Weekends with 2 young kids?

[Imjustagirl222]

Just looking for a bit of inspo or wondering what people do! I look back to my own childhood in the 90s (only child also) and remember a lot playing by myself or watching cartoons. I’d never been to a soft play till I had my own children!

I have one kid who’s 4 in autumn and a brand new 1 year old (crawls but can’t walk). My almost 4 yo also isn’t great on a bike / balance bike depsite many many efforts and scoots for like 2 mins.

im finding weekends a bit flat and unsure what to do, especially with everything being so expensive now. We have a farm centre right beside us and literally costs £48 every time we visit!
At the moment we do a lot of at home pottering, we both work full time and there are chores that just need done. There’s trips to local parks, some weekends we swim, go for a Costa, a mooch around the local shops which the 12m old isn’t a huge fan of cos buggy, jigsaw puzzles, stickle bricks and pretend play (which always involves us, the kids are not great at independent play!)

we don’t have any scheduled classes for my almost 4yo yet but one of my friends literally has her 4yo do swim lessons, ballet, judo and gymnastics all in a weekend! Maybe I need a class?
what are other people doing with their kids?

Does the farm place not do an annual pass? I used to set activities like collecting leaves to make collages in autumn, water play and painting outside in summer etc. Therr obviously isn’t going to be independent play with a 1 year old but structuring your day helps a bit. At 4 mine loved helping make their own lunch (pizzas, frittatas etc). A 4 year old doesn’t need multiple classes in a weekend but if you think it’d help then why not?

Most weekends we have one home day pottering and doing chores. For most of the day, toddler either entertains herself or joins us in housework with short spells of joint play, maybe playground in the afternoon.

The other day we try to get out. Usually walking and a picnic. One day a month or so we'll do something more specifically kid orientated.

Your weekends sound great. Thing is at those ages a weekend pottering is just as much fun for them. We took ours (almost 4 and almost 2) to Thomas land last week. They will tell you the best bit was the gift shop so I may as well of taken them to a toy shop in town and saved myself 75 quid 🤣

A one year old is hard btw. Mine started playing together for short periods when the youngest was 18 months. They come up with their own games now. When your youngest can communicate it gets easier.

I hate soft play. I have never done classes. It's just not the life for me.

Sounds like you're doing lots with them.
We spent a lot of time in a the park having picnics, pretend play ice-cream shop using a climbing frame as the shop, took a little frisbee, a bug hunting kit which was a bag with a magnifying glass, a identification card etc. I would also make up a treasure hunt (to point out on a walk, not collect it) so find me a leaf, a white flower, an ant, and something painted blue.
I work in a library so we also visited there regularly, we have bean bags, toys, colouring and free children's events as well as books so very easy to spend an hour or so, it's a community library rather than a silent one so children could walk around and talk which is great for little one. The library National Summer Reading Challenge is starting so your local library will have stickers and little prizes to collect for free, once you've registered for the challenge and borrowed books.
I'd suggest you look into Squirrels for your older one which is the beginning of scouting and getting them on the list. They do a variety of activities.
Children need time to be bored to encourage them to be creative and read, so don't feel the need to do lots of organised clubs but give them a taster of different hobbies as after school clubs. I don't think your kids are missing out.
Toys front we loved imaginext and similar at that age which was almost indestructible and safe with the little one but also fun for your older child.
Melissa and Doug have lovely stamper sets for easy craft and look at krokotak craft ideas

It depends why you think your weekends feel flat. Is it because you are the type of person that likes to be out and about more than you are? Or is it because you feel like everyone else is out at attractions and activities all the time and that you 'ought' to be doing more? Social media is a devil for being full of people always out '#makingmemories #blessed' etc etc

We do a lot of pottering around the house and on local trips out to parks, playgrounds etc. generally anything free. My DC are primary age and are often pretty wrecked by the weekend though.

Do things that you enjoy as well as DC, they will have fun if you do. Don't be a matyr.

We are out of the house most of the weekend. There are plenty of free and cheap places to visit as we're in London. There are lots of events like children's theatre and concerts too, and pretty much every weekend has some kind of free family festival at this time of year. We also like to travel to different parts of the capital for their parks and local attractions. I'd get bored just going to places in our local area every week.

At those ages my eldest did 2 weekend classes, but one was early morning so it allowed us to get to places by 10am opening time. I don't like filling up weekends with classes in the late morning or afternoon as that clashes with events like parties, children's theatre or concerts.

I struggle as well. I am beyond jealous of the people who have children who potter. Potter is not an adjective which describes mine. I find extended periods of time at home with them just leads to destruction.

We’re going to the farm tomorrow but like you say that’s £35 for me and two children, it’s a lot of money.

There's nothing wrong with pottering at home when your children are small, we did walks in the woods and parks when ours were small, sometimes swimming or pub garden. But we often had time at home, paddling pool out and playing in the garden, having a bbq, invite friends with kids over. You don't need to do expensive days out with them when they're so little, a picnic in the park and a walk in the woods is just as much fun!

We have 20 month old. This morning we went to the garden centre. Then I went to Aldi whilst DH did her lunch and nap. Going to see in-laws this afternoon. Tonorrow morning we are going to a farm park, then nothing planned in afternoon . We live right by a playground so go there a lot, feed the ducks. Often go swimming at leisure centre. Tag team things so we each get some down time / do chores. It is boring sometimes honestly but I don’t know what else to do thst doesnt involve lots of money! And don’t want to be out all day every weekend

My 4 ½ year old does no structured activities other than swimming lessons one afternoon a week. I was raised in the 90s and mostly pottered about at home, in the garden, or playing out with friends when a little older and I’m raising my child the same way.

We do a lot of swimming and bike rides as he’s a good swimmer and has been riding pedals since before 4 so those are very easy activities for us. A cycle to the local park and a toastie in a cafe takes up most of the day. I love this age and don’t want to fill it dropping my child off at constant activities, I’d rather just stay at home and be in and out of the garden together in the nice weather, doing crafts, baking or playing board games at home, or taking a wander to the local library.

I was raised the same way.
my boy is 4 in autumn and I can’t get him going a bike yet! Tried balance and also stabilisers but no avail.

what did you do to help?

Honestly, I didn’t do anything. He got a balance bike at 2 years old because he loved ride on toys at the playgroup and he just took to it. He would speed around on it and was going up and down all the ramps at the skate park area of our local park at 2 ½. Once he got a bike with pedals he just cycled off on it with no input from us. I think with everything they’re either interested or they aren’t and they come to it in their own time. 4 is really young to be pedalling a bike anyway so I wouldn’t worry about that and just go with wherever his interests lie.

Your weekend sounds great, I found it we did too much it went so fast and we didn't get anything done at home.

Are there any city farms near you? They're often free. We went swimming sometimes on a Sunday morning.

We are out and about a lot and don't stay home much. Dc is an only child (preschooler) with lots of energy so staying home and entertaining him is sometimes a challenge. We do lots of free things. We go to parks and the library a lot and often spend the whole day outdoors. I find I can take dc to the places I want to go e.g. museums and galleries, meeting my friends, or just running lots of errands. He seems to like just being out.

I would love for him to have more playdates but don't know too many other parents yet.

I also can't get him interested in his bike!