WITH the first week of the summer holidays already been and gone many parents will already be running out of ways to entertain the kids.

But days out don’t come cheap so keeping costs down over the summer holidays can be tricky.

So while parents across the country brace themselves for a long, hot summer with the kids, leading toy retailer, PoundToy, wanted to share tips on how to keep the costs as low as possible.

Mum of two, Elizabeth Buko, a Transformational Financial Mentor and founder of Wealth From Little, has spoken to PoundToy about how she gets creative when it comes to keeping the kids entertained on a budget. 

“Six weeks of summer holidays come with six weeks of childcare preparation – but keeping kids entertained can cost anything from £0. 

“From trips to parks, playgrounds, libraries, playdates, and fun at home and in the garden, parents can opt for free activities that will be sure to keep any child happy”.

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DAYS OUT

“When it comes to taking children out I love visiting museums, public parks and nature reserves with scooters, bikes or skipping ropes. 

“Most nature reserves have lakes, & woodlands which make a great adventure setting for children's imaginations to run wild. Whenever my children visit new parks we pretend to be their favourite superheroes flying at the speed of light on their scooters on a mission to find some great treasure. 

“A simple day out becomes a day full of excitement. Many museums, parks and nature reserves are free to enter”.

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ARTS AND CRAFTS

“Children can make fun crafts with paper like paper fans which would be very handy this summer. 

“If you've got toilet roll tubes, paper towel tubes, scrap paper, empty cereal boxes, paint, crayons, and markers, YouTube children's craft channels can show you how to turn them into amazing creative designs for free – adult supervision is always needed when children are watching the internet.”

GARDEN GANG

“If you have access to a garden, spending time outside is such a great way to spend the day.

"Children can play ball games, hide and seek, have a garden treasure hunt, play with bubbles, play with water and floating toys, jump on a trampoline, skip, have a picnic lunch in fancy dress and cool off with ice lollies in paddling pools”.

READ UP 

“Every summer, my children sign up for the Free Summer Reading Challenge at our local library. The children get the whole summer to read six books of their choice. This is a great way to keep children learning and reading before the next academic year. 

“The reward for completing each book is stickers that when completely collected fit together to make up a story. I don't know about you, but my children love stickers!

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"And at the end of the challenge, they get a medal and a certificate. My local library actually has an award ceremony for all participants and the children love being celebrated. 

“It's a great way for them to see reading as fun and for them to have a sense of accomplishment. You can sign up in your local library or online – https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/”.

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