Is it costing you a fortune to keep the family entertained with days out and activities? Have no fear! We’ve compiled a few easy and (mostly) free things you can do with the whole family which, while being simple, might just be the inspiration you need…
We can all agree that too much TV isn’t good for us, especially for young, developing kids. But we believe that a bit of TV mixed in with family time can create a perfect opportunity to bond and relax (while spending next to nothing!).
Movies are obviously a great go-to, but there are loads of other things you can watch and get involved with.
For example, the Formula 1 Grand Prix is a huge motorsport event which takes place nearly every weekend from March to November, so you are bound to catch at least one race!
You can encourage competition by each backing a certain team or invest in some little toy cars for the kids to host a grand prix of their own. Because the races take place all over the world, the children might learn a few things about other countries, and the times of the races change for each country, so you should be able to watch a few here and there, around your busy weekend schedule.
There are many other great sports to watch on TV most of them without subscriptions — and they’ll encourage and motivate the kids (and possibly you too) to get outdoors and exercise! Sports like football and rugby can inspire healthy competition between the family if each of you supports a different team.
It’s all too easy for children these days to sit at home playing computer games, so some family fun and positive competition might be a refreshing change for the household!
Even if sports aren’t really your thing, or maybe it just doesn’t interest the kids enough, watching some nature programs is a great way to get the kids to look out of the window instead of into a screen. It may even inspire the kids to go on a farm day out to see animals for themselves — and most petting zoos have discount codes and vouchers, just have a look online first. The New Forest is a great day out if your children are horse-mad as you can often see wild ponies trotting through the woods.
Getting outdoors is always a good way to have some fun without spending the funds. Your local park on a nice day is full of plenty of games just waiting to happen. Grab the frisbee and the bat and ball, you know the ones in the back of the shed that haven’t been used in five years? Or even just a ball to have a kick around. Ask your kids to invent a game or teach you something they learned at school. This is a great exercise as children tend to enjoy showing their parents what they’ve learned plus, we all know how creative kids can get so you might find yourself having more of a laugh than you thought.
An example of a simple game is called ‘Lose a limb’ and don’t worry, no limbs are harmed or lost in the playing of this game. The rules are simple, you throw the ball around in your group and each time you drop the ball you have to surrender either an arm or a leg and play without using it. The order tends to go one arm: so, you can only catch with one arm; one leg: you have to stand on one leg; two legs: you have to kneel down, no legs: sitting down, until eventually you can’t catch or throw anymore!
There are lots of variations of this game and all you need is a ball!
If you don’t live near a park or you want something a little more exciting than your local greenery, why not visit a beach? We know that warm, sunny days are few and far between in England but that’s why you should make those days extra special and create memories that will last. If you have a dog, why not go for a long dog walk with all the family — just remember to bring a towel because when a dog sees water…! Have a look on railway websites to see deals for travelling by train: kids can often travel for only £1 when an adult pays a full price fare, and there are also railcards and 2 for 1 offers to check out as well.
Of course, it’s easy to find things to do when the weather is at it’s best, but what about the miserable, grey days? Well, we’ve thought of that too.
Painting is a great way to keep the kids entertained and to let their creative juices flow. Get an old sheet or tablecloth to protect the table, and then see what your kids can paint! You don’t need expensive paint or even paintbrushes — who doesn’t love finger painting? And you can even challenge the family to an elaborate game of Pictionary!
However, if painting is not a keen hobby — and let’s face it, we aren’t all Monet, why not have a bake off? It’s a win-win: fun baking and decorating and then even more fun eating! This is also a fabulous idea if you have friends visiting or if you are visiting friends — home-baked treats always go down well, and it saves you money on buying things like flowers and wine as a greeting gift.
If you’re stuck for ideas of things to bake, Instagram and Pinterest are full of amazing recipes which are sure to cook up a storm.
And, if the evening is approaching and you are baked out, painted out and all around knackered, but the kids still have plenty of energy, why not arrange a make-shift talent show? You can be the judge and let the kids sing and dance the evening away.
If you have any ideas of your own, please get in touch via Twitter (@cashasapUK) or Facebook and tell us how you entertain the kids without entertaining your bank balance — we’d love to share your ideas!
cashasap.co.uk knows that there are loads of ways to spend the weekends and holidays without splashing the cash, however we also understand that sometimes some extra funds are required. If you find yourself in this position, check out our Payday loans and Multi Month loans to see if we could help! Make sure you read through the T&Cs first and check the representative example. Remember, late repayments could cause you serious money problems.
