Half Term Survival Guide – On A Budget

In my experience there are two kinds of mums when it comes to school holidays. Those who can’t wait to spend the week with their little darlings and have a planned schedule of all the fun and wholesome half term activities they will be doing that week. And then there are those who think “It’s going to be a loooooong week”.

I’m the latter! It’s hard when you’re home alone with two young boys and a tantruming toddler. However with time I have learnt how to manage our days so I am less likely to have a full blown meltdown by 3pm.

Here’s what works for us:

Go outside – preferably in the morning

If it’s not bucketing it down with rain I try to take them somewhere outdoors. We’re lucky enough to have a big park and lake in walking distance from our house so we can go and feed the ducks and let the kids run around and blow off some steam.

I find if we go in the morning and they’ve had that opportunity to burn off some energy, they’re more likely to chill out and watch a film or do a jigsaw in the afternoon. Plus I personally find if we haven’t left the house by the afternoon, we’re unlikely to go out at all!

Go to a museum or library

There are the bigger museums in the city centres which are great but there are also smaller ones in most towns. A lot of them have special half term activities on, and best of all – most of them are free! Also check out your local library. Some are also offering activities and crafts which can keep the kids entertained for an hour or two. Our local library recently did an event where they got to hold and learn about different critters and they loved it!

Go to the cinema

This can be a pricey activity with three little ones but not if you can get there early. Our local Odeon and Cineworld both do a Movies For Juniors offer where they sell tickets to an older film for under £2 a person. It’s a massive saving on the regular price and there’s often films my kids haven’t yet seen.

Think outside the box

Dare to be different. If the weather is nice, where is everyone else going to go? The park, the farm, the zoo etc. Which means soft play places and museums are likely to be quieter so head down there for a morning of peace! Likewise, if the weather is a bit grim, grab your raincoat and boots and brave the outdoors.  You’re much less likely to be stuck in the half term chaos.

Play a game

We love board games in our house. I actually have a blog post coming up about the benefits of playing them, and a list of our favourites so I’ll not ramble too much about them now. Playing board games is our “go-to” activity when our 2 year old is having a nap. It can be tricky when she’s awake and stealing all the pieces, so we tend to try and wait until she’s asleep.

Take the pressure off

Finally, remember it’s not a competition. Don’t be afraid to have a lazy day indoors. If your kids are anything like mine they need this break from school. They need to relax and recharge their batteries.

And let’s face it, so do I!