Summer holidays not going away

[Totallyfrazzledmum]

Starting to feel stressed about the summer holidays, we cannot afford to go away anywhere and looking for ideas but most day trips look super expensive. 3 primary age children who are very demanding :(

Do you have membership to any local attractions? If not it might be worth buying family membership somewhere and paying monthly. I pay less that £20 a month for family membership to two different attractions. We will visit these places once a week in the holidays and then bring a pack lunch and then I might buy them an ice cream. Some days will be spend doing completely free things; meeting friends at the park, visiting the library, any free community events, picnic and paddling in the river, bike rides, etc. We will visit museums and go for cheap lunches. I make a budget for each week and balance paid for days with no spend days. They each get to choose one big day out over the holidays so a theme park, zoo trip, go karting, etc.

How much money do you have to spend over the course of the summer holidays? Can you make a budget?

The majority of people want food and something to sleep on, especially with 3 small kids. Camping fees and petrol would still apply. 3 small kids are going to benefit from food that’s warm at some point. She’d still need to spend almost £100 minimum even if she did it your way.

We’re a high income family and we never go away in August, it’s over priced and the weather is too much in the places we like. Can you go away in a half term instead and just do day trips in summer holidays? That’s what we do. That and a shipping them off to family for part of it 🤣

The OP has said that she can’t afford a holiday or day trips, that was the point of the thread!

@TheWineoftheChicken I took it to mean holidays in August which are on another level to elsewhere in the year, and day trips don’t have to cost the earth and they don’t have to be every day! My point merely was that not everyone is on holiday in August, we do very little summer holidays vs others, it’s a good time to reset. And maybe her kids with learn that if she does reduce expectations a little.

Could potentially do an over night stay however I have researched theme parks and all too expensive. Any suggestions for any would be welcomed ?
If there is some decent weather I may look at 2 night caravan however even that looked expensive when i checked in May.
As mentioned have looked at centre parcs, Paultons, legoland. Thorpe park etc. seems like all need add ons also.
I will try bus / library / cooking for sure and trying different parks.

Even Butlin’s is obscene !!!

You are looking at places that are obviously very expensive, struggling to see the logic of that, centre parks in August is obviously going to be very expensive. Do you have a budget in mind? Maybe people can help more specifically then.

Primary aged kids should be happy pottering around rock pools and having picnics. Have you looked at Youth Hostels for a few nights? You can get private rooms. If you're looking at places like Centre Parks then they're obviously going to be expensive! I've just checked and free days out in Hertfordshire include the Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve, the Natural History Museum in Tring and Cassiobury Park in Watford which apparently involves water. There's probably a lot more too. Also look at Eventbrite for free kids activities in your area. Kids do not need expensive activities all the time, they never really appreciate it anyway.

Yes, theme parks are expensive. As is Center Parcs. Have you only just realised this? 😁

We wrote loads of letters to various people one rainy October half term. Most of them wrote back and the dc loved getting post.

Do you have camping equipment or could you rent some? Somewhere with a firepit and some woods they can run around in with other kids.

Other cheaper options in Hertfordshire:

Train into London and go to British Museum/ Southbank Centre where there's usually free events.
Train to Cambridge and go paddling in the river Cam/ punting
Hartham Play Park, Hertford ⭐
Cassiobury Park St Albans - you have to book the splashpad on busy days but it's free
Natural History museum at Tring
Broxbourne Woods for free play
Leavesden Country Park.

@snowymarbles my two used to love doing this 🤣🤣 i could drop them off in the smaland bit and have 45 minutes peace. They are 18 and 21 and still talk about IKEA lol

We found Bluestone in wales was cheaper than centreparcs. Children loved it

It would never occur to me to go to a theme park, Butlins, CenterParcs, Legoland, Thorpe Park etc. We’ve never been. It seems slightly odd to me that that’s the type of thing you seem to be thinking of wanting to do. Have you got a family railcard?

what about joining the national trust, it’s about £14 a month for family membership, they have extra things on in the school holidays that are usually included in your membership.

That’s not odd it’s perfectly normal.

Ah OP it is hard - I get it.

I spent some time with my 5 year old making a summer bucket list yesterday - there are lots online for inspiration. Interestingly most of the ideas she came up with on her own were free. Could you ask your children to each come up with one? Maybe challenge them to think of ten free things they each want to do in the holidays (show them some examples if it would help) and then at least that might give you some ideas for the quiet days?

Last summer, we set ourselves the challenge of visiting 20 different parks over the summer holidays. We rated them all which added some fun to the trips.

Good luck 😊

But her point is she doesn’t have the money to go away so she’s looking for low cost things to do. Theme parks and centre parks are pretty far from that

We do this.

First day of the holidays we all sit down with our lists, adult included and prioritise our trips/activities, (top 5) put them in a ‘hat’ and draw them out. This becomes the agreed holiday list.

I am a single parent, so my choices are important too!

Yeah, if you’re skint there’s no point looking at theme parks or Center Parcs!

Not very helpful for this summer I know, but the only way I can afford to go away is to book and pay in installments incredibly far ahead. It's always cheaper and you can break it down into affordable monthly payments. I've booked a UK break for Easter and abroad for August breaks next year already. I don't know how people afford it otherwise.

Which company do you go with to book so far in advance please? I much prefer installments but find few companies to book over a year in advance with

For the UK, Haven are booking for 2027 now.

Sorry if I missed it on your posts, but how old are your children?
Depending on where in Hertfordshire you are, a few ideas are Watford, Casiobury park. Huge park with splashpads etc, a woodland walk, cafe, acres of field to play/ picnic, canal to walk/ watch the boats.
Hertford, Hartham park, again lovely large park with sandpits etc. Hertford also has lots of free activities over the summer in the castle or museum. My youngest used to love the teddy bears picnic (usually in July.
Both stanborough lakes and Fairlands valley parks are huge, with lakes, playparks, woodland to explore.
As per previous posts, your local library will be running lots of events including the summer reading challenge.
an affordable theme park (albeit small) that my dd's loved is Adventure Island in Southend. Buy day tickets on the website at a discount and just turn up on whatever day suits best. You only pay for wristbands if using the rides (I don't, so just buy for the children). They are also under the Blue Peter scheme if any of your children have a BP badge (free entry).
We have made that into a mini vacattion if there are good hotel deals on, as you are already at the beach.