Many mums and dads wonder how to occupy their young children at weekends. Try these five easy and cheap activities.
Movie Night
Even with discounted cinema tickets, it can be so expensive to go to the cinema because you know the kids will be begging you for snacks, drink and popcorn! So why not create your own movie night in the comfort of your own home? Making popcorn is easy and fun to do with the kids and you can also buy some cheap drinks and download a free film from one of the many movie websites available. It is a great way to save money on movie night.
Plant A Garden
The best way to get your child to eat their vegetables is to get them to grow their own! Start sowing seeds during the winter and then they’ll be ready for the outdoor garden project next summer. This will also give your children something to occupy themselves with during next years summer holidays and teach them about nature. Plan ahead I say! Plus, buying seeds and growing your own food is far cheaper than buying full-grown veggies, so you will save money on your shopping bill later on next year too.
Go Camping Inside
You can build a fort or camp inside or out in the garden if you have space, but if the weather is rubbish, this can be a fun inside activity. Pull chairs together and drape blankets over them. Then give the kids a torch and a bag of snacks and encourage them to ‘go camping’. You can leave them to be independent and do something for yourself!
Family Game or Show
Another fun and inexpensive thing to do are to play a traditional board game, get yourself up in the loft I’m sure most of your have one or two of your old games hidden away. Many families forget how much fun this is for children as modern kids only seem to experience electronic games like the Xbox, Playstation, tablet or mobile phone. If your children are young enough, you could empower them to narrate and act out a play. Give them a few hours to rehearse and once again, use this time to relax and put your feet up. Being a parent doesn’t always leave much time for yourself!
Travel out of the country without leaving home
Why not have a themed evening? It could be anything like Chinese, American, Spanish, Italian or even a Mexican. Get everyone dressing up, even you! If you chose something like a Mexican evening you could wear cheap sombreros from the pound shop or take your children in search of outfits from charity shops. You can then tuck the outfits away ready for a fancy dress party! Theme the food too, so if you chose Mexican you could make burritos and tacos which would be a cheap meal and also introduce your kids to new tastes.
This is just a small sample of ways to save money and entertaining your children. Be creative and think of other ways you can save money too. Make it fun for your kids and they won’t drive you crazy at weekends because they are bored. Cherish this time together, because soon they’ll be all grown up!
