Keeping the kids entertained during the summer, without breaking the bank

School children love the summer holidays. Parents possibly less so with costs to consider keeping kids entertained and extra childcare to cover.

If you are a working parent, your childcare costs are likely to increase, or you will have to rely on family members and friends to care for your little ones while you are at work.  This can run into hundreds of pounds each month. A cheaper alternative may be to book your kids into a summer camp – football, dance, golf and so on.

For stay at home parents, school summer holidays can also be expensive trying to find activities to fill seven weeks of holiday.

To help keep costs down and make savings over the school holidays we’ve come up with some activity ideas.

Packing up some sandwiches on a warm, dry day and heading out for a picnic at a local park could prove to be a much more viable option than heading out to a local eatery. There may also be local attractions with low or no cost to attend.

The National Trust website is a good resource for some ideas. They have details of all places of historic interest including castles, farm parks and gardens to explore.

Leisure centers, ice skating, swimming or spending half a day getting lost inside a museum are also low cost, fun days out and can provide lots of entertainment for your kids.

Taking your own refreshments to activities over the summer can be a good way to save money. Going empty-handed can lead to you forking out for ice creams, café lunches and even the odd souvenir.

During the quieter and wet days at home, dig out board games that haven’t been seen since Christmas Day.

A cheaper alternative to a cinema trip can be to re-watch a classic DVD or simply binge on a TV series. Colouring and activity books are also a good value option and if you can brave the mess, even painting could be considered.

Taking advantage of any garden space you have could prove to be a money saver. Paddling pools, football nets and sandpits can be relatively cheap at your local bargain store.

With so many wonderful cheap and free things to do, taking out short term loans or spending on credit cards to fund days out isn’t worth it.

The above activities could also help you spend time enjoying activities together instead of worrying about spending.

If you’re struggling with debt speak to one of our experienced debt experts today on 0141 567 4567 for a confidential chat. You can also use our debt calculator to work out the affordable monthly payments you could be making to help clear your debt.