Help - School Holidays

3KIDSNOMONEY

Help - School Holidays

How Does Everyone Fill The Long School Holidays. I Have 3 Kids Ranging From 11 To 4 And Don't Drive, And I'm Pregnant.

Find It Difficult To Find Things In Our Local Area - Not Loads To Do In Our Small Town. Plus Age Gap Between Eldest And Youngest. Hubby Will Take Some Time Off For Days Out For Just The Normal Day To Day Holiday Time Will Be So Hard To Fill.

Any Ideas!!!!! Plus Not Too Expensive!!! I Wish I Could Look Forward To The Hols

HelzBelz

Don't know where you are in the country, but Sheffield puts on a big event in Norfolk Park called The Sheffield Fayre over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, lots to do for different ages and centring round various historical re-enactments and displays, (lots of men in uniform:T ), and it's free.

It doesn't have it's own website, and because of the way the website of the company who organise it is set up I can't do a direct link to the correct page, but if you would like any more details PM me.

Sheffield don't seem to advertise it very well, my SIL was at Uni there and knew nothing about it, I only know because I'm part of one of the Historial societies

full-time-mum

Our local library runs a book worm event. The children get a sticker every time the visit the library/read a book and then a certificate. There are also story telling afternoons too.

Try local churches, they often run holiday clubs and often very cheaply (and you can always ask if they can help if you are financially strapped)


Leisure centres run courses although these are usually more expensive.

Try you local museum - ours run treasure hunts and craft sessions fairly cheaply.

Try this website

Get the children involved in some sort of project - needs some thinking about but how about a baking session or sow some seeds or maybe some sewing (depends on you and your childrens skills/preferences).

Get a paddling pool and pray for sun! My girls (11 and 5) both have fun with the water.

LondonDiva

Perfect age to start entertaining themselves more and giving you some space:)

Just some ideas that I remember with fondness from my childhood and with kids I've looked after:

You could let the eldest two loose in the park for a few hours and have a quiet play with the youngest at home.

Ring up the local council and ask if they are organising any activities

take up an activity - this may be a good time for them to practice roller bladding or skating .Take them to the park, supply the skates and smooth surface and take pictures

Set up a 'den' in the garden and buy a tent and mags / things that they can read or play with that you won't touch for the whole summer - this means you can banish them into the garden with food, drink and treats and they can't come back in except to use the loo.

Go for 2 hour long walks around your local area, with each person (except youngest) looking after their supplies in a backpack. Try to see if there are things you've never noticed before or not spotted because on the way somewhere else- differnt features in the houses etc. This is a good way to familiarise them with their local area - especially if you do a little googling before hand & 'happen' to come across a local stables / farm / bee keeper on the first trip. That in turn means they'll be vying to see who can spot the unusal thing.

good luck

3KIDSNOMONEY

Thanks For Replies.

Council Don't Really Run Anything Suitable. Area Not That Nice For Just Roaming - Really Is Not That Much To Discover In My Area.

Heard About The Library Thing And Do One Every Summer Holiday, But My Kids Have Usually Read The Required Amount Of Books In The First Week!!

Let's Hope For Sunshine And Lots Of Imagination

Spendless

Do you have a vue cinema? I often take mine to the w/end AM showing. £1.50 per child and accompanying adult gets in free.

Swimming- your 11yo won't count in your ratio of how many children to adults. You'd have to check what the policy is for how many kids to adults if your middle one is under 8.

Nearest sea-side by train-4yo will travel for free.

Curious_George_2

have you heard of geocaching?
its basically treasure hunting and there will be at least one hidden in your local area (hell we have quite a few near me according to the website and i live at the end of the world!)

http://www.geocaching.com/ pop in your postcode and see what comes up,
i dont have any of the fancy equipment but we took note of all the clues and went for a walk in the right direction and after a bit of rooting about, lo and behold we found it!
it was a little lunchbox full of bits and pieces and the rule is you take one thing and leave something behind, then sign the log book, say what you have taken then rehide it where you found it
but you mustnt let non geocachers see what your doing!

we had a great time, and it was fab to actually find something at the end of it! we are looking forward to doing another!

this might not be for you, but someone on here might be interested in a walk with a purpose!

Curious_George_2

how on earth did i double post?! lol

dianadors

My kids are a bit older now, but when they were younger I worked evenings so I had all day with them in the school holidays and I loved it. I think sometimes we fill time for the kids too much and stifle their imagination. My kids made "dens" for most of the 6 weeks holidays. They had some old sofa cushions, dust sheets, garden umberella's, a very old delapidated tent etc. We still have them in the garage, I am not allowed to throw them out!!! We also had the paddling pool - water pistols etc We made full use of the garden and when they got older I cleared the garage out and let them play in there (especially if it rained). At one time the garage had an old sofa in it - we used to call it the "youth club"!! Now that they are older, we have a table tennis in the garage and a dart board. They are hankering after a beer fridge to put pepsi in !!! I am a big believer in "make your fun"!

gollygosh

lots of water fights, garden picnics, pavement/patio chalking, grow own veg, paper mache, large art stuff (roll of cheap lining paper) make kites/flags, sew decorations onto old clothes, make dens, camp in the garden. most kids like getting really dirty above all else! fill the paddling pool to soak off the worst and make them strip off on the backdoor step before they come back in!

LJM

we live on the isle of wight so were lucky to be surrounded by some beautiful parks and beaches which are great because they are free,we are doing the library summer read this year,plus were also lucky to have quite a big garden so its toys and paddling pool thats if weather is good.also probabaly lots of cooking/craft and catching up with friends and family,the holidays tend to go so quickly i love having my girls home with me