Let Cadbury know your shared joyful summer moments which cost nothing - £265 voucher and Merlin ticket to be won! NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

The school summer holidays are a great time to share lots of wonderful moments with your children, and though the cost of exciting days out can really add up, they’re not the only way to have fun.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons would like you to share the joyful summer moments you’ve shared with your children which cost nothing.

This could be a water fight in the garden on a hot summer day, a trip to a local museum that you both really enjoyed or an impromptu picnic in the park. Have you found creative ways to have fun without the price tag? Whatever your joyful summer moments that cost nothing, share them with Cadbury below.

All those who post a comment below will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £265 Love2Shop voucher and a second winner will win a Merlin family ticket worth up to £200.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Additional information for Merlin prize: the winner will need to advise on the attraction they would like to visit and they will be sent a set of open dated tickets to use in 2016. The exception is Madame Tussauds in London where it gets very busy. Therefore, the winner will need to advise on three potential dates for their visit and Merlin will book them in in advance for one of those dates.

DS and I went up to the local skate park a few weeks ago early in the morning before anyone else was there! We had a right laugh doing tricks and practising on his skateboard (him not me ) and he gained in confidence enough to go back with a friend which was the idea!!

Completely free and the best fun we've had together in ages!!

We went for a walk around Swanbourne lake, Arundel our 7 year old led the way taking us on an adventure into the trees on the lesser trodden paths around the lake (all up hill). at the top of the steepest hill we found a folly we hadn't known was there is was fantastic that she had discovered this 'new' building, also as we walked she had the camera and was trying to take pictures of all the wildlife. it was a simple afternoon but fantastic. Not totally free as we ended off at a lovely little icecream parlour in Arundel but lots of fun and brilliant memories

Our garden needed a good sort out as I was in hospital at the end of the summer last year & I didn't pack everything up as I usually would so I filled our water tray with warm soapy water & my DS4 had great fun helping me clean while DS2 splashed in the puddles we created. A fantastic afternoon for us all & the job got done.

we've spent a lot of time on Dartmoor National Park this summer. Its around a 10 min drive from me and so costs nothing. Cadover Bridge on Dartmoor is a firm favourite with the kids. A shallow river that is fun for them to play in and very safe for them to paddle about in. Ponies and beautiful walks, ball games etc. Lots of fun summer days for nothing.

I find, and it's the same anywhere in the world, put a kid on a beach with a bucket and spade, and they'll be happy for hours!

being able to let DS stay up late to see the night sky on a clear dark night - the sense of wonder on his face when the whole sky began to fill up with stars was amazing and priceless !

DD enjoys the following:
Going for a run / walk around fields behind us or local race course.
Making play doh with flour, oil, water & salt.
Treasure hunts
Playing tents / dens
Baking with whatever we have in stock
Water fights
Pamper sessions using my creams, lotions etc then make up
Game of catch with a ball - especially when you throw it against a wall and fight to be the one to catch it
Going on a nature hunt - take a notepad go for a walk and make a note of everything you see
Hide and seek

The free paddling pool on Lammas Land in Cambridge. Its fantastic. There is also a free splashpad (actually there are a few) in Cambridge. If you can manage to get a free parking space too - sorted!

making cupcakes together, they get so much enjoyment out of it and love helping

Me and my boys like doing a bit of gardening, its relaxing and they learn a lot on a daily basis. Its cheap and cheerful and everyone can sow a few seeds together. Once we have done this we capture those moments: decorate our flowerpots; photograph our seedlings; compete for the tallest, fattest, tastiest treat from our first family ‘vegetable patch’.

The boys love it. It is as simple as setting up a few tubs of cress, herbs or lettuce (easy on a sunny ledge), or you could go for cauliflowers, leeks, even putting garlic cloves in the garden.

This fine invention has been keeping me sane this week! From my 5 year old to my 12 year old, all the DCs absolutely love a sunny day in the paddling pool. We've had friends over to play a few days this week and fun in the paddling pool, with water pistols and on the slip&slide have been definite winners!

Pond dipping and frizbee!

A nice walk with a lovely picnic for lunch

We live alongside a nature reserve - but sadly, due to busy lives, rarely get to enjoy it.
Last week we packed a picnic and took it onto the hill next to the ruined windmill. We could see for miles and enjoyed pointing out landmarks. It was great fun - must do it again soon!

Me and 7yr old DD sat and watched a Slow Worm sunbathing in a quiet road. I even took a pic of our summery reptilian friend.

we write a list of local activities that are cheap but fun so on days when we dont have enough money to travel we stay local or if its an indoors type of day make a list of indoor games put them in a hat and pick one out to do each wet day.

Watching my toddler daughter run around naked on the beach chasing her shadow! Best moment of the summer by miles!

I almost hate to tell you about the amazing find we discovered in Warwick this summer called St. Nicholas Park. I took my daughter on six rides (that she really enjoyed) for £1 each (no minimum purchase). Then she played on the playscape an went into the most wonderful splash pool for the next couple of ours for free. Including ice cream I spent a total of £9 (oh and about £3 for parking but I could have parked farther away and walked) for a great day out. When we went to Alton Towers earlier in the year and had two free adult tickets we still ended up spending about £70 for the child's ticket, food, parking, etc.

Taking a picnic to the beach and splashing in the sea all day. It cost us petrol money. Absolute bargain!!

DS is only ten months, so it's his first summer and we're going to have lots of lovely memories of him enjoying it. My favourites are:

Him picking the mint and raspberries in the garden, eating the mint and painting himself with the raspberries!

The swings in the park. He completely dissolves in giggles if I swoosh my face towards his as he's swinging and say "boo" just when our noses are almost touching.

Dropping birdseed at his feet in the park so the pigeons would crowd around him to feed. He is obsessed with pigeons and loved this so much.

Putting his ball pit balls in the paddling pool with him. We all ended up soaked as he splashed the water non-stop to make the balls bounce.

We (me +DDs) went to the beach to look for sea glass. We found loads, brought it home and made decorations for their rooms.

Taking the children for a walk with the dog and they started playing in a pretty little stream and we just stayed there for over an hour while they played all kinds of games. It was a perfect summers day with a gentle breeze, and the children playing happily and birds all around us....

But then on the way home two of the children fell in a huge big patch of squelchy mud

First weekend we can inflate the pool and fill it with water and inflatables all the children from the street just pile into the garden and play , it's always a joy to be part of and the best spontaneous party I ever go too.

We went on a free, organised walk through our local woods and got so much more out of it than all the times we've just gone on our own. We'll definitely be looking out for similar activites in the future.

The children seem to have the most fun when we all go for a walk together as a family.