need day out ideas that cost no more than £5 - have a very tight next 2 weeks but dont want ds sitting around doing nothing

[juicychops]

other than picnic at the park which we do so often, need some other day long activities

How old is your ds?

if you are in London area there's a place called Discover in Stratford, story-telling play space with activities, great resources and a big outdoor area, will cost around £5 for the 2 of you, less if you DS is under 2

Have you a shopping centre near you with ourdoor fountains? Kids had a fab few hours running through them at zero cost.

Are you still near Dartford, juicychops?

If you can get to Greenwich (Dartford-Greenwich 20-30 minutes on train, £4.50 fare for you and your DS should be free) then there's Greenwich Park and the National Maritime Museum or Observatory (NMM has special activities for young children on a Tuesday and Observatory on a Thursday).

volunteer? soup kitchen, school,

Go pond dipping, or fishing.

Collect and press flowers.

Download a list of British birds (with pictures) and go and tick off how many you see on your nature ramble. Could make binoculars before you go if your kids are tiny.

Baking, ?gingerbread men or fairy cakes, something that needs decorating later to prolong the activity.

Make a video, mine like acting out Britain's got talent and naff adverts.

Pamper day, bath with candles, pedicure, manicure, lie still for hours with cucumber on their eyes, give them a massage.

Go to library and see what's on for free, then borrow a pile of books while you are there.

Find some good trees to climb.

Make a teddy from scraps of fabric.

Take the government up on it's free swimming scheme.

Go to RAF Cosford.

Let kids paint the garage door.

Have a little campfire in the garden, toast marshmallows.

Make a shop with all the packets and tins from the kitchen or even better make it into a shoe shop.

If you have tesco vouchers use them to buy a load of tickets for places to go and take packed lunches with you.

Go to the beach (if nearby) / country park - spend the pound on an ice cream.

Is that per person or total? Where abouts are you? That way we can find local cheap things) How old are the DCs?

You can go collect things for a nature collage thing DS2 loves collecting sticks and sellotaping them to paper!!

Take them out and let them take photo's with digital camera and then print and scrapbook them

serin i like your list will be writing alot of that down

hi everyone sorry, internet has been down. some great ideas there thanks everyone!!

ds is 4. yep, still in Dartford, Kent. have a car but not much money spare for petrol

My dd 4, just likes simple things like going swimming (a favourite), or painting and baking. I think that, sometimes, just the fact that time is devoted to them, makes them have a great time. What about a soft play centre?

Lots of councils have free swimming for kids.