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?

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I have done this. So jealous you'll have a ball. I did some intense research of all the local free events on, wrote up a timetable and packed a lunch every day we had out. It was brilliant! We were out at least twice a week to organised events then used to go to the local park
Enjoy!

How much is your budget how much can you afford for petrol etc. You can get to Exmouth beach in 90 minutes from Bristol, as long as the M5 isn't a car park, so that is great for a day out. (We are just north of the city so easier access to the motorway than you but have done that for a day trip.) Nicer than Weston because it's a lovely sandy beach and you can swim/paddle. Pay to park, take a picnic, buy an ice cream.
A day in Weston with a few quid of change can fill ages in the arcade on the 2p falls.
When mine were little we has a class what's app and each week arranged a meet up in a local park with whoever was around. It made a trip to the park more of an event.
Do you check the visit Bristol website? It's great for ideas of what's going on. As is Primary Times.
Things like getting up super early and finding a spot to watch the balloons go over during the festival (which I talk about every year and have still never done) could feel like an adventure.

I haven't heard of a trail like the unicorn one last year for this year but they can be fun.

A long weekend camping would definitely be something I would want to do it's your holiday too, they get to choose some things and so do you.

I think you need to get very good and a bit imaginative at packing a picnic. I used to get mine to carry their own in a little backpack because I got very fed up of lugging it all around but buying even a drink and a cake whilst out was and is sooooooooo expensive.
Enjoy.

House sitting!

Pref somewhere hot with a gorgeous beach!

Have you tried geocaching? Good fun and gets you out and about :)

Lots of places just over the bridge in Wales:

Cardiff Bay
Porthcawl beach and fair
Barry Island
Pontypridd Lido and Park
Bryn Bach Park
Roath Park

Just to name a few.. these places shouldn’t take much more than an hour to get to from Bristol and a few of them are in places where you’d be able to get a cheap BnB if you wanted to stay over.

For nervous campers I'd suggest putting up the tent in the park, progressing to day pitching e.g. at the beach and finally to overnight. I used to do Guides and my two both came on a camp where we went all day - one of them had afternoon naps in the tent! - and came home at night.
If any DCs are in Guides/Scouts etc. then this could also work as a free (ish) activity - if they aren't in the same unit, going for the day with one while the other has a playdate. The unit will be grateful for an extra pair of hands too.

Single mama here who has summers off with little money. I start booking in advance so we already have a caravan holiday in Hastings paid up for example. I have also booked one night at a Premier Inn down in Cornwall so will leave at 5am day one and return after sunset the next day....makes it feel like a few days when in fact its less than 48 hours.
If you ever fancy a night or 2 in Portsmouth then please shout :)

@Foxyroxie666 aw awesome! Would you fancy doing an exchange with Bristol for a few nights?

I think someone else posted about Youth Hostel family rooms. Some of them are in amazing places like the one on Treyarnon Bay in Cornwall but still not cheapest way, camping definitely is.

@jeaux90 yeah they're definitely not cheap anymore, more expensive than a premier inn now. I only stay there because of the amazing buildings and community feel.

Don't plan anything for the first week. The kids will love just having you there, not working. Get some books cos they like to have you around while they defrost from school.
I know that urge to go travelling. I'm new to working in school and it feels like such a waste not to hop on a ferry and explore for weeks on end. But it wouldn't work for the kids for various weekends. Sighs.
Nothing useful to add

@PicaK thanks! Glad you get it. I mean they have to see their dad as well so that limits us.

I think you should have the best summer ever.

im also a single parent and the constant juggle is not great on the kid. I feel guilty the entire term time, but I have holidays off where we do fun things. I spend a lot more money than perhaps I should, but it’s totally worth it because a. I really get to spend quality time and enjoy being a parent and b. We make lots of memories

I also live on UC. I buy one expensive annual pass a year, and that does me for summer. Eg the Merlin pass. I have an economical car, so petrol costs me very little to get around , and I alternate days out with days at home , plus sometimes we camp overnight to avoid long drives. I also take a picnic / snacks to make it more affordable (and fun)

id also look up free council provided fun stuff to do. Our local leisure centres do free swim sessions/ messy play/ bouncy castle / roller disco type things in the hols.

if this is the only summer you’ll get to just be mum, then take full advantage. It doesn’t have to be super expensive , and in years from now, you won’t be talking about the money you spent, but the memories you made.

A house swap is a very good idea. We had several house swap holidays when I was a child and they were wonderful as you're not all crammed into hotel rooms and obviously saves a lot of money (though I expect my parents stressed about the possibility of us breaking something or something like that)

Day trips like to the beach are good, take packed lunches to save money. Explore different parks that you don't usually have time to go to. Walk in forests. Bike rides.

A few years ago (he’s 19 now!) we got my son to write a list of things he wanted to do in the holidays as we always seemed to get there and run out of ideas. I found his list in the cupboard the other day and sent him a picture to see if his requests are the same when he comes home from uni for the summer. These are some of the things he wrote down. Some were expensive some were free…

• Bowling
• driving range
• crazy golf
• Zoo
• Beach
• Hovercraft ( we live in Portsmouth so this was an easy one!)
• play tennis in park
• bike ride in woods
• go see x & x (friends)
• local castle grounds ( free entry)
• country park
• library
• fly a kite
• Thorpe Park
• geocaching
• Trampoline park
• camp in the garden
• make a slip & slide for garden
• Go on a train trip

Hope there’s some ideas there for you. We’re going to do some of them this summer even though he’s older!

If the kids hate camping, why not sell the camping gear for some summer spends.

I hated camping as a child. I hate camping as an adult.

However, I would have quite happily spent my summer inside a tent in the living room. I loved a good indoor fort (still do - never grew up).

I don't think you should force your kids to go camping just so you can say you've done something if they don't actually like or want to go camping. If you make this summer about you, they'll turn sulky, and that will spoil your 'one summer' anyway.

If your kids are content to stay home and not do much, I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth!

I loved spending time with my parents when I was that age. And by spending time, sometimes that just meant curling up next to my mum and watching a terrible film or getting to eat dinner at the same time as my dad (who normally worked very long hours). Some children are just very low maintenance in their wants.

Do you have anything you can sell? Can you change your bank account for the free money?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts/

If your new job is going to mean you're better off, you could probably justify a small loan so you can fully enjoy the summer and this opportunity. Would your parents lend you the money? But it sounds like your DC are looking forward to just doing day trips with you and you can have a great break between studying and your new job.

Take the bus out to clevedon marine lake - it's free.

Have you asked them what they'd like to do?
Get those things booked in, run a calendar and get something in every day - include stuff like 'day to clear out old toys and clothes' 'day to shop for new school uniforms' 'day to deep clean the house', as well as fun stuff like 'homemade pizza night', 'day to have friends over' and 'family BBQ night'

Make use of not just free stuff that's on all the time, but free stuff specifically for the summer hols - free/ cheap cinema tickets, free craft workshops, themed days in the library, weekly lego clubs etc.

If you're after a bit of structure, you could do themed weeks (Move it monday where you go out and about on bikes, walking, scooters etc, Fakeaway Friday where you try to make a new takeaway recipe at home, Trip Thursday where you go out somewhere, Water Wednesday for swimming, getting the sprinkler out etc.). And get the kids to help choose what to do for each day.

I’m looking for a house/pet sitter in Thailand for 2.5 weeks..

@Redridinghood2 really?!! I would love to

You live so close to the sea (well compared to me anyway!!), my kids would love to be on the beach 90% of the holidays, if you’re prepared to walk a bit down to the beach you can usually park on a street a bit further away which wouldn’t cost anything! Take a picnic etc