calendar now so you can see what your options are (and any which may need to be booked in advance)

There's a great book called The Floor is Lava which has a tonne of ideas for ridiculous games you can play at home. One we tried recently involved giving them 10 minutes to prepare before the floor would be lava, and then sending them on missions to collect items from around the house. They got so creative! Definitely going to have that one again these hols.

Walkie talkies are also hours of fun.

ohhh yes baking ingredients is a good shout and then we can make treats to take out with us!

I am eligible for the teachers schemes so will have a look if there's any vouchers available, thanks. I am a bit nervous about taking all 3 on 'big' days out by myself though, my 2 year old can be unpredictable and it can just be a bit chaotic. I've booked a couple of local things and we will do parks as well as some national trust places as we are already members. Trying my best to not end up in soft play as it costs a fortune and I end up having to follow the toddler round the whole time!

Odeon cinema do a family ticket, it used to be a fiver for the film and adults fo free. Get them to choose a day out. Plan transport and take a picnic. We used to have baking days when the weather was bad. So rice crispy cake, rocky road, pizza swirls or homemade pizza 🍕 😊

Check your mobile phone and TV provider too - I have Vodafone which usually has discounted Odeon tickets and some of the Sky packages include free cinema tickets each month.

Do you drive? Or public transport?

monthly travel cards perhaps?

Garden bubble making machine and bubble mix?

sprinkler

beach shoes

Thanks these are good ideas, I swear the cafes have cost us a small fortune every other school holiday! I think I have a travel flask lurking somewhere so will dig that out.

Thermos flasks also work for cold drinks like chocolate milkshake. A friend also brought boiling water to the beach once and a jar of hot dogs. At lunch then hot dogs went into the boiling water for a few minutes and we all had them with buns and ketchup. Was an expert move!

I tend to do one big day out a week so we’ll venture to the coast or to a different big city each week then I do a couple of smaller local trips out- cinema, softplay, library, local museums/art galleries etc. The other two days I’m researching so they play in the garden, do crafts, bake etc. We go out with DH at the weekend too. Try to go on holiday for one of the weeks to break it up, not always abroad- this year it’s a camping trip.

Google free things to do in x area and I’m sure lots will come up. There’s a website in our area called Mumbler and it has lots of ideas. I also check out local museum websites for events there.

Yes I can drive but also hoping to do trains/buses some days if not too expensive, to vary things a bit

We have a sprinkler but I like the idea of a bubble machine! Just praying for some good (but not too hot) weather

this only works if the pack size is correct (and you can all agree on what to eat) but a multipack of ice lollies from a "local/metro" type supermarket is cheaper than buying several individual ones

Geocaching can be fun or check if any of your local parks have orienteering courses set up

i used to combine a visit to the local library with a park nearby. Saved me a fortune when mine were little. Morrisons are doing a free breakfast for children and accompanying adults all summer.

Even cheaper will be the large bottles of cordial in a water bottle each

Ahh yes thats true. We generally don’t buy squash as none of mine have ever been that keen but i might get some concentrate juice or cordial type stuff and that would definitely work out cheaper!

Go and do the summer reading scheme at your local library. Totally free, and something that can be a weekly trip.

I tend to take lunch out with us; it saves a fortune. My kids love flapjack so baking a large tray of that helps. I got some of the snack boxes so I can fill those; I got the larger rectangular ones with a large compartment and four smaller ones so I can put a sandwich or a wrap in one compartment then raisins, Oreos (or Aldi’s own version), grapes or blueberries, cucumber or carrots sticks, breadsticks, popcorn, crackers, cheese savouries, some crisps from a large bag. I fill their bottles with squash and add some ice. A cool bag and some ice packs to keep it all cool.

Hot dogs in a food flask and some buns makes a change from sandwiches too (and take the snack boxes filled with other snacks.)

