Fun things to do with a 3 year old that dont costg the earth

found_a_bargin

Hi everyone i have a three year old son and wonder what can i do to keep him entertained in the evenings / weekends that i have him.

Im going to jion the local swimming pool as its £20 a month for me and he is free,

We have the beach but its a bit cold at the moment.

We live in Norfolk by the way.

Many Thanks

fonay1805

Do you live near a pond/river? I have 3 and a 2year old and they really enjoy going to feed the ducks. You could try this as a loaf of bread isn't that expensive and if your able to walk then your 3 year old gets some fresh air, excersize and some time with you too.

found_a_bargin

That's a good point, i never thought of that, and he loves animals.

moo2moo

Local Treasures charge £14.95 for annual membership which gives free child entry with a paying adult to hundreds of UK attractions. Check that there are places near you that will accept it first. Their website is very helpful, although 3 year olds go free to a lot of places.

Generally though 3 year olds prefer sticking on a pair of wellies and digging in the garden, going on worm hunts, riding tricycles, painting pictures, drawing, blowing bubbles. At that age the amount you spend is inversely proportional to their level of enjoyment. £40 for a day out at the zoo will rate as highly as a trip to the local park with an ice cream on the way home.

Most cinemas have a very cheap Saturday morning childrens showing. The library is another great free place for kids. Join up for free and take lots of books home to read at bedtime. They also run free or cheap activities at weekends and during school holidays.

chevalier

Tesco do crayons for £1 a packet. Pound shops do colouring books for a £. Some of the ones that I have seen are even educationaly ie, they are designed for preschoolers, to start them off on learning their numbers and letters.

Young children love mixing stuff, so get a cheap apron, and make bicquits or something with them. Even if they just watch and then to a bit of stirring and then spooning onto a tray, they will love it!

What about this scheme where lots of people are going to be able to swim for free? Check out with your local pool if you qualify, then that is one free thing you can do.

Erm get play dough or make it yourself (just need food colour to make diff colours).

Also from pound shops could get matching game to do pairs with. Or even make your own cards? Pattern matching is another great skill for a young child to develop.

Have a look on websites like Cbeebies, and you can get lots of pictures of fave characters to colour in. They even have simple games that a 3 year old can do, with a bit of help.

Check out your local library and both join if you aren't already members. Libraries often have reading afternoons, where they get someone in to tell stories to small children. And then you have the fun of choosing a book to 'read' together, and then take back the next week.

hope this helps
chev

Horace

If you live near a stream you could always take the toddler to play pooh sticks which is great fun.

MrsPorridge

How about a scavenger hunt? Try and find leaves, twigs, little flowers (as long as its not someone's garden:D You can always then press them and make them into collage pictures.

As you live by the beach dress up really warmly and go and throw stones in the sea or pick shells.

Kite flying - you can buy a kite quite cheaply.

Football - kick around on the beach or local park

Tennis ball - practice throwing to each other

my son used to have a tiny plastic golf club and ball - only about 2 foot in length if that. He had such fun with that - you could build a obstacle course around the sitting room for him to hit the ball through (not a real golf ball).

cooking - making sweets or fairy cakes which can be decorated. You can even buy the tubes of icing ready made.

Bibbitybob

I look after my friend's three year old fairly often and definitely agree that money doesn't have to be an object. She loves walking to the park to feed the ducks, baking cakes and silly things like a picnic under the dining room table. If you don't want to bake you could buy digestive biscuits and ice them.

found_a_bargin

Thabks for all the suggestions, a lot of them i hadnt thought of, it just gets you down when you read on facebook and other s where people you know are going with their kids, Makes you wonder if they are n here aswell trying to pay it all off!

We are going swimming this afternoon and we might go and clean the car and get our wellies on!