To think the price of days out for kids is excessive?

[Niniope]

Looking at planning days out with DH and just turned 2 year old DD and a bit shocked by the prices!
We earn decent wages but both work part time and have quite a few outgoings.

For context we live in greater Manchester and have been to pretty much every museum in the area, as well as regularly going swimming, soft play, parks, and farms - a lot of days out are free or under £15 for us all.

I was trying to plan going to an aquarium and as DD is over 90cm it would be £72 for us all! Looked at sea life and that equally would be £52 as they've changed from under 3 go free to under 2 go free!

Cbeebies land would be £105, which although not feasible for us to spend I can rationalise more as a big day out, but an aquarium we will spend a couple of hours at before she naps!?

I was also looking at visiting a WWT site but that would be over £30, which is also a bit excessive when we can walk around numerous bodies of water and nice countryside for free.

I know these places have got to run and meet overheads but the prices mean they are just inaccessible to us. We just can't justify it to then not be able to do anything else for the rest of the month.

Am I being a skinflint?

Yes! We've noticed trips out becoming very expensive, £48 for the local farm park, £18 for an hours swimming, £60 for the Zoo etc.

We try and find deals where possible and I often use Clubcard vouchers for bigger trips like the Zoo. We often take picnics with us where possible and do lots of free things like walks, parks and museums.

Last year we were really kindly gifted some money which we spent on a joint family lifetime membership for the National Trust, we have lots nearby so we usually go most weekends as there's lots of choice, we've found it to be really worthwhile so far.

Same for me. We went museums (London ones) at weekends and holidays, Windsor Safari park and Chessington in school holidays but they were all treat things. Weekends, stuff that, we mostly did swimming, friends etc.

Greenwich is great, has the park, foot tunnel, market and then you can walk (steep) to Blackheath. You can also get Uber boat Thames clipper there or DLR. We often go and meet DB and his family there, bring sandwiches and then are happy to pay for hot drinks and cakes. Paul Rhodes cafe and bakery nearby is great too.

We left Manchester 10 years ago when DC were aged 4 and 2. We had National Trust membership (Lyme park had a great playground, and Alderley Edge was fantastic to walk around). We also took out a year ticket to Chester Zoo and went there about once a month.

We also used Tesco vouchers for things like the Legoland discovery centre and Sea life.

I would look into the merlin passes. If your part time you could get the cheaper passes plus if you have a merlin pass yourself it's still under 3s go free so you wouldn't need to buy DD one until she turned 3. We are not far from Manchester and use ours all the time

National trust are great aswell.

You are eright though, prices are creeping up and days out can get expensive

I agree. We just paid £171 for a family ticket to Warner Bros Studio Tour. It’s extortionate.

I do think our attitude to these activities has changed. Like a pp, a trip to the zoo would have been an annual thing and no, we wouldn't have done much else that month. It wasn't seen as just a trip out to fill up a Sunday in a raft of Saturday and Sundays that need filling.

Have a look online for offers, discount codes etc. Consider shopping at Tesco

If you take out membership to an organisation, you can go as many times as you like for free for that year - often works out much better. And you won't see the variety and range of birds at a 'normal' countryside walk as you will at a WWT site! Plus, they're a charity...

If your dd won't get much out of a day, leave it until she's older and will appreciate it.

Around Manchester

Hike up Rivington
Chorlton water park
Manchester museum
bury transport museum
kids cinema screenings at £2.50
Kids events at the Lowry
Fletcher Moss park
ship canal boats
whitworth art gallery
MOSI
cheap theatre tickets
bridgewater gardens
clifton country park

further afield and cheap
Liverpool museum and planetarium
north wales beach
southport with scooters around the lake
lytham along the promenade and the beach
Delamere forest Gruffalo trail

our daughter isn’t very interested in animals but when she was two we went to the Lego centre every other Sunday. She loved the Lego and the rides and we liked the coffee! The annual pass was a good deal.

For animals annuals passes to Knowsley safari park or Chester zoo work out really reasonably.

This is what we do too

I use my Tesco clubcard points to pay for a lot
of the bigger days out. Cebeebies, Alton Towers, Drayton Manor, Sealife Centres are all on there. We used it to pay for The Deep in Hull last week and we get an annual pass included in the admission price so it didn’t actually cost us anything to go for a full year.

If you're finding yourself pay big money to entertain your child during the week as well OP, might be worth getting onto your local Councils Family Information Service and asking for a list of playgroups locally. They're a lot cheaper.

Also, mine used to love going to garden centres and pets at home at that age. Canal walks are also good.

