How can I amuse up to 7 kids on little money in half-term?

Minxy_Bella

Hi guys, I'm looking for some creative hints/tips here as I'm starting to panic rather a lot about next week.

I have got very little money to last until the end of the month - about £50 which is going to have to cover food and half-term entertainment for 3 kids for 4 days, 5 kids on 3 days and probably 7 kids on two days. (Kids are aged 7-15)

I've got a freezer stocked with fish/mince/chicken. I've got a store cupboard full of beans (:p), pasta, soup and breadmaking supplies so we will not starve but I'm really worried about taking the kids out for days that will cost next to nothing - especially as I live in the North East, where we really cannot rely on the weather.

Has anyone got any great ideas for
a) picnic food I can make from scratch, from very basic ingredients, instead of just sandwiches
b) places we can go on a shoestring within 15 miles of Newcastle, as I've only got a quarter of a tankful of diesel
c) fun activities that we can do at home that cost nowt?

I'm thinking maybe getting the kids to bake cupcakes or make flour dough animals or something but I'm a bit stuck after that. I could put a tent up in the back garden and get them to sleep out?

I'm very stressed, as you can tell - hubby will be at work and will miss all the fun :mad::rolleyes:

MTIA

xx_Jo_xx

If the weather is poor, you can do a movie day/night.

Shut the curtains. Put the lights off. Let all the kids pick a movie each (depending on how many kids you have on that particular day....) and snaks and drinks and food, you already have at home.

Also, if its raining, get all the kids in their wellies and let them go out and splash in the puddles. They love it and its totally free!!! Ok, admittedly, you will have a load of washing to do, but when they come back, they will be glad to be in the house and not be moaning that its raining, and you can have a picnic on the carpet in the lounge.

Get the older ones to help out, so they feel more like an adult and included in it, rather than being treated like kids.......IYSWIM.

Off to put my thinking hat on and see what else I can think of........ xx

Pink.

Hi Minxy_Bella,

These threads might give you some ideas:

How do I cope with the xmas school holidays and no money?

nearly summer hols how to have an os school hols

For picnic food, this thread is great:

Any ideas for picnic food??

For places to go, this board should help:

UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments

For fun ideas to do with the children, the MoneySaving in Marriages, Relationships & Families board has lots of suggestions if you do a search on that board for threads with the word 'holidays' in the title, there are lots of threads with great ideas.

Hope you all have a great half term break.

Pink

flissh

Movie day sounds good. You could make popcorn for that. Un popped corn if fairly cheap to buy and great fun to make.
You could make some pasties with mince and potatoes to take out on a picnic. Also small cakes. Kids could help with the baking one afternoon for the picnic the next day. Take along badminton set or frisbee type stuff.
How about a treasure hunt? maybe split them into teams, and plant clues in the garden, or nearby park or house if the weather is bad and the prize could just be gold coins (chocolate)
An afternoon of board games?

xx_Jo_xx

Food......

Having a quick scout around on the internet, Netmums seems to be quite a good site with lots of ideas which are cheap and cheerful....

Especially making their own pizzas....

http://www.netmums.com/food/Pizza.120/

Im sure even the teenagers would be happy with that and they can pick a variety of cheap toppings, and make to suit all tastes. You could use these for your picnic too!

xx_Jo_xx

Yes I was just about to say a treasure hunt in the garden too...... you can pair up older ones with a little one and them see who finds the most gold coins, or whatever.....

You could also take them all down to the library for the day.....well a few hours anyway......the younger ones will be happy with story corners, the older ones Im sure will be happy with the internet etc.

Also, lots of local councils are doing free swimming for the kids in the holidays. Check with your local council. You may be able to take the 7 of them swimming and only have to pay for yourself.

You could also look at some of the following:

Bike/scooter rides to the local park
Collecting pebbles and shells on the beach
Picnics (take one with you wherever you go...... that way you dont have to pay for food and drinks when you are out and about...)
Days at National Trust sites (many have free open days during the year)
Making collages from items collected on a nature trail
Flying kites on windy days
Putting a tent up in the garden and camping......which I think you said.

Check out your local listings too...... I know that next to us there are all sorts of activites on but I dont know about Newcastle Im afraid

xx

penguine

Your kids might be a bit too old for this, but my almost 6 year old entertained herself for a few hours last week using a large cardboard box as a boat.

The book Nature's Playground (if you can get it in the next few days from your library) has lots of good ideas for inexpensive outdoors activities -- though I'm embarrassed to say I haven't actually tried any of them yet. The authors have written some articles for the Guardian which you can find from this page.

I especially like this idea about building a den, which kids can do inside or out.

mummysaver

We do lots of cooking - just getting them to help out cooking the stuff that they will be eating!

Also a bit of bedroom reorganisation sometimes, they enjoy it if everyone pitches in and they end up with a room all "new" looking!

Libraries often have lots of stuff for little ones, and museums are generally free and have stuff for all ages. Worth checking out local tourist attractions for any free things that are going on, we have a local museum that does lots of hands on stuff that my four enjoy (mine are 8, 11, 14 and 15).

Borrow someone's dog and take it for a walk.

Do some dvd swapping with friends and have a couple of lazy telly days.

Have friends round, not just the kids friends but their mums as well, or go to the local park with them, having another adult about can be a huge sanity saver! Or perhaps that's just me lol!

Swimming is free now in lots of places, so worth checking with local pools.

Bike rides are always good fun, well, if the weather is dry anyway!

Don't worry too much about food, I feed mine before we go out and just take a snack usually, else I'd be destitute! Fruit and a pasty (easy to make, and kids like making them too) or a sarnie are simple to take, and a bottle of water each.

You could always get the older ones to help plan things for the littler ones, they are often really inventive at thinking of things - mine built a great network of tunnels out of cardboard boxes I brought home from work in the garden, kept them and several friends amused for hours!

Oh and don't forget if the weather is good, a barbeque is always fun, simple and cheap!

Hope you have a good time! xx

xx_Jo_xx

Thanks for this actually Minxy-Bella!! Im off work next week for my little one for half term and have planned nothing!!

When I get home tonight, Im digging out the cool-box and bits and pieces to do some of these myself!! xx

angelpye

How about setting a project for the smaller groups to do over a few days like paper mache piggy banks (very MSE! Lol!) from balloons and using egg cartons/yogurt pots for feet and nose? As it has to be done in stages it naturally will take up a few mornings/afternoons to cover then paint.

PasturesNew

When I was a kid we'd spend most good days in the holidays down a shallow stream with a net on the end of a stick, fishing for tiddlers.