The summer holiday season is upon us, all parents know that entertaining the kids for the whole six weeks can be a stressful and expensive business. Bearing that in mind, we thought we'd write a post that compiles some free activities and days out that can occupy you and the kids for the day.
Every month in Lego stores across the UK you can take children aged between 6 and 14 to build sessions which are free to attend. These sessions are great fun, you don't have to book (although stocks deplete quickly, so get there early) and the best thing is that the kids get to take their creations home too.
These sessions take place after school on the first Thursday of every month, between 4pm and 6pm. So there will be a few opportunities to go over the summer. At every session, the children are given a new model to build.
Museums - especially the big, old ones - are full of excitement for children of all ages. More sedate art galleries are perhaps best saved for older children but like so many places these days the flagship city museums have a relaxed policy towards children and welcome visitors of all ages. Not only that but many museums are free of charge - including some great ones in the capital, such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tate - so if you find the experience is lost on your children you won't have wasted any money.
But most children will be fascinated by the varied collections - think dinosaurs, Egyptian relics, Roman coins and stuffed animals! Furthermore, your local museum may also fun specific activity days or culture trails for children, to help the exhibits really come to life, and some have special areas for children, with books, toys and colouring sheets. Your local museums are just a Google search away.
3) Visit the farm
If you live in the city it doesn't mean your children can't experience a day at the farm. There may be a city farm in your city - Bristol, for example, has several and London has a whopping 17! They're usually free of charge and you and your children can wander around, looking at and feeding the animals.
Some farms have nice cafes attached, or play areas, and there may be a programme of activities or opportunities for children to take part in feeding time. Details of local farms can be found here.
4) Free Online Guitar Lessons
Finally, if the weather is rotten this weekend, could free guitar tuition be the beginning of something special? I know from experience that although there are lots of guitar tutorial videos on YouTube, most are aimed at adults and are, shall we say, somewhat dry…
Click here for more details. If you've never been to a Lego store before, it is a new religious experience for children and Lego enthusiasts alike. Although Lego stores are lots of fun, they can be expensive places if you have Lego obsessed kids. If you are going to spend however, make sure you sign up to Lego's VIP Programme: Lego’s equivalent of the Tesco Clubcard.
2) A culture trail at the museum
Museums - especially the big, old ones - are full of excitement for children of all ages. More sedate art galleries are perhaps best saved for older children but like so many places these days the flagship city museums have a relaxed policy towards children and welcome visitors of all ages. Not only that but many museums are free of charge - including some great ones in the capital, such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tate - so if you find the experience is lost on your children you won't have wasted any money.
But most children will be fascinated by the varied collections - think dinosaurs, Egyptian relics, Roman coins and stuffed animals! Furthermore, your local museum may also fun specific activity days or culture trails for children, to help the exhibits really come to life, and some have special areas for children, with books, toys and colouring sheets. Your local museums are just a Google search away.
If you live in the city it doesn't mean your children can't experience a day at the farm. There may be a city farm in your city - Bristol, for example, has several and London has a whopping 17! They're usually free of charge and you and your children can wander around, looking at and feeding the animals.
Some farms have nice cafes attached, or play areas, and there may be a programme of activities or opportunities for children to take part in feeding time. Details of local farms can be found here.
4) Free Online Guitar Lessons
Finally, if the weather is rotten this weekend, could free guitar tuition be the beginning of something special? I know from experience that although there are lots of guitar tutorial videos on YouTube, most are aimed at adults and are, shall we say, somewhat dry…
Kids Guitar Zone is dedicated to teaching children how to play guitar, with free video tutorials set out in an easy-to-follow format. Lesson 1 begins with the parts of the guitar; by Lesson 10, students are playing ‘Wild Thing’ and ‘Gangnam Style.’ The lessons are all led by the same, friendly teacher and some are accompanied by free PDF downloads. (Thanks to Latest Free Stuff for the spot.)
Thank you so much for the informative post.
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