Cheap and fun summer activities for the kids

Keeping the kids entertained in the summer holidays can be a chore, especially if you don’t want to spend a small fortune on activities.

Here are some ideas for cheap, or free, things you can do at home or nearby.

You will have to put some planning into a few of them and be on hand to help out if your kids are small, but some of the other suggestions should keep them so occupied, you’ll be able to slip away and get a chance to relax.

Games afternoon
Organise a games session with friends, either in your garden or at a local park. This is time to bring out some oldies-but-goodies – sack races, three-legged races and egg- and-spoon races (hard boil the eggs in advance if you don’t want a mess everywhere.)

Set up an obstacle course. Get them to crawl under and over benches, jump over broomsticks, throw balls into buckets and run a slalom course around pots.

Camp out in the garden
Even if you have already been away camping, children will still enjoy sleeping out under canvas in their own back garden. And if you haven’t been able to get away these holidays, they’ll love it more.

You may even want to invest in a brazier (they can be bought fairly cheaply) and sit around a fire, singing songs, telling stories from “the old days” and toasting marshmallows.

Take the recycled art challenge
Using the contents of your recycling bin (make sure tins are washed first and have lots of cardboard and egg cartons stockpiled) get the kids to create sculptures and other works of art.

Put them to work in teams (this is a good activity for them to do with friends) and make sure you’ve got lots of twine, scissors and craft glue on hand.

Be prepared to help out little ones with things such as cutting plastic bottles. You can set a theme (such as creating a robot or UFO) or else let them come up with whatever they like, once they have seen the material they will be working with.

Scavenger hunt
This can be done at the beach, park or even at home. Set them a list of objects to find and a time limit. This may involve doing a recce beforehand to check which objects are going to be easy to find. If you’re doing it at home, you may want to plant certain items around the house and garden.

Build a fort
This is a good one for when it rains. Clear a space and use chairs, tables, stools, blankets, sheets, duvets, cushions and pillows to create a hideaway. Once it’s done, supply them with snacks and give them some ideas for a game they can play using their fort – such as being shipwrecked on a deserted island or hiding out from an evil queen in the middle of a secret forest – and leave them to it.

Do a good deed
They may turn their noses up at this one, but hopefully they will realise they get as much out of doing a good deed as the person they do it for.
Challenge them to come up with bright ideas of ways they can help out others or else suggest they do thoughtful things, such as offering to wash a grandparent’s car or water the neighbour’s plants while they’re away.

Put on a show
Round up your children’s friends or neighbour’s kids and get them to stage a show. This may take a few days by the time they’ve dreamed up what they’re going to do, written scripts, choreographed routines, rehearsed, sourced costumes and props, drawn up advertising posters and made tickets.

They may want to act out scenes from their favourite TV shows and movies or come up with their own scripts. They could also include singing (or miming to favourite songs), musical performances and dance routines.

Make a water slide
Use a long sheet of plastic and wet it thoroughly with the hose. Add a squirt of dishwashing liquid to make it extra slippery, then sit back while the kids amuse themselves for hours. Position a sprinkler nearby for more fun.

Have a teddy bear’s picnic

Little ones will love this. Make it a very formal occasion – make up invitations to send to their teddies and other toys, get every one to dress up, and enlist your children’s help in preparing the food, from sandwiches and sausage rolls through to cookies and cakes. Spread out a blanket in the garden and, after they’ve eaten, play a game such as pass-the-parcel (a small item from a $2 shop makes a good prize).

Play dress-ups
If you’ve already got a dress-up box, great. If not, it’s easy to put one together. A visit to a $2 shop will help you to find lots of accessories, but your children can also have fun making their own bits and pieces, such as masks and headdresses. Meanwhile, raid your wardrobe for items they can turn into costumes – don’t forget hats, scarves and gloves. Once they’ve put together stunning outfits, get them to showcase their efforts in a fashion show.