Summer holidays - kids upset

[summersbysea]

I'm taking the kids for most of the summer as the ex is away on his hols and other stuff he's got on.
Just managing the food costs is impossible let alone anything else nowadays. Bills coming out my ears and uniforms they need as the school has changed its bleedin design again !
Kids being kids are saying they want to go to the beach, Alton towers that's impossible! We have a gym that does activities in the hols but they want more ?
Any advice like where to go on hols ?

Can you get your kids involved in planning and budgeting a day out so they start to learn the value of money? For example give them £100 and say they can plan a day out for the end of the holidays but need to show how it can cover getting there/back (train, bus, petrol), the actual activity, any food or snacks. Maybe even talk to them about how many hours work that would be on minimum wage or give them extra chores around the house to increase the budget.

I think a trip to London is potentially a bit too much for under 10s unless you are sure they will enjoy museums and seeing the sights. It is very tiring and could end in tears.

There is masses to “do” in the Midlands and perhaps you could do an Alton Towers trip if you make sure you do economical activities the rest of the time.

I do think sometimes people fixate on “famous” trips/days out and ignore what’s right under their nose. I remember a poster some while ago complaining she couldn’t take her kids on holiday. I linked to chalets I had been to in Norfolk and the Isle of Wight that were very reasonable and right on the beach. The poster huffily replied “No thanks - I only want to go to Devon or Cornwall.” Whaddayado?!

1000 Hours Outside has lots of ideas of things to do in the outdoors, many of them free, scavenger hunts, animal spotting, drawing etc. Go to a local free garden or woodland, or maybe a cheap bus to a beauty spot? Take a picnic and make a day of it.

www.1000hoursoutside.com/blog/2022-kick-off-pack-is-here

Other ideas:
-cooking or baking at home
-learning to draw cartoon characters on YouTube
-making a family tree on the wall and learning about the past

About the school uniforms - there is no way I'd be buying a new uniform if the old ones still fit and money is that tight. Just write a polite email to the school explaining.

Bloody hell, how selfish of their Dad!

Of course they will be upset seeing him waltz off on his hols without them.

Check your local Children’s Centre and similar: ours organises coach trips to the seaside for very reasonable cost.

It is tough making the money stretch.

We made a thing of choosing what to take in a packed lunch: Oooh, what treats shall we take… caramel wafer (from Lidl multipack) or … . I used to buy a multipack of ice creams from the Tesco Express at the seaside rather than from the stall or even the ice cream freezer. Take greaseproof paper sandwich bags and divide one (medium or large) portion of chips between all of us, for the treat rather than a meal.

The Sun have 2 free tickets to Alton Towers (and other Merlin parks) if you collect 6 tokens between now and next Wednesday. You would be lucky to get a date in the holidays, but even if it ends up being a weekend in September or October it something to look forward to!

Have a look at off peak train tickets as they can be cheaper than you might think.

Always pack a picnic, don't be tempted to buy a hotdogs for £8 each!

Are any of those inland pop up beaches near you?
Parks with splash pads

Reservoirs! Not for swimming in, but some have sandy shores.

Theme parks... any of the smaller ones nearby? Still not cheap, but cheaper and less busy than AT.

Are they old enough to join in a budget planning meeting? So we have X amount, tickets for that place would cost Y, but A,b,c would cost the same as Y.... include travel costs.

Play dates could be your friend here. I found with ours, that arranging to meet another family or two in your regular park/recreation ground/woodland etc can elevate a basic day out into an adventure.

Even at home, tent in garden, bbq/fire pit, s'mores or water fights/nerf guns or whatever. Definitely saved my sanity before.

Nat Express is doing some great deals ATM. Also what about Drayton Manor? May be less expensive than Alton Towers maybe. Its so hard for everyone ATM .Are there Museums with free entry ,swimming one day .Any free things run by the Council.Are you having 6 weeks off next year by any chance !

Not sure where in the midlands you are but spring lakes (between derby and notts) has a beach, it’s £5 entry fee and you can swim and build sandcastles etc. I took DD and a huge picnic last year and didn’t spend anything else while we were there although there is a cafe, but it’s not near the beach, so less temptation.

