Okay, I’m going to be completely honest with you guys… Every half term I feel this pressure to fill every single day with activities, days out, things to do. And all of that costs money. So this half term I decided to do something a bit different. I challenged myself to spend absolutely nothing. Zero. £0.

And it was one of the best weeks we’ve had.

Here’s exactly what we got up to, in case you need a bit of inspiration for the summer holidays (because if it works for a week, it’ll work for six weeks too obviously 🙈 😂).

The Beach - Total Cost: £0

We kicked off the week with a beach day. I texted a few of Albie’s school friends, we packed a picnic and our parasol, and we just went. It was boiling, like we were abroad, so the boys had a little swim in the sea, we threw stones, dug holes, and made so many amazing memories.

Jesse was absolutely beside himself with happiness the entire time. The sea, the sand, the chaos of it all. It didn’t cost us a single penny and it was genuinely one of the best days.

The key? Picnic from home. No stopping for ice creams (we had snacks), no buying lunch out. We just brought everything we needed with us.

Free Art Gallery Event - Total Cost: £0

I’d spotted a free family event at our local art gallery and decided to give it a go. I made sure we could also park nearby for free because there’s no point finding a free event and then spending £5 on parking!

It was SO good. Albie absolutely loved it. They had big canvases set up and he spent ages painting and doing mark making. Jesse even walked in paint and made tiny footprints 🥹

This is the kind of thing I’d never have found if I wasn’t actively looking for free things to do. It’s worth spending five minutes the week before half term browsing for local events. You can use google, but I find most events via facebook. Theres an events tab which is helpful!

The Garden - Total Cost: £0

When the sun was out we made the most of the garden. We got the paddling pool out and between that and running around, the boys were entertained for hours.

One tip if you’ve got a baby: pop their little seat in the paddling pool! It saves your back from holding them upright the whole time and they absolutely love sitting in the water. Jesse thought it was the best thing ever.

I always forget how much mileage we get out of our own garden. Sometimes the best day is just being at home with nowhere to be.

Giant Cardboard Box - Total Cost: £0

Okay this one I have to tell you about because it was such a winner. We had a big cardboard box from an order that arrived and the kids turned it into a house. Albie and his friends decorated it, put their names on it, stickered it up… it kept three children entertained for AGES.

You can actually get big cardboard boxes for free from garden centres if you don’t have one. They usually have loads from deliveries that they’re happy to give away. Worth popping in and asking!

Playdates - Total Cost: £0

We had a lot of playdates this half term. I swear my children have better social lives than I do 😂

Genuinely though, playdates cost nothing and they’re often the days the kids enjoy most. Albie loves having friends over and Jesse loves following them all around the house causing chaos.

Playing at Home - Total Cost: £0

Some days we just stayed home and played. And I want to say something about this because I think it’s easy to feel guilty about it, like you’re not doing enough.

But actually, kids barely get uninterrupted time to just play with their own toys during term time. Albie loves getting all his figures out and just playing. Jesse loves chasing him around. They don’t need anything else.

We’re so conditioned to feel like we need to fill every moment when they’re off school. But sometimes the best thing you can do is just give them a free day with no plans.

Lunch at Home Every Day - Total Cost: £0

This one sounds obvious but it made a big difference. It would have been so easy on some days to just grab a McDonald’s or a Greggs when we were out and about. But I made sure we either had lunch at home or took a packed lunch and snacks with us so we weren’t caught out.

I always pack extra snacks too in case we stay out longer than planned. It stops that moment of weakness when the kids are hungry and you’re standing outside a food place 😂

And If All Else Fails… Granny and Grandad’s - Total Cost: £0

One of our days was spent at Granny and Grandad’s and the boys were absolutely in their element. Sometimes the best days are the simplest ones, just being with people who love them.

My final thoughts

We had a genuinely lovely week!

And we spent absolutely nothing.

I’m going to carry this into the summer holidays and try to keep things as low cost as possible. Because this week proved that the best memories really don’t have a price tag on them.

If you’re heading into summer holidays and feeling the pressure, I hope this helps. You don’t need to spend money to give your kids a brilliant time. You really, really don’t.

Save this post for summer holiday inspiration and let me know in the comments what your favourite free activities are. I’m always looking for new ideas!

Soph x