To ask for cheap/free activities/days out with the kids?

[dontlickthelamp]

I’m a single mum of 4, so quite tight for money. We do lots of arts and crafts, messy play etc but we don’t get out the house much other than go to the park. We also live in a flat so have no garden. I’m just looking for cheap or free things to do out of the house with the DC, they are 6,5,3 and 2. Any ideas?

Would be good to know what town you’re in
It’s no good me recommending Yorks free railway museum if you live in Cornwall

Try your local library, most run after school things plus bookbug for the toddlers/baby.

I’m near Birmingham @Dowser

Our local library runs several sessions during the week such as rhyme time and Lego club. The central library offers a coding club and they both do sessions in the school holidays.
Look at the National trust properties in your area it maybe worth paying monthly for membership because they usually have great play areas and family friendly activities all year round.

There's a couple of museums in Birmingham with dinosaur bones or fossils. Might be worth a trip in to look at those. Our trick with DC was to take them to a museum to look at just two things then go off for cake or ice cream afterwards so they didn't get bored.

Apparently there's a jewellery museum too that shows you all abotu how precious jewellery is made - adults cost £6 but DC are free, so that's a cheapish day out if they like glittery things.

How about visiting a city farm with a bag of chopped carrots.

Chop up stale bread and feed the birds.

Build dens in the woods.

Look for story telling sessions and sing alongs at your local library.

Go to a mall to look at the Christmas decorations, hang around in the toy shop and visit Santa.

Regularly google 'free events for children' in your area. Once Christmas holidays start there should be a few activities - maybe some music workshops as Birmingham is famously a centre for music now.

You'd be better off looking at local papers or facebook pages for upcoming events, or looking on tripadvisor for things near your location.

Thank you, there’s lots of great ideas. We don’t have much time in the week after school as it’s mainly taken up by dinner, baths and bed. I do get time with the youngest 2 when everyone else is at school so we do some crafts. But I will definitely look these up as I want to start getting everyone out over the weekends

Make a list of things you are likely to see and go for a walk ticking off the things on the list. Give them small and differing lists and see who wins. Draw pictures for those who cannot read.
Feed duck.
Chalk drawing on pavement/gardens.

We gonout for walks find online using footpaths give older kids map to read my 9yr and just turned 5yr old love it start with a short walk and build up mine can do 6miles fine now. Sometimes will go to country parks too we love wendover woods its 90mins drive for us. Stanwick lakes is another about an hr from us. Emberton park in milton Keynes is good.

We take snacks or a picnic and drinks buy a decent rucksack.

Basically if it's not raining or go most sundays eldest asked for garmin kids watch for his Aug bday and the just turned 5yr old has a cheaply step counter as they are so into now.

We are going to try geo caching next

You could take them on a train ride to Birmingham airport and see the planes take off. The train ride in itself could be fun and there's that fun connector thingy that goes from the nec to the airport. Half your DC can travel for free on the train.

Or you could just take them on a train ride to somewhere else.

Sometimes garden centres have areas with fish and reptiles to look at. Always a good cheap outing!

@hidinginthenightgarden the walk/checklist idea sounds great, they’d love that.

The long walk sounds good too, and the train ride. They’d love that.

We are very much NOT local to you but we like-
Walking at country parks (make/print a scavenger hunt for them)
Orienteering courses are fun & free/cheap to print the map - look at British Orienteering
A carefully selected membership can work out very cheaply if there are the right places nearby - historic Scotland is worth a fortune to us but probably a waste of money for you! 🤣
Steam train type places
Feed the ducks
Feed the birds/adopt a tree that you keep going back to to see how it’s changing over the year
Walk a dog for a friend?
Museums
Art galleries- my kids apparently love modern art 👀

Playgroup? For the two little ones. I’m thinking the kind where mums stay and kids play , it’s a good way for you to meet some other mums too. Different toys for the kids plus often a craft on offer. You’d have to google local ones. I made some great friends this way

Thank you everyone, there’s some great ideas. I don’t drive but being in the city means I can get a bus almost anywhere. I have a few ideas for weekends now