With the summer holidays fast approaching many parents may be feeling a little overwhelmed and anxious about how they will keep their children entertained for six weeks. Far too many families are sadly struggling financially and the worry of the summer holidays can cause a lot of stress and pressure on parents. Personally I have found that I really don’t need to put a lot of pressure on myself as a parent during the holidays, my child is just as happy playing in the garden with her toys, or playing on the swings in a local park as she is at a big attraction. My fondest memories as a child during the summer holidays was the time that my Mother spent with us, that time is so very precious. One of my best memories was something so simple, such as putting our favourite music on, making some fun picky plates of food to eat outside, or jumping in the car and driving to our favourite ice cream parlour.
If you are looking for days out for the holidays there is a great discount membership with Kids Pass where you can get up to 57% off at The UK’s Top Attractions, and up to 40% off at over 300 Cinemas Nationwide as well as Free Kids Meals at 100s of restaurants. Also you can try the Kids Pass for just £1 for 30 days! And you’ll raise up to £1.80 in donations to your chosen charity.
Craft days indoor or outdoors are a great way to entertain the children and even us adults. Who doesn’t enjoy creating something? Baker Ross has some great supplies, including set activities and all at great affordable prices. And you’ll raise up to 0.78% donation for your chosen charity.
For days out which are great fun for the whole family. Why not book Sea Life which is the world’s biggest aquarium chain with more than 40 attractions across the world. Great for a rainy day, and not just fun and fascinating but also educational, and you’ll raise a 1.8% donation for a charity of your choice.
Or one of my family favourites, Chessington World of Adventures. Fun for the whole family, and they have just opened their new World of Jumanji themed land. Book via us and raise a 0.90% donation for a great cause.
Another great one for the thrill seekers is Thorpe Park. With over 30 thrilling rides, attractions and live events, Thorpe Park Resort is an island like no other and the UK’s must-visit destination to share endless fun with family and friends. And you’ll be making up to a 1.8% donation to your chosen charity when you book via us.
Why not take a train ride to a local seaside or visit a historical town? Child train tickets offer fantastic discounts for kids aged between 5 and 15 travelling on the UK rail network. If you’re travelling in a group of 3 to 9 people, buying GroupSave train tickets could help you save up to 34% on your UK rail fares. GroupSave is a completely free way of getting discounted train travel, unlike any typical Railcard which has an annual fee. On top of great discounts you will raise up to 15% donation for your chosen charity from trainline.
A day spent in nature is a day well spent, and so The National Trust is most definitely one to add to your to do list this summer. The National Trust cares for 300 historic houses, 700 miles of spectacular coastline and over 600,000 acres of beautiful countryside and it makes for a great day out. Sign up for a membership and raise a 1.5% donation to your chosen cause while gaining access to over 500 places to visit, free parking, and much more.
Visit a local farm for a wholesome family day out. Many local farms offer interactive sessions during school holidays such as animal talks and feeds and most only take a small donation as payment.
For something a little more active and adventurous try Jump In Trampoline & Adventure Park. Packed with adventures for families from tots to teens and grown ups too! You’ll be raising up to 2% donation to your chosen charity whilst visiting an award winning group.
A great low cost day out is to pack a picnic and visit a local nature reserve, park or beach. Let the kids make the sandwiches more interesting by using cookie cutters from Lakeland and raise a 1.35% donation for your cause, and why not toss a coin and let them choose the destination? It will keep things interesting and give them the control that they crave. If you want to make it educational, get the children to plan it from start to finish including travel, budget and timing. The next day you could spend indoors talking, writing and drawing about your experiences.
Splash parks are a great free way to stay cool and have fun locally. Pack some sandwiches and snacks and head down to your local splash park.
Make ice lollies at home. Buy some ice lolly moulds from Amazon to fund TheGivingMachine Community impact fund so that we can continue the work that we do, and spend the day being very adventurous on flavours and lolly decor.
Library visits are always a very enjoyable day and cost nothing. Even better on a rainy day which unfortunately during English summer is inevitable. Set yourselves tasks to find a book of a specific genre and learn about something new, take it in turns to read to each other about what you have learnt. Libraries also hold many free sessions during holiday time so its worth getting a holiday programme so as not to miss any events.
Painting/drawing in nature is a great free activity and something that you could do without leaving the house. Get children to look around the garden, check on flowers, in bushes and under rocks etc for insects, look at what is growing and what flowers look like close up and draw what you see. Throw a sheet over your clothes line to create an area of shade to take some time to chill out in and talk about what you drew.
