Entertaining the kids on a shoestring

According to a recent survey from thinkmoney, 26 million people – that’s 52% – were planning to stay at home over the Jubilee Bank Holiday.

When your kids are young, you might feel frustrated that it’s so hard to get out and about with them – but feel guilty about keeping them at home when you see others having expensive holidays and breaks.

But you don’t have to spend lavish sums of money to keep the kids entertained – and you can manage it all from the comfort of your own home.

You could think about:

• Having an arts & crafts afternoon. If there’s one thing kids are almost guaranteed to love, it’s getting creative with paints, crayons, glitter glue, felt tip pens and tissue paper. Just make sure you cover all surfaces first!
• Playing board games. Why not dust off a few of those classic games you have in the cupboard and have a little tournament? Your child might surprise you by grasping a game long before they reach the ‘recommended age’.
• Having a slumber party or playdate for your kids’ friends. They could get out in the garden, watch a film or spend a few hours rummaging about in the toy box – and if you take it in turns, it could give each of you a bit of spare time to get some household chores done (or even sit down for a bit).
• Getting into the kitchen and baking. If there are two things kids very rarely turn down, it’s eating cake and getting their hands messy! Baking can combine the best of both – just make sure you save a cake for yourself!
• Planting some flowers in the garden. All you’ll need are a few seeds and some basic gardening equipment to get green-fingered and enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors.
• Making use of those Christmas/birthday toys. If your kids still have a scooter or pair of rollerskates they got months ago but still haven’t used, bank holiday weekends could be the perfect opportunity to give them their first outing – and it’ll probably tire the kids out enough to get them to bed on time too!