I do agree that things have got more expensive but also I agree that in the past they were a once a year treat, not a monthly outing. To be honest I wouldn’t even bother taking a 2 year old to an aquarium or the zoo, going on experience they rush round, say ‘oh yeah’ when they see an animal or fish and then want to move on to the next bit! They aren’t interested in learning at that age and it feels like a waste of money. As frustrating as it is, and I can understand the want to do different activities, I would stick to the free things for now. Also as pp said, look for the attractions that you pay once and it lasts for 12 months so at least if she’s having a bad day it doesn’t matter if you leave early etc.

They are indeed ridiculously expensive. We try to save them for treats, and take our own food where we can. I'm quite wary of setting up expectations very young about constant days out and eating out, which I think would be a rod for our own backs money-wise with older DC. The good thing about toddlers is that very simple church playgroups etc satisfy them. And with older DC, going to nursery/school and then some regular weekend clubs and hobbies (which admittedly can be expensive, but definitely not £100 a pop expensive!) take up so much time that there is less time to fill anyway. So you don't have to feel that these expensive days out should be constant.

Strangely enough nearly 40 years ago i was a young mum and lived hundreds of miles away from any family, i didn't feel the need to trail my under 3s to museums, soft play etc Other than a mile walk to the shop on dry days we were at home, in the garden if possible or playing inside. My children are well rounded healthy adults with the ability to entertain themselves. Children not rest and peace.

As others have said, annual passes often work out such good value. We tend to cycle through memberships so we currently have 2 we switch between for a day out, then then when they expire we will get one for a couple of different places.

Thanks for some of the comments with recommendations!

I guess to clarify we do lots already and lots of the recommendations on the thread we have visited or even go regularly! We do go to various toddler groups in the week too (I was just saying earlier these still stack up as even church playgroup is £5). We always take food with us and hardly ever eat out. The problem with lots of cheap things is they are outdoors, and even trussed up in waterproofs after half an hour my daughter will complain 'its soggy' and want to go home.

I was just looking to expand our repertoire and the bright sunny day today made me look to summer and making plans! I think I was a bit naive! All groups stop during half terms too so we need things to do those weeks.

We do both work part time and she doesn't go to any childcare setting so I do feel a responsibility to give her a wide range of experiences and things to interact with. For those who say it's not necessary- yeah I'd agree about a theme park- but most museums are great for kids!! Someone asked if it was Portland basin I go to- yes I love there with the little kids bit with the train. The replica Victorian streets there and in Salford museum are fun. Gallery oldham is also amazing with so many events for kids.
Bolton museum even has its own free aquarium so we will just continue going there for now.

Someone recommended RHS Bridgewater but that's over £30 a visit too! Might look into membership in future.

Thank you for the lotto days out recommendation- we already have plans at the weekend it covers- however I think I will take her to a NT estate in the week.

Also thanks so much to whoever recommended Boundless - just signed up so we can go to Martin mere now! The cost was pretty much the same as one visit there so that's great!

Also will consider merlin membership for the future!

We did ‘big’ days out to places that took Tesco Club card vouchers when mine were small.

Cinema when we could use a Meerkat code!

For me it’s the cost of the overall thing not for the cost of kids. I remember going on a Santa train thing once and it cost more for adults then kids…things like that are insane.

Liverpool World museum is free and has a bigger aquarium than Bolton museum.

I think you mentioned liking a train thing- Ribble valley train museum and steam train rides in Preston would be £20 for the 3 of you.

As others have said - at 2, she doesn't need paid entertainment, I'd save your money for when it does become a bit more useful.

A 2 yr old won't get anything out of a visit to an aquarium that they can't get from visiting a pet store or garden centre.
Someone suggested already going to different parks - they think they've been on a trip.
Libraries are fab for filling a morning - all sorts of singing, story sessions and crafts happen. A bit of puddle wading. Standing out to wave to the bin men was something mine enjoyed. Things like washing the car or "helping" in the garden / changing the sheets (ie making a den) / cooking / washing up. Walking round the block. Looking for diggers. Going on a bug hunt. Collecting things (sticks, pine cones, conkers, feathers, leaves, etc). Looking for spiders webs. Chalking on the pavement / drive / patio. Doing the supermarket shop. Doing all the things that involve walking to places - experiencing the Drs, dentist, optician, Post Office, Bank. See what's on at local Churches and Community Centres. Fire Station open day. Check out your local 'Warm Spaces' for all sorts going on in the Community.
"Big Days Out" have always been big cost items that many (most?) families would only do once a year.

Strangely enough, you entirely changed your reasoning when it was pointed out to you that this child clearly isn't in school (!) or much nursery. Funny that. And nobody asked about or cares what you did. You are not the standard.

VOD, I never said i was the standard and i really couldn't care whether you care or not. Enjoy the public forum.