Look at kids club at cinemas for cheap morning movies (and air con!), again snack boxes with popcorn, a small pack of haribo or some chocolate buttons or oreos and a fruit shoot.

we have a really big Farmfood near us which is great for stocking up on bits - frozen and cupboard stuff.

Homemade jelly pots and some yoghurt from a big tub into smaller tubs with some jam in. Freeze the yoghurt tubes as they make a nice frozen treat (Aldi and Lidl do a box of nine for about £1). Or get some moulds and make your own frozen yoghurt or ice lolly sticks.

Blend ice and squash to make slushies (vimto works well).

Keep your recycling for junk modelling! Mine used to love that.

Family and friends Railcard might be worth it (can buy with clubcard vouchers if you have any). Though check out how much you would use it and the savings you would make from it.

I am a planner and used to do a bit of a mental timetable. We would generally do one thing that would cost e.g. swimming, cinema but then the rest of the week had to be generally free. Library, museum, parks, scooter rides, feeding the ducks. I also used to try and get out every day at least for a bit.

Your kids are at a great age to still enjoy the simple (and free!) stuff. Mine are now older and to get them out does normally involve bribing with ice cream or activities that cost (even arcades now cost a small fortune compared to when they were little and would spend just a few pounds on the 2p machines).

Things for packed lunch if you haven't already - cool bags, insulated water bottles (I've heard people use these to bring ice lollies on days out too. Haven't tried yet!)

A few art kits/ sticker books!

Garden toys, my kids love those big foam planes and stomp rockets.

Microfibre towels - great to keep in the bag for water play areas, to sit on if you can't fit a picnic blanket or to dry the park off if it's been raining.

Check Facebook and local mum groups for special offers on days out too!

I try and keep the cost down as much as possible.....it can be a really expensive time of year!

I totally agree with taking a packed lunch as much as possible as those last minute café trips or lunches out can really add up.

If we do go out for a meal we'll look for places that are doing the kids eat free (or for £1) offers. The Money Saving Expert website usually has a list but off the top of my head places like Bella Italia, Banana Tree etc usually have that offer. I'll take them to our local city for a free trip to one of the museums and one of those kids eat free meals out and that's most of a day out for not much money.

I keep a running list of ideas that will still feel fun but won't cost the earth. Things like:

The Summer Reading challenge at the library. Our library also has a free lego club once a week.

Camp in the garden or living room one night.

Geocaching. It gets us out on a walk but motivates them more as it's essentially a free treasure hunt.

Trips to the park

Look for the cheap tickets at the cinema. Cineworld usually does Movies for Juniors in the mornings for a few quid a ticket.

Take a bus to another local town to hunt in their charity shops for a new book or toy.

Museums, art galleries and other free attractions.

National Trust as we have membership.

Meet up with friends for a picnic or arrange some playdates.

Visit the local donkey sanctuary.

Have a movie night with pizza and popcorn.

Bake a cake.

Go out one night for "late night ice cream" .....we did this last year, got them into their pyjamas and they were about to go to bed when we surprised them and said "actually kids, let's go get an ice cream" ....they went WILD with excitement 🤣. Only McFlurries at the local drive thru but they still remember it.

Family game night.

Stargazing and toasting marshmallows.

Watch the sun set.

Have a pyjama day at home.

Go blackberry picking and make a crumble.

I will also try and keep them practicing their reading and writing (ex teacher and remember the battle in September trying to get kids that had done nothing all summer back up to speed). So some activity books, handwriting books and doing the library reading challenge keep them on track without feeling onerous.

I’d get moulds for ice lollies and juice. You can make your own then too.

Adding to pp, ice packs to go inside cool bags. Poundland do a 3 set of plastic boxes and the small one fitted 4 Quorn picnic eggs. Sandwich bags/boxes. Peanut butter (for sandwiches). Plastic zip lock bags to decant sharing packs of crisps into. 6 packs crisps. Make flapjacks or buy cereal bar type things. A loaf cake is easy to make and take on picnics. Or eg Jamaican ginger cake.