Summer Holiday boredom buster

[LilSimsie]

My kids are 12 & 13. They are constantly asking me to take them out for food or do something during the holidays. We just got back from a week in skeggy and I spent so much on them flipping arcades so now I’m skint until next pay day and which I gotta make sure I got school uniforms sorted. I need cheap ideas or something!! My kids seem to be only kids that hate parks and don’t play on them anymore, hate walking, anything that I can think of that’s free or cheap they don’t wanna do it. My youngest hates crowded places and zoos and theme parks due to autism so that makes things even harder. I’ve asked their dad to chip in and take them somewhere or just see them for abit but I might as well use a chocolate tea pot! I’m in East Midlands

Geocaching? www.geocaching.com/play

Is there anything on at your local library? Ours has a Lego club, board games club, has run coding workshops and various craft sessions. Also has different organisations doing drop in sessions

Is there anywhere local that’s cheap to eat? Mine are younger but we do frequent supermarket cafes.
Would they choose and cook from a meal delivery service such as gousto? How do they feel about picnics? Would they enjoy packing their own?
Local art galleries and museums often have summer holiday stuff on. They can also be nice places to just go and visit and chill
Are they interested in trains/planes/birds/anything else you can park up somewhere are spot?

tricky ages, as they are probably past any play type activity's. Cineworld are doing £1 cinema tickets if there's one local and its something that might appeal. Any friends you could invite over? just call it hanging out instead of a playdate. Would they be interested in learning how to cook? you'd still have ingredients to buy, but cheaper then eating out.

Are they always going to want instant gratification and someone to entertain them? It won’t kill them to be bored. Or just give them a list of housework to do - at least get something useful out of them while they’re whinging!

Do you have a garden or outdoor space? Mine have spent blooming ages playing Swingball this summer. Bit of initial cost but cost per use now basically zero. Or a football and goal, or netball/basketball hoop if you can attach it somewhere.

Duolingo? Ok it’s a screen but educational.

Cooking? They are the perfect age for it

Errands? My 12 nearly 13 year old quite likes the novelty of being sent to return a parcel or get something from the shop… I’m milking it while I can.

Cardboard boxes, DGD would sit in them to go to Sainsbury's (imagination) make into a shop, toys in for a farm, dolls infor a bed, really big box a house(appliance box) draw on them, tie string and pull them. She can still play a whole afternoon with a spoon and piece of string and paper. Also cutting paper , she spends hours doing this. Sometimes makes me wonder if the toys are necessary??