Are you wondering how you’re going to fill up the 6 week summer holidays with fun activities for your children without breaking the bank? Are your children already asking what you’re going to be doing and relaying the exciting plans of all their friends with envy?
If so, you’re not alone! It’s a dilemma many parents face at this time of year when the nurseries and schools close for the summer. But, with a little bit of planning and some handy ideas, it needn’t be overwhelming or expensive and you can ensure you create many fun memories for you and the kids.
We help families by planning and booking exciting days out and designing bespoke summer holiday programmes to suit your family – based on your children’s likes and dislikes and your budget.
So, we’ve quite a few handy tips and ideas up our sleeves and we have decided to share our top 8 free ways to entertain children during the summer holidays with you:
1. Family Day Festival – Chinatown, London.
WHEN: Sunday 27th July. 12pm – 5pm
AGE RANGE: All
PRICE: Free
WEBSITE: http://www.chinatownlondon.org/page/chinatown-family-day-is-here/448
London’s famous Chinatown is hosting it’s first ever Family Day Festival this year on Sunday 27th July. This is the biggest event outside of the annual Chinese New Year celebrations and promises an exciting array of entertainment and activities for children of all ages.
Some of the amazing acts performing include:
- Singers
- Ribbon Dancers
- Drummers
- Break Dancers
- Martial Arts Performers
- Chinese Circus Performers
- A gravity-defying cube spinning display
Entertaining around the streets will be Chinese magicians, jugglers and stilt walkers along with Shaolin warrior monks, moving statues and the classic and spectacular lion dance procession. (Please note the date on the Chinatown website says 26th July. We’ve phoned and they’ve confirmed it is the 27th July).
2. More London Free Festival, South Bank, London.
WHEN: Various dates and times throughout July, August and September
AGE RANGE: 5+
PRICE: Free
WEBSITE: http://www.morelondon.com/events/about/
The More London Free Festival is bringing an impressive line up of events and performances to the concrete amphitheatre below the Lord Mayor’s office on the South Bank in London. There will be regular lunchtime and evening performances from 9th to 25th July.
The Gods and Monster Theatre present ‘The Ring Cycle Plays’ from 6th to 31st August and from 3rd to 26th September there is a schedule of free film screenings. All events are completely free and no booking required, however we recommend you arrive early and bring cushions to sit on.
3. Nature Walk and Picnic at Box Hill, Surrey
WHEN: All summer
AGE RANGE: All
PRICE: Free*
WEBSITE: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/box-hill/visitor-information/
We highly recommend your very own nature walk through the extensive woodlands and open grasslands of the North Downs. Not only can you and the kids enjoy getting out and about and exploring the area but you’ll also be able to experience breathtaking views at Box Hill – so make sure you take your camera!
For any sporting fans in the family, hunt out the left over road markings from the Olympic 2012 Road Cycling Races – which put Box Hill on the map during the games. Or pick up a free map at the car park and follow one of the many walking trails to explore this area of outstanding beauty. We also recommend you include a visit to the famous Stepping Stones across the River Mole at the bottom of Box Hill.
Whilst visiting Box Hill you can borrow a kite or tracker pack from The National Trust’s Shepherds Hut. Tracker packs contain binoculars, compass, note pads and pencils and are a great way to explore the great outdoors and kites are perfect for a blustery day!
We recommend taking a picnic but there are also two refreshment options: a National Trust tea shop at the top and Rykkas burger bar at the bottom opposite the Burford Bridge Hotel.
* A visit to Box Hill is completely free except for car parking charges. National Trust members can park for free. Non NT members pay £4.
4. Bourne Museum in Ewell, Surrey
WHEN: Tuesday – Saturday, 9am – 5pm
AGE RANGE: All
PRICE: Free
WEBSITE: http://www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/eebc/leisure+and+culture/bourne+hall/museums+and+galleries/
The Bourne Museum charts the borough’s local history through its collections of:
- documents and picture archives
- fine art
- costume
- archaeology
- social history
Highlights of the collection include Lord Rosebury’s hansom cab – a classic motorcar- as well as a 19th century fire engine, extensive Derby memorabilia and significant Roman archaeology from local sites are also on show.
