Fun things to do with kids when you don't have much money...

[whateveryouneed]

Saving to take my son to Peppa Pig world in a few months, but in the mean time... I'm skint!

I only earn 1500 a month and childcare fees are 600 a month. Rent is 300 but because I'm paying a family member who lives with me, I'm not entitled to universal credit. Paying off debts, car to run, bills, food etc. Leaves me with around 80 a month free, so not a lot.

I'm getting bored of taking my son to our local park and am a bit envious of people flocking to zoos, sea life centre etc. I just can't afford it at the moment.

Has anyone got any suggestions of cheap or free things I can do with my toddler that he will love?

Try having a look online to see if you have a 'take one, give one' library near you, and walk over there with your dc. They drop a book off, and get a new one out of the library box. (they can also be called 'little free libraries')

make pasta necklaces, you need to paint the pasta, then thread it onto a piece of string.

chalk drawing outside on the pavement.

all the best x

oh, also have a look at the 'dream big at home' live events. There is a event coming up for all ages of storytelling, a festival coming up etc.
dreambigathome.uk/live/

Watching with interest as Dh is still on furlough so we have next to no spare money and with the summer holidays coming up the kids are going to be rather bored being at home as we have spent 3 months here already.

We have loads of chalk but my son just eats it or gives it to me to draw on the patio

Pasta necklaces is a good idea but I have no paint. I'll see if I can get some cheap somewhere.

Can't wait for 30 free hours to kick in! It'll be a massive game changer.

Foot painting- let them run along the back of wallpaper outside in the garden to create hand and foot prints.

Gardening? Weeding and the like.

Even on rainy days anywhere wooded gives shelter and can be good for exploring, collecting pine cones and such like.

Rotate the toys and activities you have available at home that way they are more engaging by replacing rotation weekly.

Get hold of some large cardboard boxes - turn them into a space ship, boat etc they just like cardboard boxes tbh.

Make dens in his bedroom or the lounge.

Den building.
Feed the ducks at the park.
Walk along the canal.
Country walk past cows etc.
Walk past a building site to see the diggers.
Pond dipping at the park.
Paddke

Hello!
Are you in the uk?
The sun newspaper does superdays.
Collect newspapers for 10 days and collect tokens and they give you two tickets to go to Thorpe park, chessington etc.
In the end it works out about £20 for two tickets and you have to pay for travel
It's a godsend for us poorer lot!

You do qualify for UC

Basic amount would be £409.89+235.83= 645.72.

85% of 600 childcare is £510
So total after chuldcare would be £1,155.72

Deduction for wages is
1500 - 512 disregard is 988 63% is 622.44
(512 disregard is because they would not accept housing costs)

Yes that gives you only £23.28, before childcare but £533.28 after childcare. Why would you not claim that? (Unless on tax credits?)

@Musereader I was on universal credit and it stopped because they said I wasn't eligible so my payments were zero

Had you actually claimed for any childcare in that month? You have to submit costs and receipts for every single time you pay.
Its not like tax credits where you tell them once and they add it every month.

As it is if 1500 is a rounded figure and you get slightly more pay then i can see how it would nil in a month without childcare. But for any month with childcare you should absolutley reapply each time your claim is closed

"Paint" picture on the garden fence with just water.
Bubbles
Homemade playdough

Look up annual passes for places near you such as zoos and other attractions. It can work out really cheap if you make the most of it. If the initial outlay is too much, ask for them as birthday/christmas presents for the DC from grandparents etc. Especially if you have one who is predisposed to buy them a load of junk they never use, clothes which aren't to your taste etc.

Rummage in charity shops for toys, jigsaws, games.

This time of year schools are running summer fetes which can be fun. Check local FB sites for notice of village fairs etc as well. Maybe not this year, but next?

Do you have a Children's Centre / Sure Start Centre near you? Ours always ran loads of fantastic groups and activities which were brilliant and v affordable or free.

Have you ever been geocaching? That can be really fun with a toddler - "treasure hunting".

Museums? Our local ones are free for locals (bring a bill or library card), that always feels like a proper day out.

Cook together. Try homemade ice lollies.

Make a little obstacle course in the garden. It can be really simple. Eg sticks to jump over and run between

Visit to the library.

Visiting any kinds of animals at that age is fun. So ducks. Or go for a dog spotting walk.

Running through a sprinkler in the garden

Swimming is usually cheap...pools are opening soon. Kids are free at our nearest pool during school holidays so I only pay £4 for myself.

Make time 2 play app may give you ideas...
Chalks on special buy at Aldi right now...
Make on obstacle course, act out animals and guess what it is, water play...

If he’s so young he eats chalk, you can lower your expectations I reckon.
Make some play doh. Sit and do a jigsaw. Have lunch as a picnic on your nearest bit of grass.

Bubbles always make kids happy for minimum expenditure.

If you have outside space water play is always popular. A basin of water and some yoghurt pots. It you have a funnel too It will be even better.

A bag of popping corn costs about £1 and will make enough popcorn for 10 or 15 home movie nights. And making it is fun too.

Make a tent with sheets over chairs or the washing line and have a picnic In there.

My toddler loves threading pipe cleaners or gardening twine through a colander. Water makes everything more fun; mud pies, washing clothes, washing plastic plates etc, water painting on the patio, paddling/splashing, bubbles. Use nearly empty washing up bottles to squirt/empty soap dispensers to pump, jugs, beakers, yogurt pots, flower pots, pour it through off cuts of drainpipe with one end resting on a brick, send balls/cars down the drainpipe into a washing up bowl full of water at the bottom of the pipe.

Have a look at the Five Minute Mum on Instagram or her website. She has lots of good ideas of how to keep little ones occupied. The pound shop has lots of craft things too.

If your son is so young it still eats chalk I would say skip the whole peppa pig thing. He will probably
probably not sit through the whole thing and get fussy. Probably better off doing bits and pieces that cost money, spread out over the weeks, then to spend a big amount of money on something that he could easily just watch on TV and he wouldn't care about the difference

Dont feel envious of people going to zoos etc,, I've never once left places like that and not complained about how over priced and shit they are! I avoid those places like the plague they are ridiculously over priced.

Make a homemade den/tent in the garden if you have one, collect and paint stones with nice pictures and place around the park, buy cheap flour and paints and make your own play doh or rock salt hand prints.

Great memories are about being together and having fun

Another vote for geocaching - mine loved doing this.
Also going Pokemon hunting if you have a smart phone.

Both great ways to make a walk fun!

Have you looked on your local council website for green/outdoor spaces? I've lived in the same city for 10yrs, but checked out the local parks page recently and there were TONS of places I'd never even heard of, or knew were open to the public. Some of them are quite small, and more wilderness type areas, but perfect for running around in without worrying too much about coming into contact with other people.

Agree with a lot of PPs that kids at that age don't need a Big Day Out. DS has very fond memories of how he'd spend an entire morning pulling all the books off the shelves. DD used to love chasing bubbles. Both of them loved lining up toy cars for some reason, and we'd lay out 'car parks' with pebbles on the living room floor (not for the houseproud). It kept them busy for HOURS, driving all the cars in and out, and cost nothing, but I'd say things like 'Can you park all the red cars together?' so I felt like I was doing some actual parenting.

My toddler (3) has really enjoyed activity walks. I've been online and found ideas for sound walks, nature walks, colour walks etc. It's basically things for him to spot while we're out on our walk but it really keeps his attention.