To feel bad I can't afford to take my kids out during half term?

[OneTiredMam]

My DC are due to start half term today and I'm dreading it.
With all the price increases, I'm struggling to put money on my electric/gas meters and have enough food shopping in let alone take them out for a nice day out to break up half term.
We could afford it before the price increases but it's really beginning to hit and I feel so guilty there going to go back to school to say "we haven't done anything." They don't play out (reasons to outting to post), and we don't have any family near by with kids.

Any ideas how I can make it fun for them but for free? And how not to loose my sanity being stuck in all week please.

@Hospedia

Also, it's a bit niche, but right now my DC are massively into "how things work" so I've gotten some old electricals from Freecycle that were being advertised as broken/spare parts only. They have a microwave, a hoover, and a really old box-style television. I'm going to let them in the back garden with some tools (under supervision for the littlest DC) and let them take them apart. They can then use the parts for other things (eldest likes doing experiements), model making, recycling, etc (I'm going to use the empty casing of the TV to help my 4yr old make a fairy garden inside it)

This is an amazing idea. Going to do this with mine

So there’s treasure maps online

We love them. You go on and find stuff on google maps. With those answers you make other answers

It’s called treasure trails. Google it. Those are fab. We can do hours and hours of that

There are some of those types of thing like that.

@Snoods

Sorry if already suggested, but I think there’s a site or app that has free ‘treasure’ hunts? I am sure a family member does these. Not sure if in every town. Sorry to be vague but I’ve heard of them but never done them. I think it’s a clue type thing to lead you to another place and so on.

Treasure trails. It’s called. We do them. They’re amazing.

Geo caching
Pokémon hunting
Take your lunch and eat it in the most random place you all decide on
Home movie marathon
Welly (muddy) walks
Let them decorate an old bed sheet full of doodles
Downstairs sleepover
You tube have loads of 'come to the zoo / farm / museum' tours

Build forts
Mine weirdly love raking garden, using power hose, washing car.
Board games afternoon

Plan the week with them and make a loose schedule

@Hospedia

Also, it's a bit niche, but right now my DC are massively into "how things work" so I've gotten some old electricals from Freecycle that were being advertised as broken/spare parts only. They have a microwave, a hoover, and a really old box-style television. I'm going to let them in the back garden with some tools (under supervision for the littlest DC) and let them take them apart. They can then use the parts for other things (eldest likes doing experiements), model making, recycling, etc (I'm going to use the empty casing of the TV to help my 4yr old make a fairy garden inside it)

I don't think it's a good idea to take apart electrical items. We saw this being done in a school we visited and DH was horrified. He's a chemistry prof specialising in industrial recycling and he said it's incredibly dangerous, that lots of those components are coated in pretty noxious chemicals. It's why at the tip they're seperated out from general waste as they have to be handled by people who know what they're doing.

Treasure hunt bingo card. List some things to find on a walk

@OneTiredMam

They're 10 and 6 both boys. Yes I drive but I live very rurally and even struggling with petrol costs right now (£1.53 where I live ) thanks for all your suggestions so far.

With that age I'd do some cooking? Make pizzas for dinner? Pancakes for breakfast?

Board games? Have you any that they are bored of that you could ask locally to see if anyone fancies a swap? Our local Facebook page was full of requests like this during the lockdowns, I thought it was a great idea!

@Hankunamatata

Build forts Mine weirdly love raking garden, using power hose, washing car. Board games afternoon

Plan the week with them and make a loose schedule

Mine loved washing the car at that age too! Also hosing down garden furniture and other daft stuff

Do you have data on your phone? Would Pokemon Go interest them? Or geocaching?
Could you walk to local woods and build a den?
Build a fire and toast marshmallows
Have a sleepover in a den in the lounge
Have a glow stick bath
Make pizzas/ cakes/ cookies
Go for a picnic if there’s a dry day
Movie afternoon with popcorn (pop it yourself, it’s cheaper and more fun!)
Go for a nighttime walk to look at the stars: sky view lite is a good free app to identify what you see, or look for bats/ foxes/ whatever at dusk
Go to the pet shop to play with the animals (our independent one is happy to let kids handle them, or pets at home do half term events for free)
Do they have bikes/ scooters/ roller skates? If so, get them out on those.

Story and craft times at library are great.
Any museums near you?
Movie and popcorn at home.
Walk in the park with a hot chocolate/ tea in a flask.

Write a restaurant style menu for lunch or dinner and lay the table like a restaurant
Cook together and they can wait on you.
Make a bed in the living room and have a sleepover together
Have a games night - again write out your programme of events & snacks and get dressed up in your best clothes!
Find all the games they never play and play them! Or donate them!
Sourdough starter? Too soon?