Visitors to the Museum can also enjoy regular art exhibitions, the cafe, library and the park and it’s all completely free!
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If you’d like to plan some fun days out for your family across the UK, but don’t have enough time, let us research and find fun filled and exciting activities to keep your children entertained and happy during the long summer holidays. Ideal whether you’re staying at home or going on a staycation. We can also help if you’ve just moved to a new area, and want ideas of places to go with the kids.
We’ll research ideas for days out based on:
- Your children’s likes and dislikes
- Age range of children
- Budget
- Travel requirements
- Location
We’ll even book everything for you!
Packages
- 5 Bespoke Ideas + Itineraries for £60.00
- 10 Bespoke Ideas + Itineraries for £100.00
Please email to book your package.
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5. Pick Your Own, Esher, Surrey
Garsons Farm PYO from Creature Productions on Vimeo.
WHEN: Tuesday – Saturday, 9am – 5pm
AGE RANGE: All
PRICE: Free (just pay for what you pick!)
WEBSITE: www.garsons.co.uk
Instead of stocking up with fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, take the kids to Garsons in Esher – the largest Pick Your Own Farm offering 150 acres of fruit, vegetables and flowers – to pick your own. It’s a great family day out in Surrey’s lovely countryside.
Crops are seasonal and weather dependent, but you can check what’s available on their website. To tempt you – here are a few of the crops available:
- strawberries
- raspberries
- apples
- asparagus
- beetroot
- blackberries
- blackcurrants
- broad beans
- broccoli
- cabbage
- carrots
- cauliflower
- cherries
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- French beans
- gooseberries
On Sunday 17th August the Heavy Horses return to Garsons and you can watch them working in the fields from 11am to 4pm, something really special to see for children who love animals.
6. Tilgate Park and Nature Centre, Crawley
WHEN: Every day 10am – 6pm
AGE RANGE: All
PRICE: Free
WEBSITE: http://www.tilgatenaturecentre.co.uk/
Tilgate Park and Nature Centre has so much to offer from stunning lakes, lawns and gardens to miles of woodland trials, a play area and nature reserve, making it an ideal family day out.
They have a Walled Garden in the park which has a cafe, picnic area, a maze and many themed gardens for the children to enjoy. The Play Area has lots of adventure play equipment for children of all ages and there is also a Nature Reserve which houses a huge variety of animals from endangered species to farmyard favourites.
The Park is open 24hrs a day however the nature reserve and walled garden are open from 10am – 6pm in the summer.
The Park is free to enter however there are car parking charges and a small entry fee to the Nature Reserve of:
- £2 for over 17’s
- £1 for 12 -16’s
- 50p for 2 -11’s
- Free for under 2’s
7. Natural History Museum, London
WHEN: Every day 10am – 5:30pm
AGE RANGE: All
PRICE: Free
WEBSITE: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
The Natural History Museum in London has some of the biggest and best dinosaur fossils in the world – great for kids who love dinosaurs! Study the giant squid with eyes as big as footballs, learn how to build a volcano, and come face to face with the animatronically-animated T Rex.
The museum does get very busy during the school holidays but you can pre-book a time to visit the Dinosaurs online. The museum runs daily events and activities including Big Bugs when you can come face to face with some of the world’s largest and most spectacular bugs or become a scientist for the day in the hands-on science centre.
8. DIY fun in the garden
WHEN: 24/7
AGE RANGE: All
PRICE: Free
WEBSITE: http://happyhooligans.ca/
We also thought we’d share with you some craft activities and ideas from a great website called Happy Holligans, run by a Mum who wanted to create affordable activities for her children and daycare kids and decided to share them through her blog.
Jackie, who set up and writes the blog has so many great ideas, perfect for toddlers and pre schoolers, from:
- science activities
- puzzles
- outdoor play
- messy fun games and makes
- recipes
- arts and crafts
It’s perfect for days when you just want to stay at home and keep the kids entertained and do something a bit different.
Have you got any more ideas to add to the list? Please share them by leaving us a comment below…