Getting your kids outside and off their tablets on a budget

The Summer holidays are nearly over but that usually means that you are starting to run out of things to do to keep the kids entertained and that you might also be starting to run out of money. I know my girls are eating me out of house and home at the moment so our shopping bill is crazy. Keeping the kids entertained and off their tablets is one of my hardest jobs and finding things to do that doesn’t cost me a fortune really helps. With sunshine forecasted for the next few weeks, I started to think about all of the things that I can do to get the kids outside whilst staying on a tight budget.

Science experiments

My girls both love science so setting them some experiments to try outdoors is a good use of a few hours. Science Sparks has so many great activities to try and I will be browsing to find some for my girls. Check out this top 50 summer science activities which include some great activities to get the kids outside in the fresh air.

Washing the car

Now, this may sound like a chore but my girls love being able to wash the car, especially if I let them get the hose out. Add in some sponges and some soap and you can actually save yourself some money on a proper car wash. I wonder if I can get them to vacuum it as well?

Foraging

Have you noticed that blackberries are looking ripe and ready to pick? My girls love going blackberry picking so I have added this to our to-do list. I will grab some ready rolled pastry and some cooking apples and we can make a nice pie afterwards as well.

Gardening

Our garden has been sadly neglected this summer as I just haven’t got round to planting anything. Both of my girls enjoy gardening so I might pop to the garden centre and get a few trays of flowers for them to plant in the flower bed.  If you don’t have a garden then you can still get your kids outside doing gardening by getting a big tub and setting them the task of making a fairy garden.

Ride to the local park

We have a cycle track down the back of our house that leads to a couple of country parks. I would have to go with them as I don’t like them going that far by themselves but it is a great form of exercise and a fun activity.

Walk the dog

Our dog is pretty lazy, to be honest, and would be quite happy to laze around the house with the occasional run around the garden. Taking the dog to the local park is a great way of getting outdoors for a bit of fresh air.

Decorate the driveway

Both of my girls love drawing so for a real treat I am thinking of giving them some chalk and letting them decorate the driveway. They would have lots of fun drawing all over the floor and the design will wash off in the next rainstorm or I can rinse it with the hose.

Get creative

I am not a creative person at all but my daughter Alison loves any craft activity so I am always on the lookout for fun projects that we can do that do not require too much effort on my part. Check out these fantastic step by step craft projects created by Rainbow Chalk Markers. I love the blackboard which would be great for back to school and the flower pot would make a great gift.