Keep your spending low this autumn half term with MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert, Vicky Parry’s suggestions for cheap things to do
The October half term is coming up fast and for many parents that means a tense week – just before payday – of finding ways to keep children occupied.
The good news is there are lots of cheap and free things to do during half term that will suit any budget.
Kids eat free and cheap
The first and easiest way to save money on half term entertainment is to find which cafes and restaurants run kids eat free offers. Some restaurants and eateries run half-term specific deals, while others have ongoing offers to keep the family budget low. For example, Hungry Horse restaurants let kids eat for just £1 every Monday, or £1.50 for larger meals, while TGI Fridays offers a free kids meal for Stripes Rewards members when they order an adult meal.
Take some spooky walks
The fresh air is always a fantastic way to tire children out, as well as let you spend time together as a family. Walks keep everyone active, but sometimes kids, especially younger ones, need some encouragement.
Treasure Trails has 14 self-guided walking trails for October, each with a spooky theme to tie into Halloween. Take a trip around Whitby’s gothic streets to stop Dracula in his tracks, or explore the Pirates’ Graveyard in Portland. Each trail has a story with clues to find to help you solve a spooky mystery!
And if the weather tips down, there are some driving tours too, such as a witchy tour around the quiet lanes of the wicked witches around Pendle in Lancashire.
Head to a local museum
While some museums charge entry, there are hundreds of free museums across the country, and you can almost guarantee they’ll have a half-term programme of activities to participate in, too.
As well as the well-known museums in London such as the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, which have loads of brilliant activities, regional museums have a lot to offer, too. The National Railway Museum in York, for example, is the largest railway museum in the world. It’s open seven days a week and is free.
Work out together
It seems like a very long time ago to many of our minds, but remember when everyone was locked inside and we had to find our own entertainment? Something that became super popular was family workouts, as a great way to spend time together, get out the kids’ excess fizz, and sneak your own workout in, too.
Rainy days and possibly even snow are on the horizon for half term, so there could be a need for indoor activities like this. Joe Wicks has a bunch of fantastic playlists of family-friendly workouts on his YouTube channel as a starting point.
If lounge workouts aren’t your thing, check out your local leisure centre for inexpensive activities. Sports villages often offer free swimming lessons during school holidays, for example. Or, spend an hour on a tennis court together – or why not rent a pitch and split the cost with a bunch of families for a friendly game of five-a-side?
Set a reading challenge
Reading is a brilliant way to keep kids quiet – if they are interested in it. Trying to get a child to read who thinks all books are boring can be a huge challenge!
Instead of forcing them into quiet reading time, think about how you can read together. Some children do well with challenges and goals, for example. See how many pages they can read in ten minutes – and tell you what happens in the story afterwards, to make sure there was no cheating!
Audiobooks are also a great way to engage with literature if children aren’t the type to sit with a book in hand. Build a fort with your sofa cushions and blankets, make some snacks, and snuggle in with your phone on speaker. Pick an audiobook, lie back, and listen to the stories being read to you.
Remember, reading physical books and listening to audiobooks doesn’t have to cost anything, either. Your local library is well worth a visit this half term – not only can you borrow books and audiobooks for free, it’s likely there will also be plenty of half term activities on, too. Libraries are a great free resource for families!
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