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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to ask what you have done with your children so far these school holidays?

102 replies

Changeofluckneeded · 17/08/2017 20:06

Have you filled the hols so far with days out or mostly cheap days in the park or at home etc?

I openly admit I'm wanting to do a comparison to see if our summer holidays are boring and cheap compared to everyone else's.

OP posts:
onemorecakeplease · 17/08/2017 22:39

We are back to school already but we did lots of dog walks, playing in the garden, camped, went for day trips to beaches, stayed with family, went to parks, went grass sledging, zorbing, swimming, trampolining.
Just usual stuff, the weather was awful so mainly we dodged showers!!

Hollipopsmum · 17/08/2017 22:44

We've done 2 weeks in Croatia, The Next Step Live, cinema, swimming, park, beach, soft play, play dates, several day / nights at the grandparents, lazy days with tv / games/ garden. Going to Jersey this weekend then back to school Tuesday.

ElizabethShaw · 17/08/2017 22:49

Very little!
Lots of watching TV, playing in the garden, going to the park, swimming
5 days camping
Weekend at auntie's house
1 theme park trip
1 cinema trip
1 zoo trip
1 museum trip
About 10 mornings of holiday club

Queenie72 · 17/08/2017 22:49

National trust places with friends
Days at the grandparents
Lots of playing football
A day in London - national gallery / lunch
Pond dipping at an environmental type place
Friends over to play
Out to lunch a few times
Bike rides
Model village
Farm
Theatre
Den building
Picnics
Fruit picking
Week in Scotland / Lake District

NameChanger22 · 17/08/2017 22:51

DD has been in nursery for half of it. The other half did the following:

Holiday in Spain for a week.
4 or 5 trips to the cinema.
Arts and technology workshops.
Alton Towers.
Meals out.
Swimming.
2 sleepovers.
Shopping trips.
Park and gym a few times.
A bit of time at home to spend time on hobbies.

The only time DD said she was bored was towards the end of our Spanish holiday.

Thebfg75 · 17/08/2017 23:34

Soft play (too many times!)
Met up with friends x3
Local park and funfair x2
Ramble with grandparents.
Cinema to see cars 3.
Swimming lessons x 2
Local radio road show.
Farm visit
Four days theatre summer school.

Curlyshabtree · 17/08/2017 23:40

Some free city events
Geocaching (also free though I have the app which costs about £20 a year)
Playing out on street with neighbours
TV, tablet time
1 cinema trip
1 swimming trip
Visit to safari park (half price with voucher)
Local parks
Now staying with my folks so more geocaching, trip to seaside, a garden to play in.
Picnics all the time!

BusyBeez99 · 17/08/2017 23:40

1 week holiday
Been at work. Child in holiday club

Pants eh

Iwanttobe8stoneagain · 18/08/2017 04:42

2week foreign holiday, zoo, theme park, play dates, 4 days glholiday club, camping trip, staying with friends, swimming,chilling at home, busting family who live away, trip to london

Sleephead1 · 18/08/2017 06:28

We have been to local inflatable place, been to a few free sessions the council did for under 5s artventures ect, a few bigger parks that we travelled to one had a obstacle course, craft session , weve done 2 sculpture trails at parks,museum visit, we went to a EH Knights event, beach we are local, playdate, Cousins bday at softplay, sandcastle comp, lighthouse rockpooling, local splash park and we have been glamping in a yurt at national trust place for a few days. My mum has been looking after him for 1 part day a week they usually play at home. Will have 3 part days with childminder. For rest of hols we have 2 days out on train planned, local kite festival, trip to adventure playground and country park where we have booked to do treassure hunt, food festival, swimming, mela festival and a space event at local museum. Weve been out most days but plenty of them have been cheaper days/ free activities

wendz86 · 18/08/2017 06:54

I work 4 days a week but had last week off . On my days off we have :
Been to a few parks
Library - library challenge
Build a bear and fair at Brent Cross .
Went to grandparents and visited two country parks and chessingtons
Zoo
Swimming
Eldest has a friend coming today
Their dad has also taken them to legoland and some pop up in the park local events .

Brittbugs80 · 18/08/2017 07:04

10 days at Nans house where he went horse riding, helped out at the stables, played with the stable children, explored the farm, Pokémon hunting and watching TV.

We've been Formby beach, Butterfly Farm, dammed a river, picked blackberries, cooked and froze dinners with me, climbed trees, built dens, geocaching, been on PS4 gardening, play park, two cinema trips, library.

Off to London for two days today and then not sure what's happening for the next two weeks as he and stepdad are having boy time while I am at work.

He's aiming to do as much off the National Trusts 50 things to do before your 11 list.

Cantseethewoods · 18/08/2017 07:06

Had 7.5 weeks in total, 5.5 in UK and 2 back in HK, where we live

In UK we basically went to a lot of farm parks, NT places, the beach , tank museum, wetland trust etc. Soft play, cinema or craft stuff if it rained. "Big" day out was Paultons Park, and they also played at their cousins' house/ went in their pool a fair bit. My DM and Dsis took them to her brother's farm for 3 days while I worked, which was a big hit. I've basically haemorraged cash but we dont really take a summer holiday as we come back to UK to see family so we save money on that.

