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 :(

If you did want to go camping and you near St Albans check out Share St Albans. You join for £10 and can borrow (say) a 5 man tent for £8 a week, 2 camping chairs for £4. I would recommend Henlow Lakes as a not very far away place to camp (Bedfordshire). It's really lovely and there's a big bar area with a firepit undercover if it rains. We had a ball there when the kids were young.

Share St Albans is also good for hiring garden games like Badminton, Giant Chess and board games. About £1 a week each. You could probably camp in the garden have fun but if you didn't want to spend more.

While you are in St Albans, the city museum is free, as is the splash park and Heartwood Forest too.. Go on the Magical Meander, following the carved animal statues. There are picnic tables in the middle.

With three very little ones i'd try and build a fun base at home if you have a garden. Cheapo paddling pool, bubble machine, hosepipe, trampoline and a freezer full of ice pops.
Digging, planting,home made mud kitchen, toys to play with in water, LOL doll campouts (or whatever the in thing now is!), maybe sand with diggers etcin.

TrawlFacebook marketplace for free/very cheap play items.

It was mostly about picnicing at parks at that age for us.

Oh and den building, create a fairy garden, lots of crafts and some baking maybe?