Honestly, we’ve just been to Alton towers on a week day on school time and the queues were insane. It’s so busy this year, twice as bad as any other time we’ve been. Your talking 1-2 hour queues on everything! I imagine in the holidays it will be even worse so I would not waste my money on it. its pretty hard to get to without a car as well.
At the age the kids would have more fun at a splash park with a picnic than standing in queues all day.

For big days out in future you can collect sun newspaper vouchers are all you pay is the cost of nine newspapers plus £2 booking fee for two tickets. You need to start collecting in about April. If you join sun savers swap page on Facebook you will get the dates when they are released and you will get people
selling or giving away tickets they can’t use last minute too. It’s hard to get weekends and holidays but I am bad and take mine off school for the day and have so much more fun with less queues (although not this time 😀) Facebook is also great for free days out ideas and quite often suggests stuff in its adverts.
We take picnics/ frozen drinks etc everywhere and can afford to do loads more stuff because of it, it also saves the hassle of standing in queues for food when we’re out 😊
Sorry long post but I also find if I take a friend for each kid along on a less exciting day out to a park or something it’s so much more fun and less fighting.
Hope you manage to have a fun holidays and remember if the kids tell you everyone else is doing more exciting stuff they are probably wrong as everyone’s struggling for money just now!

www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/7-man-made-beaches-near-9681249

try one of these - take a picnic, ask around friends and rellies for older buckets and spades (I always had a stash) or just take things the right shape - I can remember many a beach trip with paper cups for sandcastles etc)

Personally I don't think I'd go there after all the news stories recently of evacuation because of super high chlorine levels or something.

Op, Alton Towers charges ridiculous prices for standing around in queues for hours. Can you drive? It might be worth buying National Trust passes for a year, seems a lot to initially pay out but there are so many places in the Midlands you can visit for a good day out. When mine were the ages yours are they were more than happy with a day at a castle, picnic, a lot also have farms, walks, activities for kids during holidays.

Harry Shaw coaches so seaside day trips to Skeggy, Weston-Super-Mare etc. Check out their website.

Wicksteed Park (cheaper than larger theme parks)

Stanwick Lakes (great day out)

Sheldon country park (see the planes take off at Birmingham)

Ash End House Farm

Conkers

Twycross Zoo

Brandon Marsh, just outside of Coventry

Ryton Pools

Daventry Country park

Hartshill Hayes (Nuneaton)

@summersbysea
My DD's school is changing it's name and they have said to carry on with the old uniform if it still fits and only buy the new when it is needed, so you may want to look at your schools website or ask as you may be able to still use the existing uniform for a while.

Tamworth Castle is fab and quite cheap
There's a huge park and play area next to it. Kept my DS busy for ages

We wanted the latest things then too, we just couldn't have them and knew not to ask.

Is their other parent not contributing to his kids costs when he's opting out of parenting?

Tell your ex what they want and ask him, since he won't be around, if he will fun two of your planned holiday trips (don't tell him they'll be the only two) - a family ticket to Alton towers and rail fares for a day trip to the beach with fish and chips and icecreams. Cost it for him. He should be paying you extra because having them when they are not at school is WAY more expensive than during term time.

Or manipulate him and get them to ask him, since he can afford a holiday for himself, can he afford for them to have a day trip to the seaside.

all councils have providers doing free food and activities for kids on free school meals - some have funding available for transport too, so may be worth going onto your local county council and searching for Holiday and Food activities HAF
(I know this as we are running it for ESCC, and we have some kids coming by taxi)

Is your local sports/leisure centre doing any activities? Also when mine were young a local church group ran free activities 95% fun 5% bible but of course I understand this is not for everyone. I do think they need to understand that if you do one big thing it will wipe out all your funds for all the other days, that treats are precisely that not every day expectations. There has been another similar thread so you might find ideas on that.

Oh I love Tamworth Castle! My dc always enjoyed a trip there.

The adults go free offer on Kelloggs??

How old are they? Our youth club offers heavily subsidised trips during school holidays for 11-18 year olds. Ds went on loads last year. Didn't cost me a penny in fuel, as he went on the mini bus with his friends and had an amazing time and took a packed lunch with him so didn't pester me for food.

Alton Towers £15
Weston-super-Mare £5
Outdoor water park £10 including wetsuit hire
Laser quest £5
Go karting £8
I'm sure there were a couple more but I've forgot, it was usually one trip per week.