In HK they went to all days sports camp for 8 days as I'm back at work. Next week they can just kick their heels for 3 days before school starts.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 18/08/2017 07:15

Camp Bestival free tickets bits and pieces added up
Couple of National Trust places
Cinema
Overnight stay in Devon

Ktown · 18/08/2017 07:18

Holiday club
Weeks holiday
Lots of walks, swimming and going out on bike or to the park
Free London museums - a lot!
Some reading and maths most days
I have worked over half the holidays though
Crafts with grandparents
Library 6 book challenge but have only made it to 3 books so far!

maddiemookins16mum · 18/08/2017 07:20

Much less this year than when DD was younger (13 now). She's been to Norfolk for a week with her best friend (and their parents). Stayed at granny's for a few days each week and slobbed at home a fair bit.
The lifesaver has been the German exchange student next door who has been here for three weeks.
We're off to Austria for hols on Monday for 10 days and that will take us almost to back to school date.
Her bike has been used more this summer than the last two years she's had it but only because of the student next door who has used mine.
Her dream for next summer is to go on an American summer camp!!!!

MegBusset · 18/08/2017 07:23

We've done a mix :

Week in the Lake District
Two days in Cambridge
Couple of weekends at our caravan
Few days at the seaside
Library
Local park
Cinema (free with Nectar vouchers)
Quasar
Town for school uniform shopping
And a few days just kicking about at home

I've been back at work two days a week since this week so they have done holiday club and have got a couple of outdoor activity days

I love the holidays and don't want them to end :(

JemimaMuddledUp · 18/08/2017 07:25

A week camping in Anglesey (cheap as chips)
Lots of castles (CADW membership paid for with Tesco club card)
DS2 drama workshop for a week (expensive)
DD Pony Club (expensive)
Eisteddfod Genedlaethol (expensive)
Library
Museum (free)
Local agricultural show (pretty cheap)
Beach
Walking the coastal path
Swimming (free sessions for children)
Bike rides
History talks (free)
Musicfest student showcases (free)
Local performing arts festival (free)
Outdoor Shakespeare (reasonably priced)

DC are 15, 13 and 11.

Has been mostly cheap but hopefully not boring.

I have also been at work quite a lot.

Spikeyball · 18/08/2017 07:25

We've ambled around the village visiting the playground, park and beach. Have gone for walks at weekends but we do that most weekends. Have gone to nothing organised/busy as ds can't cope with other people.

HaudYerWheeshtBawbag · 18/08/2017 07:27

For the first 2 weeks they had various days out, legoland, water park, trampolining, football golf, and golf. (Not always with us, but all planned)

We also had a massive water fight at the beach, with there football teams, where parents and players brought other activities also (rounders, footballs, baseballs, frisbee etc)... and has picnic in the local park which also has an outdoor water park. (This cost nothing except from the food)

They've had various sleepovers also.

Currently now we are all in Turkey, which we have been for a few weeks now, we have had 6 day excursions, and my children have another 2 weeks to go.

PolarBearGoingSomewhere · 18/08/2017 07:31

We've done a few days out - a steam railway, a couple of family festivals, some NT trips, local parks of course and soft play twice. Mostly though it's been lovely to see them playing with their toys and having friends over. My eldest is only 5 though so happy with low key stuff.

Troika · 18/08/2017 07:32

Barely anything
Week 1 the dc's just wanted to watch TV and play minecraft. I was busy packing up the house for rewire so let them.
Week 2 the same
Week 3 in Cornwall at ils
Week 4 I had a mc, older 2 dc stayed at my parents.
Hopefully the next 2 will be marginally more fun.

GhostsToMonsoon · 18/08/2017 07:32

So far (children are 6 and 4) we've done the following:

-One week in a self-catering cottage in Devon, with days at the beach, also a couple of indoor attractions and one countryside walk, visited Longleat on the way back;
-Grass sledging at local Wildlife Trust nature reserve;
-Dinosaurs in the Wild at the NEC;
-Blackberry picking
-Local park
-Swimming
-Cinema (Captain Underpants)
-Small National Trust place nearby that had a children's activity
-Library
-Nearby attraction with formal gardens and big playground

We have had quite a few quiet days at home. We also have a day at the Natural History Museum, a tree-climbing with ropes thing for DS at nearest National Trust place, and a weekend in a youth hostel in Yorkshire planned and I need to go shoe and uniform shopping. There are quite a few places I'd like to take them, but sometimes I find long days out quite exhausting on my own. They often don't want to do any of the things I suggest. They fight a lot. And they watch too much TV!

Ilovehamabeads · 18/08/2017 07:35

2 weeks abroad and fuck all else. DD just wants to make slime or watch YouTube videos of other people making it. DS will not be separated from YouTube or his Xbox. The apathy to leave the house and DO something is driving me mad but the couple of times I have taken us out somewhere, the moaning and lack of interest has just spoilt it anyway.
For the first year ever I feel like I have failed at summer holidays. Sad

Littledrummergirl · 18/08/2017 07:36

Ds1 had a week at a uni summer school, we had a day in London that week.
He came home and ds2 went away for 10days on cadet camp.
He was home for a few days before he and Dd went to kung fu camp.
They came home and ds1 is doing work experience this week.

I'm trying to get us all together to do some activities.

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