Free summer holiday ideas

[Nicpem1982]

I'm off for a good amount of time during the summer hols but don't want to fall into the trap of spending a fortune so am looking for some ideas to entertain my 3yr old dd

She enjoys exploring, getting filthy and being outside

Have already got some down days planned but need to have some ideas up my sleeve as she's a nightmare if she has too much unstructured time

Can anyone help with free/cheap ideas

It might help if you want to say where you are and people can recommend local places, but, to kick you off, mine used to like :

park
different parks
(depends how near you are ) - beach
woods
hills
water play in the back garden (paddling pool if you have, but if not buckets and bowls - we used the old baby bath for some years - lots of different tubs and pots for filling and emptying..... Fill old washing up bottles with water and let them "paint" the patio or the fence or wall or whatever with the water they squeeze out). Or wash some dolls clothes and peg them out, as an activity together.
painting
chalking
play dough
"gardening".... well, digging in mud
cooking - cakes or biscuits but also helping prepare meals and things like making own pizza. Stretch it out by walking to a shop and buying the ingredients first.
keep a 'scrap book' over the Summer - she can draw a picture or stick in a leaflet or a bus ticket, maybe print out a couple of photos, maybe dictate to you what she liked, stick in a special leaf or a feather you find on the way, etc.
Intersperse all the fun things with other jobs and let her help - changing the sheets, shopping, wash the car, etc.
Involve her in making the picnic, etc.

Three year olds are lovely to entertain because they get so enthusiastic about anything and everything.

Special but simple days out for mine could be
Library
A picnic in the park
Trip to a pet shop and an ice cream afterwards
Local fairs/festivals - they often have dog shows, kite festivals, music, kids entertainment etc for free.
Some towns have free splash parks
Although totally the favourite thing for my kids is playdates with other kids, preferably with a picnic in the park. Win win if you like the mum too.

At that age I use to find a free or cheap activity outside of the house which took up most of the day e.g meeting friends in Park we don’t usually go to, crafty time in local library, swimming, one o’clock club or children’s centre play and stay, soft play, museum/ art gallery.

I also took pack lunches to keep down costs and find a cafe for coffee and ice creams. We were usually out of the house from 10am-3pm by which time dcs were tired and happy to watch TV while I did some household jobs and sorted out dinner

Just remembered also use to spend hours at the local city farm which was free entry

We used to get the bus into town (40 mins). Go to Big Library. Get different books, DVD if I was feeling very lovely! Go to Bagel place fir lunch or take picnic for park. Go to park. Get bus home. I managed this a few times a year until the dc were 4 and 7. Might try this holidays coming too, see how well it works at 6 and 9, although the novelty of buses has worn off a little now.

Tent/den in the garden out of an old sheet.
Chalking on pavement.
Painting on an old piece of wallpaper on doing footprints on it.
Library.
Short Train journey or mine loved a bus journey and still do as we very get a bus.
Baking. Decorating biscuits.
Visiting parks.
Getting dirty at the beach or river.
Camping.
Swimming.
Teddy bears picnic.
Play dates with friends.
Plasticine or play doh.
Walking in the woods. Etc etc etc