What do you do with DC at the weekend?

[Thirtysomething123]

I feel like our weekends are getting a bit dull. DC are 9 and 10. Playgrounds are apparently “boring” and everything costs money. What sort of things do your DC or this sort of age do?

Sport DS did rugby or tennis. Chill on Saturday afternoon and then we did a walk on Sunday. Go out for lunch. Cinema.

We follow several SM accounts and are on email lists for activities around the city (we're in London). So we pick an interesting activity, eg lots of family friendly activities linked to Open House this weekend. If there's a new exhibition or attraction that's opened we like to check it outm
On Sundays they have their sports (2 classes each plus a family swim, which keeps us busy all day). We often book things ahead, like theatre shows, gigs, discos or special themed day trips, but that does cost money.

Thank you. DS is football mad and we spend a significant amount of the weekend taking him to training, matches etc. whilst he does this DD and I bake, go to the library, clothes window shopping etc
I feel bad as we rarely do anything outside as a family or big days out until school holidays!

Free or cheap things we do include the library, museums, art gallery, walks in the park / woods, taking them out on bikes/skateboards/skates, taking them down to the local basketball court / football pitches, board /card games, watch a film / TV, some sort of art/craft (colouring, jigsaw), National Trust (we are members), picnic, look out for free local events...

I do realise most things do have a cost attached though and it's not easy to have a spend-free day!

DCs 10 & 8, free/cheap ideas:

Skate park - scooters, skate boards and roller blades

Friends round, go to friends - this weekend we’ve got 1 friend to go to and hosting 3. (2 Sat, 2 sun)

Walk in the woods

Playgrounds

Telly & gaming

Board games.

Local events.

This weekend:

Scouts tonight for DS

Harvest festival tomorrow am for everyone

DD hockey tomorrow pm

Sunday will be chilling/park/bike ride