School Summer Holidays...I hate them.

[thelittlemermaid83]

I'm really dreading the Summer break.

There is nothing much going on in my area that me and DD can do, all the decent things cost money and money is rather tight atm.

I don't know how i can survive 6 weeks esp now shes at the age where she wants to go out and do stuff every day.

So far we are going Drusilla's in 10 days with my parents and I will take DD to my local shopping centre as on various days in August Peppa Pig etc will be there.

I want to do baking with her but im completly useless at it and my cakes always go deflated and taste gross.

I am lost for ideas and its depressing me

 

[wideeyes]

some ideas.

Try some nature walks, you can make a list of things for her to tick of as she finds them,(like purple flower, snail etc) doesn't cost anything and it is fun.

Also take her out with a camera and allow her to take pictures of flowers and trees which you can look up to see what they are when you get home and make a scrap book.

Go to a local garden centre for a trip out and make it fun by letting your DD pick some seeds (cheap no more than a £1) or some cress that you can plant together .

Don't worry about cake not tasting great the main thing is that it is fun for you both, little ones love getting to help measure the ingredients.

Making things - home made musical instruments etc

Check out the cbeebies website, they usually have stuff.

 

[joolz1910]

Emma, I know what you mean. Entertaining kids in the holidays on a budget just isn't fun. Some of the credit crunch activities we do are:

Picnic in the local park
Clothes designer (a 75p t shirt from Asda and fabric pens/glitter)
Swimming (some local authorities let young children swim for free)
Make-up shop (letting girls do a makeover on me and me on them and then putting photos on the computer / printing out)
Library trip
Cornflake cakes (cornflakes, butter, chocolate and golden syrup)
DVD day (film and sweeties on the sofa)
Museum trip (our local one is free and has free activities)

I also check out the free/subsidised activities on for kids in our local area. I've put eldest DD down for a sports day which will cost me £4!

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

some ideas.

Try some nature walks, you can make a list of things for her to tick of as she finds them,(like purple flower, snail etc) doesn't cost anything and it is fun.

Also take her out with a camera and allow her to take pictures of flowers and trees which you can look up to see what they are when you get home and make a scrap book.

Go to a local garden centre for a trip out and make it fun by letting your DD pick some seeds (cheap no more than a £1) or some cress that you can plant together .

Don't worry about cake not tasting great the main thing is that it is fun for you both, little ones love getting to help measure the ingredients.

Making things - home made musical instruments etc

Check out the cbeebies website, they usually have stuff.

Thanks Claire.

I thought about doing little nature trails and she is into bugs, butterflies and flowers at the mo.

I would love to do gardening with her but you havent see our garden, its like a scene from the jungle book

I'll have a look on the cbeebies website see what they can suggest.

 

[wideeyes]

Thanks Claire.

I thought about doing little nature trails and she is into bugs, butterflies and flowers at the mo.

I would love to do gardening with her but you havent see our garden, its like a scene from the jungle book

I'll have a look on the cbeebies website see what they can suggest.

could you try and get some cheap small plant pots and put them on the window sill in the kitchen or something?

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Emma, I know what you mean. Entertaining kids in the holidays on a budget just isn't fun. Some of the credit crunch activities we do are:

Picnic in the local park
Clothes designer (a 75p t shirt from Asda and fabric pens/glitter)
Swimming (some local authorities let young children swim for free)
Make-up shop (letting girls do a makeover on me and me on them and then putting photos on the computer / printing out)
Library trip
Cornflake cakes (cornflakes, butter, chocolate and golden syrup)
DVD day (film and sweeties on the sofa)
Museum trip (our local one is free and has free activities)

I also check out the free/subsidised activities on for kids in our local area. I've put eldest DD down for a sports day which will cost me £4!

I love the clothes idea and how hard can it be to make conflake cakes

I would take her swimming but every time she goes she develops mollscum and i spend a few weeks trying to pop the spots so they dont spread over her body. So we now avoid public swimming pools.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

could you try and get some cheap small plant pots and put them on the window sill in the kitchen or something?

I will ask my Dad he in a planting fanatic.

I would love to do pottery with Kyra, but there is nowhere in medway that does that sort of thing

 

[wideeyes]

cornflake cakes are a good idea.