Can you get a free trial for any streaming service so you can have some at home cinema?

@Hospedia

Also, it's a bit niche, but right now my DC are massively into "how things work" so I've gotten some old electricals from Freecycle that were being advertised as broken/spare parts only. They have a microwave, a hoover, and a really old box-style television. I'm going to let them in the back garden with some tools (under supervision for the littlest DC) and let them take them apart. They can then use the parts for other things (eldest likes doing experiements), model making, recycling, etc (I'm going to use the empty casing of the TV to help my 4yr old make a fairy garden inside it)

That's such a good idea!!

Teacher here. I teach in an inner city with lots of free things to do in the area. Very rarely do many children come back from the February break with wild stories of amazing adventures. February is bleak, the weather is miserable and many parents work and are busy.

Also, it’s developmentally very good for your children to be bored and to have to figure out how to entertain themselves. Too many parents try too hard to constantly stimulate their children.

@Hospedia

Also, it's a bit niche, but right now my DC are massively into "how things work" so I've gotten some old electricals from Freecycle that were being advertised as broken/spare parts only. They have a microwave, a hoover, and a really old box-style television. I'm going to let them in the back garden with some tools (under supervision for the littlest DC) and let them take them apart. They can then use the parts for other things (eldest likes doing experiements), model making, recycling, etc (I'm going to use the empty casing of the TV to help my 4yr old make a fairy garden inside it)

@Hospedia

Be careful with microwave as the magnetron inside a microwave can contain beryllium oxide in their ceramic insulators which can be fatal if it gets into the lungs. Simply removing it is safe, but never try to take one apart

• football at the park
• den building with chairs and throws
• film and popcorn at home
• do you have a spare wall in a bedroom they can paint a mural? Get some tester pots and let them loose!
• walk down the beach with a picnic lunch
• gardening together with music
• baking together
• see if any school friends want to come round for a sleepover or dinner?

I used to feel like this when my dcs were younger. Didnt help that I had a financially abusive twat dh. So always had to look for free/low cost stuff.
I realise now that kids dont always have to be doing "stuff" The weather is crap so stay at home snuggle up and enjoy the time together. It goes so fast.

Have a look at "pawprint family", they have loads of free themed challenge packs with ideas on a theme. You can buy the badges if you want to, when you've done the challenges, as a momento. But equally you can just use it for inspiration.

Walks, park, museums, wildlife centres ...
Honestly I did a pay for trip a maximum of once in a half term, maybe 5 or 6 in the long summer holidays, everything else was free and didn't drive and lived rurally then so local or on (hourly) bus route.

Be careful with microwave as the magnetron inside a microwave can contain beryllium oxide in their ceramic insulators which can be fatal if it gets into the lungs. Simply removing it is safe, but never try to take one apart

The microwave is more about the door mechanism and what makes the plate spin. The hoover is the one they're really looking forward to taking fully to pieces (weirdos).

Free stuff is good! Often more fun value than paid for:
Build a "den" in the garden (well not with this wind)
Do some crafting together
Give them ingredients in the kitchen and tell them to bake a cake whilst you keep out of it entirely
Make a picnic (just a normal tea/dinner) and have it in the woods/den.

If you give them your time and attention and make it special I am sure they will love it.

Things we are doing.

Bedroom makeovers. Not the expensive variety with new furniture and paint. But the kind where we pull everything out, clear out all the broken toys and outgrown stuff, possibly move the bed to a different position, wash down the walls and curtains, and draw new artwork for the walls.

Baking. Flapjacks, cheapie brownies, Victoria sandwich. They’ll do for snacks and puddings so not extra costs. And making your own pizzas can cost just pennies.

Papier-mâché sculptures - newspapers ripped up and soaked in flour and water slurry, then stuck around old milk cartons or whatever else to make messy drippy robots.

If you get snow without the rain or have a sheltered spot, then mud pit campfire. Dig a shallow hole in a muddy part of the garden, have a camp fire, make twists/dampers - flour in a bowl, add enough water to make a dough, roll into snakes and wind around peeled sticks, toast above the flames until they start falling off the stick, eat with jam. Or just toast marshmallows but flour cheaper.

When you've got no money it is hard to have the motivation to do the free things. I remember being really poor when my dc were little and feeling like shit about it. But you can do this OP. Make a plan and get excited about it, change your mindset to feeling happy about the half-term and all the great things you get to do instead of feeling miserable about the things you can't.

I'm sure next week walks to look out for trees with missing branches could be one thing.

Good luck OP.