School is out for summer! It's the end of my son's first year at school and he has been looking forward to the holidays. We have figured out the childcare and booked a holiday, but now comes the task of finding things to do for 6 weeks with the kids. If you are anything like me, you don't want to break the bank but you need to keep them entertained to keep everyone sane and have loads of fun. Here are my ideas for things to do with the kids in the summer holidays.

I have my fingers crossed for this lovely weather to continue so I have started with the outdoor activities, but also included plenty of at home ideas too.

1. Make the most of membership.

Whether you have National Trust Membership or English Heritage, they often have activites on over the holidays. You may even have membership to a lcoal attraction. Keep the cost down of day trips and make the most of these memberships.

2. Make a Picnic

You can make a picnic a full day activity. Make the lunch with the kids, let them choose their sandwich fillngs and get them involved with packing and making.

3. Trip to the Park

It might been an obvious choice, but take a ball, or rounders set and combine with a picnic.

4. Junior Park Run

This is one for my list, local 2K runs for age 4 years plus. I am going to be doing this with my little man this summer. Find a local event here

5. Visit your local Library

When is the last time you visited the library, I haven't been for sometime and a few new books keeps my two entertained for a few days. Doing crafts and writing about the stories they have, libaries also have event on which are often free.

6. Take a trip in a train

A train ride in its self if often a novelty for children, pick somewhere to go not too far away and make a day of it.

7. Visit the Beach

This is a must and I hope to get to the beach as often as possible during the holidays. Whether you are going on holiday or just going on a day trip it's an essential activity for the summer hols.

8. Catch up with friends

Try and meet up with as many of your friends as possible, you can combine day trips or days at home and share them with others.

9. Natural Trail

Explore the countryside and the world around you, take a compass and magnifying glass and really explore nature.

10. Find Creatures in the Garden

Write the children a list of things to find in the garden and set them a time. Ladybird, leaf, flower, stones etc etc. Also a good activity with a magnifying glass

11. Garden Games

Find a few new garden games to enjoy as a family. Try this croquet set if you haven't got anything already.

12. Growing plants

Spend sometime each day watering the plants and caring for any vegetables you may be growing. This is also great for encouraging them to eat vegetables if you can pick them together and cook them together.

13. Fruit Picking

Going to a local fruit farm to pick your own fruit. We also make milk shakes and bake with them when we get home.

14. Baking

Get baking with the kids. You could even have your own Bake Off Competition if your children are a bit older.

15. Mask Making

16. Junk Modelling

17. Sock Puppets and Theatre

18. Make a model village

19. Make potions

Normally good as an outdoor activity as it can get messy. Buy a few cheap things which they can mix into a potion, food colouring (put a dash in water its it isn't too strong), sprinkles, shaving foam and see what they create.  Good idea to wear old clothes as food colouring may stain clothes. 

20. Make cards

21. Make a Ladybird house

22. Story Stones - make your own and encourage imaginative play and story telling.

23. Den building, indoors and outdoors 

24. Make your own play dough

25. Ice block game

Freeze some toys and small objects in a container and allow your children to break into it. 

26. Dress up

27. Camp out in the garden

28. Make Water bombs 

29. Eye Spy

Eye spy is a perfect game for a car journey so its a useful one to do over the holidays. 

30. Cinema Night

31. Play Hide and Seek

32. Sorting out toys, - having a clear out.

33. Visit the Charity shops

You often find gems in a charity shop, old toys which are no longer available or loose parts which may not be toys but children can use their imagination to play.

34. Have a sleep over

35. Do a magic show

36. Have a pamper day at home

37. Use your Tesco clubcard points on days out vouchers

38. Throw a Tree Party with the Woodland Trust

There are loads of activity ideas on the Woodland Trust website, and I especially liked this one

39. Play Tennis

Try a new sport like tennis, you can access free coaching via this link 

40. Go Swimming

41. Pets at Home sessions

Pets at Home run free Pet Pals sessions which teach children how to look after there pets, they are held across the country and you will need to book a place here

42. Have a play date with school friends.

It's nice for the kids to have a break from school but no doubt they will still want to see some of their friends over the holidays. 

43. Have a themed party

You could spend most of the day preparing for this one, the kids could help make some food and the decorations. You could all dress up in a particular theme and watch a film, play games and read books all in a particular theme. How about, pirate, fairlytale, jungle, princess. 

44. Learn to hula hoop

45. Go swimming

This is a must over the summer holidays - always find time to go swimming at some point.

46. Incredibles 2, 24 hour challenge

You can join the challenge for your chance to win disney prizes, but you can also find lots of interesting activities for kids too. And you don't have to join.

47. Go to a zoo

48. Go to a Farm

This is on my son's list along with going to a zoo. 

49. Keep a diary

I am going to try and keep my little man interested in writing by asking him to keep a diary. I've got him a new note pad and every few days we are going to write down what we have been doing. I am sure he will add a few drawing too. 

50. Make a Photobook of the holidays

During the last few days, you could sit down together and create a photo book of the 6 weeks and all of the activities you have done. 

I would love to hear how many you did, and sharing pictures on our page would be great.