London is probably the best city in the world in terms of activities for families and children including lots of free activities and events. We list here lots of initiatives that we believe London Mums and their children from babies to teenagers would enjoy especially at the most entertaining places such as the Science Museum, The V&A, Kew Gardens, Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Greenwich, West End shows, the London Eye, the London Aquarium, Kingston upon Thames, Chelsea, SouthBank and so much more.
How To Survive The Summer Holidays On A Budget
- Activities
- Published on Friday, 07 June 2019 12:02
- Last Updated on 07 June 2019
- Monica Costa
- 0 Comments
Money expert Kate Pattinson from Ashleigh Money Saver sent me her tips on how to survive the Summer holidays on a budget. With summer just around the corner and the school term coming to a close, now is a great time to start planning some activities to keep the kids entertained— without straining the budget. Here are some budget friendly summer days in London!
Water Play
On a sunny day there is nothing more fascinating to a child than a dish full of water. If you have some old paintbrushes you can let your child explore their inner artist by “painting” surfaces outside with just water, watching the liquid change the colour of different surfaces. Dark slate or stones that can be submerged work best, but water painting can show up on garden fences and regular house bricks to great effect.
It doesn’t hurt that it also avoids any long tube journeys into the city too!
Young children LOVE dinosaurs. The success of the dinosaur exhibition at the Natural History Museum is a testament to the age-old childhood draw of these ancient, enormous lizards. The outdoor tour takes visitors by 30 different dinosaur sculptures which the kids will love.
For an extra adventure, take a walk through the beautiful and expansive hedge maze in the Crystal Palace Park grounds— a lovely spot for a picnic. What’s even better is that this area is completely FREE!
This charming city farm is just a short walk from Hoxton Station and is home to sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, donkeys, and chickens. It also holds the charming Italian café Frizzante, perfect for a quick morning coffee!
This is a really lovely and authentic experience embedded into the city and a wonderful way to spend a few hours on a sunny day. Wellies or worn in trainers would be a definite recommendation, as naturally the farm can get a little muddy at times. This fantastic farm experience is completely FREE with an optional donation.
Home Cinema
Setting up a home cinema can be as much entertainment for you and your little ones as the films themselves. Hanging dark sheets, or even towels, over the windows and pretending to be in an old timey cinema is a really pleasant way to spend a day. Once the room is completely blacked out and the sofa cushions are on the floor or arranged for maximum cinematic comfort, it’s time to break out the piece de resistance.
Popcorn
This simple treat really finishes off the authentic home cinema experience. If you have a few little ones around, you could even set up a fake popcorn stand where they could spend chocolate coins to ‘buy’ their popcorn. You can grab your yummy snacks from affordable stores like Wilko and even save an extra 7% with the Reward Me Now app too.
This budget friendly option is always a winner come rain or shine, and will allow you some time to relax— when you’re not playing popcorn vendor, projectionist, cinema manager and screen attendant that is!
Share your holidays on a budget with London Mums!
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Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
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