First ever summer off with children- what to do

[GiganticArkReadywithHottub]

Finishing my masters in mid July and I don't start new job until September.
Hurray!
Downside is I will have very little money due to no wage. Single parent, two children, UC probably won't kick in on time as I'm not entitled at present.
Just don't know what to do, was going to put house on air bnb for a month and a bit and travel?
House exchange?
Car camping/ road trip around the UK?
Or just stay home and eat what we have in the cupboards/ go to the park etc. Seems depressing with no money for day trips but the kids love the idea! They're 9 and 7.
What do you think I should do?

Have days at home to simply chill. I don't understand the obsession with doing stuff all the time in the holidays! We used to have a week away then the rest of the time we entertained ourselves, went out with friends, or had them round, read, painted, cooked, just what we wanted to do. Go to the library and get some books, or puzzles. Kids need to learn to entertain themselves sometimes.

Do you live somewhere desirable? Perhaps a house swap site might be good?

@TheSandgroper Bristol, inner city.

There's bound to be free stuff going on in the city centre, at the museums and stuff. Hang out at home, take advantage of anything that's offered.

Go out somewhere to fly a kite, go to the woods with a couple of their pals and build a den. Make bread for lunch. Do you have a tent you can put up in a garden? Blaise Castle has a permanent orienteering course set up, they'd have a great time learning how to map read. Find somewhere outdoors you can go swimming, or paddleboarding.

Your money will go further, it'll be less stressful, and then you can just adapt to the weather/what you feel like doing as you go along.

Camping is cheap to do but expensive to start with the cost of a tent, air beds/sleeping mats, sleeping bags, etc.
Tbh in your situation I'd just enjoy the time at home, some staying in and just enjoying reading, arts & crafts, make a den, water play in the garden, invite friends round to play and some getting out and about. Mine love planning and preparing (with supervision!) a picnic, sometimes we take them out but we also have regular garden or floor picnics.

There's also loads of stuff for free - the M shed, the museum and art gallery, cycle or walk around the downs, Ashton Court, Leigh Woods. Go and watch an ascent at the balloon fiesta. We the curious is reopening in July too, though not free. The Wild Place is great for keeping kids busy though also not free and needs a car, ours love it and are always knackered afterwards. Get the train to Weston and play on the beach.
The poundland challenge is a hit here, give each of them a pound or 2 and challenge them to find something fun. They love debating which items will last the longest, be the most fun to do, going back and forth between one thing and the other, paying for it themselves then getting stuck in at home.

Home swap is a great idea for a week or two, for a change of scene

Try and find out which of their friends are about and when, and organise meet ups

Any family you could visit? Or could come stay with you?

I feel we do all of the free stuff in Bristol A LOT. Plus I'm mindful of too much time at home being time on screens. We have a garden but the weed smell and shouting gets a bit much at times.
No family outside Bristol to stay with.

We have a lot of camping stuff but my DC aren't keen. I love it

Remember that just because you feel you do the free stuff alot for the children time feels different and as they get older they get more / different things out of it.
If cash is tight I wouldn't be going away anywhere extravagant.
I would write down all of the dates in the holidays and then search the local area and look for all the summer fetes and open days for theatres and museums, any clubs and workshops and write all of those down against the dates. Then I'd slot in a 'Friend day's when they can have a friend round and maybe a bbq dinner. Then I'd add in paid things like swimming fun sessions, children's cinema shows and theatre shows etc. then I'd look at blocks of time that are free and maybe book a Premier Inn somewhere for a few days and explore a new area.
Factor in some downtime too.

If you already do all the free stuff in Bristol a house exchange so you can explore another city sounds brilliant.

If there is a really hot spell then those outdoor pools, splash pad places are great. Get there early.
Camping for a few days even of they're not keen. Have you got a any friends or family you can go and visit and stay with for a few days?
Picnics. Having friends for a sleepover
Anything to break it all up a bit really.

I suppose my worry is that I won't ever have this time off again. Will I feel like I've missed out if I look back and see that we just went to the cinema and went to Blaise castle?

I'd do a camping trip. Maybe Wales. Go climb Cader Idris or Snowdon and spend time on a beach.
A day out in London visiting some free museums and one of the parks. See some street entertainment.
Tickets are cheaper with a family railcard. You can get one with clubcard vouchers if you have those.
If you get a railcard, go on a few train trips.
Take food with you and buy a treat.

If you can get your house on Airbnb or do a house swap then great! Do that.

House swap and do the free stuff in a new place

Someone is bound to want a house swap during the festival. Surely.

I think a house swap is definitely worth looking into.

You don't have to go on holiday or go away. I had many summers at home with my dc just doing things locally

@Comedycook but you had many summers, I only just have one. I have worked full time throughout every summer of their lives, bar maternity leave.

Camping. Put kids in charge of food, budgeting, buying, looking at labels and supervised cooking. They'll remember it more than sitting at home.

Yes but surely when you are working you will have annual leave...ok not for an entire summer, but you will be able to go on holiday at some point in the future. If you can get away this summer , great, all I'm saying is that if you can't, you can still have a nice time. It's not the end of the world. One summer that my kids loved was when we used to go to our local park most afternoons...lots of families did similar. The kids all played together...there was a chip shop next to the park and I used to buy them a bag of chips...was one of their best summers!

I've just googled 'tent Freecycle Bristol' and there's a tent there. Not really big enough but will do.

My mum used to get us to decide what we were going to do and put it in the calendar. It had to be free. We came up with lots of things she would never have thought of. It also got us used to planning ahead and it stopped us complaining because we had suggested it and it stopped her from being the chief entertainer too.

After they have made their initial suggestions I would add some extra suggestions of your own.

. Or a Coleman like this - a good make. Take duvets from home, ditto plates etc. portable cookers are £14 in Morrisons at the moment. You could sell tent at the end or even buy one of these 2nd hand

I have camping stuff but my children don't like it. My daughter is very anxious and doesn't like it. That's why I was considering car camping or similar

I missed the word 'car' and got carried away!

@MelanzanaPatata that's ok, I still appreciate your ideas and enthusiasm x