nearly summer hols how to have an os school hols

potsofmoney_(I_wish) · 17 July 2007 at 12:33PM

Hi all,
I haven't had chance to read every bit of this thread so apologies if I'm repeating anything. Have people been checking out their local Children's Centre? Ours are organising twice weekly activitie days for the kids, all ages welcome which will save me a lot. I've just moved away from the IOW so we used to spend summers on the beach which was great.

It's tricky when you have different ages My kids are 3 and twins just over one, but I also have my 10 yr old step son for part of the summer hols. I have to try and jusggle it that he's not just stuck with the smalls all day long as understandably they get on his nerves. Our local museum has got stuff on and that's free. Also I just keep checking out local papers and asking lots of mums as I'm new here so haven't quite sussed everything out.

Foodwise, make the most of OH being around and get lots of baking done.

Aril · 17 July 2007 at 1:43PM

Like a few other posters we can't do sponaneity due to the small person's Aspergers. However, we've booked him into a few of the YMCA sessions which are incredibly reasonably priced. We are also members of the NT so we will team up visits with extra activites. OH is going to take him down to the library on Saturday to join him onto the Reading Mission as he's thoroughly enjoyed this in previous years. He enjoys cooking so shall dig out the Revolting Recipes book we've got. Other plans are a cycle ride out to one of the local hostelries for lunch with friends and a trip to the beach. We "may" consider the British Museum [free entry] as we can all get up for £22 and we would take our own lunches. Finally, he's heavily into inventing board games at the moment and Meccano so that'll keep him occupied for hours! I've been lucky and found a Beano board game in the charity shop which I'll produce when we're away. To be honest though he's just as happy mucking about with water and sand with his friends in the garden or playing swingball!
Aril

lindab15 · 17 July 2007 at 4:29PM

piratess wrote: »

Does anyone know of any good websites to find out what free or cheap things are on in the local area!?

Hi,
I came across www.dofreestuff.com recently, and it seems to have some good ideas. Also www.afreedayout.co.uk looks not bad ?

Will be trawling through these myself over the next week or two as we're planning a week in Northumberland where we've never been before, and will supplement a couple of paid excursions (thanks to tesco vouchers !) with as many free activities as possible !

Good luck !

sandy_may · 17 July 2007 at 6:13PM

Footpather wrote: »

Just before the holidays I plan several trips, some free, some you have to pay for and an odd dearer one. I write these all on pieces of paper and drop them in a hat. I also write more pieces out with chores or jobs to do (weeding the garden/tidying their rooms etc). Then they pull out one each day (usually the night before in case of early starts/preparation needed) They must agree that what is picked out is what they are going to do though. I usually do it on a weekly basis so there is a balance of outings/chores.

What a fab idea although the temptation to write 'tidy your bedroom' and 'violin practice' on every piece is soooo great!

luxor4t · 17 July 2007 at 6:38PM

My three have an age span of 5 years, so it was a huge relief when they could actually enjoy the same sort of things.
We 'lived' in the park one summer: shared out my 'jobs', packed up a picnic (with lots of kid-cooperation in food prep), chose which part we were going to and left a map for OM to come and find us once he had finished work.
took different activities with us - one day it was the bikes, another it was the frisbees etc - and always took books and a few small games.

We / I planned for the wet days: the Monopoly marathon, Lego day, the Brio Railway challenge etc; most of these were toys that they had almost out-grown, so there was a novelty value and some nostalgia.

We also used to have a huge sort-out and would do a carboot sale with the things they no longer wanted/ had out-grown etc. The money was used for a special day out, usually Bristol Zoo.

This area used to have a chapel holiday club and a council play scheme, so that was great for the older one, the library did story telling sessions too.

I built them a huge 'tent' using the rotary line with old sheets pegged around and covered over with curtains. They even ate in there!

The one thing I did that made a difference with the food budget was to keep big bottles of cold water in the fridge, it saved on gallons of squash. I used to make squash lollies so that they could have a treat.

churchmouse_3 · 17 July 2007 at 7:10PM

Hi again lil_me we used to run a kindergym and i also went through the school hols as many kids were unhappy at the routine break, during term time we had autistic children come in to play as well but the council would not let the parents bring them along during the hols which was a shame as i fiound that thay were the ones who most benefited and as you say enjoyed the routine . It had to be their teachers or else no insurance... and of course they came in free so the council would lose money .. tight fisted ......***
Music and movement was a great favorite along with the trampettes, they were great fun but wow did they exhaust us...

scuzz · 18 July 2007 at 6:52AM

I don't have kids, but thought I'd try and help anyway

If you live in Eastbourne or East Sussex, there are lots of free events that happen in Eastbourne. Airbourne is a 4 day air show - the biggest seafront airshow in the world by all accounts. It's free entry, the kids can collect lots of stickers, badges, pens etc from pilots or RAF personnel. Plus they can get autographs from the pilots and meet the RAF police dogs. It's a fun day for everyone takes place August 16th-19th. Would suggest coming in via public transport if you do come.

Our local papers often print money off coupons for local attractions, so worth checking your local rag!

We used to do lots at home in the holidays. Assault courses set up in the garden, setting up camp, and that sort of thing

If you live near a good rocky beach, why not take the kids prawning and they can catch their own dinner?! Look out for winkles/whelks too

Go fruit picking - blackberries aren't far away now. Collect sloes and have them help make sloe gin ready for Mum and Dad at Christmas!:rotfl:

Could you team up with other parents and take it in turns to have the kids round at each other's houses so the "baby sitting" duties are spilt?

Can't think of anything else at the moment

dm1465 · 18 July 2007 at 10:38AM

I have two kids, 12 and 5. We have a rule, that we can do one thing a week that we have to pay for, everything else has to be free. I let the kids choose the 6 things that they want to do (within reason), and then organise them according to the weather. Free things we do, are the museums, walks around the docks, picnics, water games in the garden, asking friends round, bike or scooter rides, city farm, Balloon Fiesta, Harbour Festival, and we always do the library reading challenge every year. I have got a Titchhikers guide book and there is quite a lot of free or really cheap stuff listed there.

Anyone who lives near Bristol, the Balloon Fiesta is held here in August every year, and there is loads of free entertainment, usually there is a massive free concert, with all the groups that the kids love, we have seen some really top bands which we couldn't have afforded to go to otherwise. As long as you take a picnic and don't go too mad on the fairground rides, it can be a completely free day and the kids love it! I have just checked the website, not sure if there is a concert this year, but there is plenty of other free entertainment.
I love the summer holidays, have a good one everyone. Debx

dm1465 · 18 July 2007 at 10:54AM

Forgot to say, we also have time each week at home just vegging out! I think it's important not to organise every minute of their little lives.

Rachel021967 · 18 July 2007 at 11:27PM

Brilliant thread. When my elder 2 were younger we would make a day of going to a large Pick Your Own place. I don't drive so we would go down by train and pick and eat strawberries, raspberries, cherry tomatoes. The kids also loved to pick the sunflowers and sweetcorn. They especially loved picking the sweetcorn as they were small enough to go in and out of the rows of sweetcorn. We took drinks and a pack lunch plus the berries we picked to keep us going.

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nearly summer hols how to have an os school hols

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