NOW CLOSED: Share your top ideas and tips for keeping the summer holidays fun filled on the cheap with Mu cheese - you could win an annual Merlin pass or a months supply of cheese

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by Mu (the funky new Cheddar brand) to find out your top ideas/tips for keeping the summer holidays fun filled without breaking the bank. This could include arts and crafts, games, things to do at home, places to visit etc - we would love to know your favourite family activity.

Mu say "Mu believes in fuelling more family fun everyday; be this through our range of delicious, natural cheddars or through giving families the tools to make every day as enjoyable as it can be. The summer holidays are a perfect excuse to have fun with the family but sometimes it?s difficult to think of ideas to fill the whole holidays. Mu would like to create a free downloadable booklet which includes a list of activities that Mums can use for a bit of inspiration when needed"

This is where you come in! Please share your top tips on this thread.

The best ideas will feature in the Mu "Make everyday a Mu Fun day" free booklet which will be free to download from the Mu website and Facebook site from the 23rd of July

All entries will be put into a prize draw to win a family Merlin annual pass (worth over £400) which offers a family of four free entry into 28 top attractions including Alton Towers, Chessington and Sea Life Centre plus many more.

PLUS all entries chosen to feature in the booklet will win a months supply of Mu Cheddar. If your tip is used MN will be in touch for your address details.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

[ICutMyFootOnOccamsRazor]

Yes, I got mine. It came in late July or early August, I think?

In a little cool box with a coldpack inside.

It was a LOT of cheese, but all gone now :).

[EllenParsons]

Helenagrace I did not receive my cheese either!

[Helenagrace]

Did everyone else actually receive their cheese? I'm still waiting for mine.

[AnnMumsnet]

MrsB1234 - you may be best off starting a thread in chat here - thanks!

[MrsB1234]

Hi there, 1st time on Mumsnet and logged on to see if others have experienced events of today. Only son playing out with a friend only to be told off by neighbour who said that he wasn't to set one foot on the pavement outside her house or touch the lamp post - bizarre! Very quiet area, no noise so not a problem I thought for him to walk and play quietly but apparently so. Spent all afternoon with child, normally very resilient, who is worried about playing out?

[goingtoofast]

Thanks!

[gazzalw]

What a lovely surprise -can't even remember what I wrote ! Thank you! Will make feeding the DCs a little less costly over the hols!

[ICutMyFootOnOccamsRazor]

Thanks very much!

[KatieBMumsnet]

Congratulations to the following MNers whose comments were used in the "Make everyday a Mu Fun day" booklet. You've each won a month's supply of Mu cheese!

Lightshines
Helenagrace
Fillybuster
childrenAtHeart
CMOTDibbler
ICutMyFootOnOccamsRazor
mumnosbest
costumequeen
HannahLI
ShatnersBassoon
gazzalw
goingtoofast
MumOfAPickle
NorbertDentressangle
primalsteam
Hopezibah
severnofnine
lisad123
rookery
poopoopoo
VirtuallyHere
kittycat68
Luckystar96
AKMD
StellaMarie
BerthaTheBogBurglar
planetpotty
magnolia74
3duracellbunnies
rufus5
EllenParsons
jimswifein1964
cherryjellow
cosysocks
GetKnitted

The free booklet can be downloaded here: www.facebook.com/MU.Cheese

[ChildrenAtHeart]

Wow - thank you. I am in total shock :o)

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for all the amazing suggestions. Am pleased to say ChildrenAtHeart has been selected at random as the winner of the Merlin pass. Will email you now.

WRT to the cheese - will post more once I know what tips MU are using in the booklet.

[EllenParsons]

Make a summer scrap book as a little diary of all the activities you do throughout the holidays - making the book is a fun activity itself.

[pumpkinsweetie]

Like the idea of in home beauty parlour magnolia, my 6 yo would love that

[pumpkinsweetie]

The ideas that keep my children amused
Picnic inside a huge homemade tent, indoors or outdoors, the larger the better.
Cinema day: dvds back to back with homemade popcorn in a giant bowl
Cupcake decorating: get the kids to muck in make 2 different flavoured bowls of cupcake mix, either homemade or shopbought, give them icing, sweets and sprinkles and let them have fun decorating and eating them.

[rufus5]

Have 'colour' days - for example, if you decide to have a 'green day' go round the house and collect up all the toys you can find that are green to play with, eat lots of green food (great way to get veg-phobic kids eating healthily!) or go to the supermarket to find green food, do green art/craft activities, go for a nature walk to spot green things (again, much easier with green than some other colours!). You can fill a whole week with easy colours no problem!

[Boysboysboys]

Wait for a wet spell and then take them to play in the park at Leigh woods. Apparently its the best day ever!

[tassisssss]

Brilliant list, we do loads of those too.

Only one to add...painting stones. Great outdoor or indoor activity. This week on the beach. Nice.

[3duracellbunnies]

Let them become reporters for the day. Go on a day trip, and buy a postcard/ take some photos, bring notepads. The next day, either on paper or the computer they write up their report. They might also want to include a restaurant critic column if they ate out/recipies if taking a picnic, a style guide if they saw interesting costumes etc.

The pictures and text can then be scanned/ edited on the computer, and made into a newsletter to send to grandparents/ godparents and one for their new teacher.

Apart from any costs for the day out and maybe a postcard, the only costs are for printing.

[magnolia74]

Oh and cycling!!!! Best way to wear out kids

[magnolia74]

Having 5 children and not a lot of spare cash I am always thinking of ways to keep them occupied especially in the summer holidays.

Best ones are:

Pavement chalk, we do hopscotch, snakes and ladders, number/letter trails and then a bucket of water and a broom to wash away later is fun for my 5 year old

Local park with fallen down trees for bug hunting, we take a magnifying glass, a book, camera and a picnic. On a sunny day it can take the whole day

Camping in the garden is a firm favourite.

On rainy days we set up our own beauty salon and give foot massages, paint nails, face masks etc....

And you can't beat baking mixed with dvd/pj day :)

[Piggychunk]

Forgot to say the money saved can buy arts and crafts materials or food for a pinic in the park it doesn't have to be for big things

[Piggychunk]

Bit late for this summer but I save Aug - Dec for Xmas and then Dec-July for school holiday trips. If you can save even £10 a month it really helps to have some spare cash to do activities .. Other wise it feels like you need an extra salary for 6 weeks as everything can be so £££ even for the smallest of trips.

[gazzalw]

Go blackberry picking - they are very late this year because of the grotty weather so will probably be ripe at the end of July/beginning of August and then make jam/crumbles/tarts with the children...they love picking them and you can easily do it for a couple of hours at a time ;-) so free entertainment, educational and with a yummy outcome - what's not to like?

[ouryve]

Both of my boys have ASD and are difficult to for me take out anywhere, together, but we find every excuse to go for an interesting walk as many days as possible. Our local council is doing a bee survey, which I'll use as an excuse for a free activity with no travelling involved.

We grow lots of fruit and veg which (usually!!!) ripen during school summer holidays (courgettes, blueberries etc) and DS1 loves to help me pick them and plan what to make with them. It's almost always cake! (Courgette cakes are delicious!) Both of the boys like to help me eat them, of course.