Back in the day, my husband was a youth worker and I was a new teacher, so we didn’t have much money. So, when it came to finding fun things to do, I was the Queen of all things fun and frugal! 

And even now, many years later, I still love finding things that are fun and free! I understand how parents dread the long summer break and the pressure that there is to keep children entertained, as well as keeping within the budget. 

Thankfully, when you look around, there are many fun, frugal things to do in the summer holidays. You just need to know where to look. 

I’d also like to encourage you to say, “No” to friends who would like you to join them at the expensive theme park and other costly activities. Be honest and open about your budget and invite them to join you on a few of these fun and frugal activities. You never know, they could be struggling to keep within the budget over the school holidays, so they might be thankful that you have some good ideas! 

Although this blog is mainly for families in the UK, friends that live overseas may still find a few good ideas to keep their children entertained over the long school break. 

Please save this blog so that you can refer to it when you are bored or struggling with things to do.

If you have friends and family members that you know who could do with a few ideas, please do share this blog with them! 

So, let’s just dive in and find some fun activities that everyone can enjoy this summer…without breaking the bank! 

A list of 28 fun, frugal things to do in the summer holidays:

Play parks

There are many free play parks around the UK. Some of them have picnic benches where you can enjoy a picnic or a bite to eat. Some play parks also have concrete footpaths so you can take the children’s scooters and bikes to enjoy! Be sure to take a football too!

Summer Reading Challenge at your local library

We love reading in our house and we love the local library too so the Summer Reading Challenge is the perfect combination! Pop into your local library to find out more! 

Water Play

Get the hose pipes and sprinklers out and reuse some kitchen spray bottles (remember to wash them before you reuse them!) and have some fun in the garden! 

Bake!

Did you know that baking is a great learning activity? Have a look online for some recipes and enjoy some time baking. Don’t forget that it’s everyone’s job to help wash and clean up too! My favourite is triple chocolate chip muffins! Yum! 

Teddy Bear’s Picnic

You can invite friends over for a bring and share teddy bear’s picnic. Find some shade in the garden, put the blankets out and enjoy an al fresco lunch in the sunshine! 

Jump in muddy puddles!

Of course, the sun may not always be shining, so you could put your waterproofs on and go and jump in muddy puddles! Hours of fun! When you return home, you could enjoy a hot chocolate to warm up! 

Puzzles

Borrow a puzzle from your local library and enjoy time making it together. You can choose between a quick and easy 500 piece or if you fancy a challenge you could try a 1000 piece! 

Board Games

Ask some friends to bring their favourite board game round and make a morning or afternoon learning some new games! 

Chess tournament

You could also go one step further and have a Chess tournament! 

Junk Modelling

We love a bit of junk modeling! Save all your cardboard boxes and plastic containers for a few weeks and see what you can make. Top tip: If your children would like to paint the boxes, turn them inside out first & then combine your ready mix powder paint with PVC glue to achieve a glossy finish. It will also stop the paint from peeling off. You could also add glitter too! 

Make your own playdough

Follow my super simple playdough recipe and enjoy the warm, freshly made playdough! You can use cookie cutters and rolling pins or just use your hands. Homemade playdough is super cheap to make and if you keep it in a tupperware box in the fridge, it will last for months! 

Walk in the woods

Enjoy a morning or afternoon walk in the local woods. It’s great exercise and it’s free too! You could also make a game of hide and seek, or Poohsticks! 

Poohsticks is a game first mentioned in The House at Pooh Corner, a Winnie-the-Pooh book by A. A. Milne. It is a simple game which may be played on any bridge over running water; each player drops a stick on the upstream side of a bridge and the one whose stick first appears on the downstream side is the winner.

Geocaching

We love geocaching! A geocache or ‘cache’ is a small waterproof treasure box hidden outdoors. Geocachers seek out these hidden goodies guided by a GPS-enabled device which uses coordinates, or ‘waypoints’ downloaded from the geocaching.com website. For more details check out this link! 

Declutter!

Pop on some music and start clearing out wardrobes and bedrooms! Find things that you no longer use and either sell them or give them away! You could turn this into a challenge and see who can make £20 first! 

Visit a local charity shop

We enjoy going to our local charity shops to see what treasures we can find! Books, toys and dress up clothes, all at great prices for a great cause! 

Watch a family movie

Sometimes, you just need to snuggle up on the sofa with a big bucket of popcorn and watch a fun, family movie! 

Go to the beach

If you are fortunate to live near a beach, you could pack a picnic, a blanket and buckets and spades and enjoy a day out at the beach! 

Create a Scavenger Hunt 

Create a list of things that the children can find in the garden, like a twig or a feather. 

If the weather is bad, you could create an indoor scavenger hunt too! 

Feed the ducks

One of my happy memories from my childhood is going to feed the ducks at a local park. Recent research tells us that we shouldn’t feed ducks bread. But we should feed ducks cracked corn, oats, rice, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce, or sliced grapes.

Camp in the garden

My teenage daughter loves a camp out in the garden with her friends! If you already have the camping gear or can borrow camping gear from friends, it can be a fun, frugal activity. 

Make an obstacle course in the garden

Create your own sports day with races and obstacle courses in the garden. 

You could even spend time making medals for the winners! 

Write and post a postcard!

Create your own postcard and write a message / draw a picture on it for your favourite relative! Be sure to walk to the post office and put the stamp on it & post it together! You may even be lucky and catch the postman emptying the postbox. I always remember that my daughter was amazed to see the postman opening the box & collecting all the mail! 

Spot butterflies

Go on a nature walk to find butterflies. For some tips for butterfly spotting, check out this article from the National Trust. 

Create a small vegetable garden. 

Start collecting seeds and pips from vegetables and fruits over a few weeks. At the same time, collect empty yoghurt pots. Then, when you have enough of both, fill the pots with a few stones first (this will help with drainage) and then fill with soil. 

Plant the seeds and give a little water. 

Place on a sunny windowsill and watch your produce grow! 

Fly a kite

Create and fly your own kite! Check out this video tutorial to show you how! 

Look out for coupons for FREE days out. 

This year, some national newspapers have been giving away FREE family passes for the National Trust. Over a few days, I collected eight! This means that for every newspaper bought (£1.50), we can save around £50 for a day out at a National Trust property. We bought eight so that we could take family and friends too! So be sure to keep on the look out for these great coupons!

FREE museums

Whether your children are into Science, History, Beatrix Potter, Silverstone there are many interactive exhibits and activities aimed at younger visitors in museums across the country. Check out this article from Tripadvisor. 

FREE Junior Parkrun, Weekly 2K run for 4 to 14 year olds

Did you know that Free Junior Parkruns are held every Sunday?

Children aged 4 to 14 can take part in weekly timed 2K runs in parks all over the UK on Sunday mornings (usually at 9am). A parent or guardian will need to accompany a child under 11 to and from the event, and can take part as well. Children can walk, jog, skip or run the course. 

For more ideas, check out Free and Cheap things to do with kids. This also includes where children can eat ‘free’. 

For fun and frugal ideas specific to where you live, check your local newspapers and libraries. You never know what treats may be in store for you this summer! 

I hope this blog has inspired you to find some fun, frugal things to do in the summer holidays. If you have any more ideals, please let me know in the comments below! 

Thanks for reading and be sure to have a fun and frugal summer! 

P.S. If you’d like help with budgeting, check out my blog, ‘How To Create A Budget In 6 Easy Steps’.