Treat the kids within your budget!

Sometimes it's hard to read a blog when it seems like the author has no idea what they are on about.  For example, reading a frugal gardening blog when it seems the author has one of every tool going - as well as new garden furniture and shop-bought plants rather than growing from salvaged seeds.

My experience of bringing up kids: I was a single mum within a very small budget; and a teacher for 25 years.

When half-term holidays arrive, it is very useful to have a couple of flexible plans and a little spare cash.

Flexible plans are vital with kids.  'Yes we will go to the cinema' vs a sudden, unexpected bout of illness - and the other kids feel distraught they didn't get to go. Parental guilt is a killer!!

So here are some - I hope helpful - ideas. 

. Picnic.  What would you eat at a picnic? Sandwiches, Quiche, Crisps? How would you prepare these? Sandwiches - fairly easy; but to be a treat, why not make cheap and easy fillings - egg or tuna, cucumber or salad, mayo, tomato. Quiche is easy to make - make pastry, blind bake, fill with what you have and beaten eggs. Top with grated cheese.  Crisps - use a potato and a peeler and make your own crisps in the microwave.  All these items can involve the kids. Also: why not plan to eat the picnic indoors, on the floor - it doesn't have to be outdoors, and you have everything you might need around you.

. Pancakes. A super,cheap and easy treat. Flour, milk and an egg. Beat until it's smooth and cook in a frying pan. Flip over to cook the second side.  Serve with sugar and lemon juice - or any flavourings you have. Having pancakes is a real treat!

. Park auditing. Choose three local play parks. Pack a lunch and a flask of drinks. Visit each in turn, taking an hour at each. Get the kids to score the different activities out of 5.  Have lunch. Walk and talk.

. A-Z  - this works brilliantly on a day you can't go out.  Get the kids to write a to z on a sheet of paper, but leave some space between each letter.  What is their favourite colour? (E.g. pink) Now draw an item for each letter that is that colour. (E.g. apron)  

  .Different size. This is either a 'sort out' activity or a 'spend a little cash' activity. Kids often like things that are a novelty, e.g., a huge pencil, a tiny notebook, something a really different colour.  Finding things that are different to usual are fun.

. Make paper. Emptying the recycling bin of papers, tear them up and pop them in a bowl or bucket, soaking them in water, flatten the paste onto a flat absorbing surface and make homemade sheets of paper. 

. Rewrite a book.  You need a couple of kids books that aren't special and some dark felt tip pens. Begin at the first page.  Find separate words that could form a sentence of a new topic.  Then colour in all the other words on that page. For example:

This is fun with non-precious books for any age group.  Mr Men books are particularly fun with this idea!

Add any ideas below to help other folks keep kids entertained for free or very cheaply.

FMxx