May have to do the t.shirts with my DD- she will love that.

 

[joolz1910]

I love the clothes idea and how hard can it be to make conflake cakes

I would take her swimming but every time she goes she develops mollscum and i spend a few weeks trying to pop the spots so they dont spread over her body. So we now avoid public swimming pools.

100g milk chocolate
25g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon golden syrup
50g cornflakes
cake cases

Melt the chocolate and butter, add the golden syrup. Fold cornflake in and spoon into cake cases. Leave to cool and then put in fridge. Easy peasy and guaranteed gorgeous.

My lot love licking the bowl.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

I live 45mins away from London on the train and i swear if the train fare wasnt so bloomin expensive we would have a fun filled summer holiday.

£20 for a travelcard is just ridiculous.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

100g milk chocolate
25g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon golden syrup
50g cornflakes
cake cases

Melt the chocolate and butter, add the golden syrup. Fold cornflake in and spoon into cake cases. Leave to cool and then put in fridge. Easy peasy and guaranteed gorgeous.

My lot love licking the bowl.

Thanks hun, Will make a note of that.

 

[Pinky166]

How about the cheap jewellery/bead sets that are about £3-4, would Kyra sit and make herself a bracelet & necklace? (With your help.)

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

How about the cheap jewellery/bead sets that are about £3-4, would Kyra sit and make herself a bracelet & necklace? (With your help.)

Not sure if she can be trusted with beads after she stuck one up her nose

But it sounds like something i would enjoy

 

[Pinky166]

Not sure if she can be trusted with beads after she stuck one up her nose

But it sounds like something i would enjoy

Oh yeah I remember that!

 

[snookhams]

Tesco'shad some windowsill kits for herbs and salad (toms,cues, lettuce) on special offer at £1.50 at the moment.

Check at your local libraries, we have 2 booklets from 2 local authorities of things that are going on in the area during the hols, for children of all ages, alot are free and there are a charge for some but they start at a £1. One of them we are definatly doing with DS in the evening a bat walk, he is bat mad, this one is free just asked to take a torch!! Check to see if there is anything like this going on in your area. They also do story telling sessions at the library as well.

if you don't want to make cakes what about biscuits - we make a shortbread type biscuit with the children at work 50g butter and 25g sugar beaten together and then mix in 75g plain flour, if still a little sticky just add a spoonful of flour, you can either roll out and cut out (if you do not have cutters, before hand get your daughter to draw something on the back of a cereal package, cut it out and use as a template to cut around - the kids at school love doing this) they can be decorated with cherries, choc chips etc once cooked, at 180C/gas 5 for 10 - 12 mins, or once cooled iced and decorated, glace icing is just icing sugar and water.

What about making an old fashioned scrap book, cutting out pictures from magazines, old birthday cards etc you could think of a theme or maybe more than one.

 

[joolz1910]

Talent shows are another hit with mine. I usually get dancing, singing, clowning, musical instruments and magic tricks. They all get through to the next round, every time.

We have also made 'rooms' from old shoe boxes. We get bits of wallpaper and carpet, and then make pictures, mirrors, rugs etc. It's probably something more suitable for older kids though.

You could make a crown or a mask - they're both easy enough.

Making a photo frame for a favourite snap is nice. I just follow the size and shape of the cardboard frames that come with the school photos. You could make a great DLRP one.

Another is to make cut out clothes for a paper dolly with your DD's face. Just draw a simple dolly shape and cut out your DD's face from a photo. They can then make clothes for the dolly, or cut some out from a free catalogue.

Can you tell I have demanding daughters?

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Can you tell I have demanding daughters?

Maybe i should just let her loose with some paint and she can finish decorating for me

 

[joolz1910]

Maybe i should just let her loose with some paint and she can finish decorating for me

She would do a better job than me, that's for sure.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

She would do a better job than me, that's for sure.

I might get some cardboard boxes, she likes to play in them

 

[joolz1910]

I might get some cardboard boxes, she likes to play in them

We have actually done this. We have got a massive box and made a 'wendy' house by drawing on windows etc. Also made a car and a shop. They take up a hell of a lot of room though.