Great Cheap Things To Keep The Kids Quiet at Easter Hunt

MSE_Martin

What's it about?

The school holidays can be a nightmare for parents when it comes to finding things for the kids to do. So this is where MoneySavers huge research power comes in. It's nearly Easter and I'd love to tap peoples' knowledge to find the cheapest ways to keep the kids happy.

What to do

Click reply to post your idea/finds of things to do and places to go. And please, while some may find it amusing, gagging them is not an option!

martin

THERESA

the forest of dean (gloucestershire) is a great free day out. take a picnic and follow the sculpture trail. the kids will love trying to find the correct path (dont worry all colour coded!). you can BBQ at some spots as well. there is a great rope bridge on a different path, cant remember which one but there are free maps at the speech house car park and visitor centre.

PoshPaws_3

If you're in Kent and its a blowy, but nice, day - and you're within reach of Capstone Park in the Medway Towns - why not come and fly a kite?

At the Orchard site, there's a fabulously huge field completely devoid of overhead cables and sufficiently big that you don't need to worry about getting caught in trees.

There's a visitor centre with toilets available at the Lake site, just a short hop by car from the Orchard.

They hold a big Kite Festival there each year, so its a well-known kiting place. Lots of fun!

ysoskint

depending were in the country you are. I too am in the medway area (for my sins!). You have Moat Park, Maidstone & then the swimming pool next door. Godstone Farm (junction 6 on M25), Greenwich, The Naval Museum, the Thames & the park, London, well everything and museums are now free. Margate and all the beaches. We're off to Whitstable tomorrow afternoon to throw stones in the sea. It's free and the kids adore it!
Larkfield swimming pool (wave machine). Dover Castle, getting on a train to anywhere! Visit as many friends as you can who live near interesting things.
I can't believe their off for 3 weeks!!! Thank god the weather has picked up!!!

flufff

Manchester museum is free.Well worth visiting to see t-rex skeleton and egyptian mummies.Also have some snakes and frogs!

gingerdad

If you live in the lakes get yourself a residents pass loads of offers for free or reduced entry. on that places like the aquarium of the lakes do a locals scheme so do beatrix potter, south lakes wild animal park, windermere lake crusies, the season tickets to places like holker hall are also very reasonable.

GD

supernurse_3

Manchester Science and Industry Museum is fab for all ages, my children would live there if it was possible! Free to go in, apart from the special touring exhibition hall (Mars at the moment I think), but more than enough to do even if you don't go in there. Has indoor seating and benches so you can even take your own packed lunch and eat it in comfort. Only downside, so good it is likely to be fairly busy.

hum_lovely

I spent one summer when I was money-challenged with the scooters, skateboards and roller skates permanently in the car and each day I would take the children to a different swing park. I had always stuck to our 'local' park, feeling that other parks are only for people who live in that area. It worked out really well as each park, even tiny ones on housing estates, has it's own strength and my children found different things to do each day. They also met different children each day and some that they really hit it off with! If it was a big park I used to take a picnic and stay there most of the day. I used to hunt out large parks in nearby towns and cities as well as small parks on housing estates and they really enjoyed the variety.

hum_lovely

We also had a good time by going to a garden centre and watching the fish, guinea pigs and parrots etc. We bought a venus fly trap plant for £3.99 and the boys and 3 of their friends spent hours after we got home hunting for flies etc for it to eat and squealing with delight when it closed around it's prey! £3.99 divided by 5 boys divided by several hours equals reasonably good value for money for a Mum such as myself!

ceebeeby

I want the kids to make noise (in appropriate places!!) as they need to have this time for the fresh air rather than being in the classroom. We've got gorgeous beach nearby, play parks etc. fab games with a bat and ball. That's where we'll be with a picnic most of the hols.

EmLoo

I was babysitting for my 4year old neice and we went to Hobbycraft, bought a value bag of mixed beads for about £2 and a roll of elastic, she spent a lovely afternoon carefully threading beads and making bracelets for every member of the family we could think of! She thought it was even more fun when we put them in envelopes and posted them off! The beads contained different colours and even animal shapes - so was in fact quite educational!