Budget-friendly summer fun at home: 20 free (or nearly free!) activities to keep the kids happy
Summer’s here, the kids are home, and if you’re anything like me, you’re trying to keep them entertained without spending a fortune. The good news is you don’t need to splash the cash to make amazing summer memories!
Whether the sun’s out or you’re stuck indoors, I’ve rounded up some fabulous free (or very low-cost) activities you can do right at home. Perfect for those of us just trying to save that little bit extra over summer.
1.Build a bug hotel
If you’ve got some twigs, leaves, and old plant pots hanging around the garden you’ve got yourself all the bits to make a bug hotel!
Let the kids stack and stuff materials into an old box or flowerpot to create a cosy home for mini beasts. A fab way to teach them about nature too!
2. Make a flower bouquet
Head out into the garden and pick a few wildflowers (just make sure they’re safe / not from next door!). Poke them through decorated cardboard to create your own DIY bouquet. Great for creativity and a cute one to give the grandparents! If you haven’t got any cardboard to hand, I’ve put tape round a wooden spoon before to make flower bracelets too!
3. Go on a colour walk
Simple and so much fun! Simply pick a colour, head out for a stroll, and spot everything in that shade. This was a great one for when my kids were learning colours!
4. Host a puppet show
Grab some old socks or make shadow puppets using paper and torches. Let the kids create characters and perform their own silly stories. Endless giggles guaranteed! You can even make a little “theatre” from an unwanted cardboard box!
5. DIY volcano
All you need is baking soda, vinegar, and a bit of washing up liquid (which hopefully is in the back of your kitchen cupboards!). BOOM! Instant kitchen science. Add a bit of red food colouring for the lava effect. My son LOVES this one as he’s obsessed with learning about science at the moment. And to be honest, I love it just as much because its easy, exciting, and educational.
6. Scavenger hunt
Use this scavenger hunt list or make up your own: The possibilities are endless!
Find something green
Something soft
Something round
7. Get them to read some new free books
This Kindle Unlimited free trial for 30 days is perfect for the summer holidays and the best part is you can cancel whenever!
It includes tonnes of free books ranging from short stories to chapter books to educational books for the kids plus tonnes of books for us adults too! A double win if you ask me!
8. Home cinema night
Let the kids make “tickets” and choose a movie. Get into pjs and switch off the lights for a cosy cinema feel!
9. Mini sports day
Create your own garden Olympics! Think sack races with pillowcases, egg and spoon, or three-legged races. It’s fun, free, and brilliant for burning off energy.
10. Chalk art
Got some space on the driveway or patio? Let the kids go wild with chalk! They can draw, play hopscotch, or even make their own race track. And once they are finished, just wash it away with water!
11. Mud kitchen
Use old plant pots or pans, and a bit of garden soil and let them “cook” mud pies and leafy soups. Messy, yes - but so worth it.
12. Try Amazon Kids+
Amazon Kids+ is an all in one subscription that gives kids access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, tv shows, educational apps, and games- perfect for abit of extra entertainment in the summer holidays and you can get a whole month free! It’s compatible with Kindle, Fire, Android and iOS devices, and you can cancel at anytime (set yourself a reminder on day 30 haha!).
13. Make a mini fairy garden
Grab an old plant pot, add some pebbles, moss, and a few fairy figures (or even DIY your own), and create a magical fairy hideaway. Adorable and imaginative fun!
14. Make your own ice cream science experiment
No fancy machine needed and this is the perfect way to sneak a bit of science in!
All you need is milk, sugar, vanilla, ice, salt, and two ziplock bags. Pop the ice cream mix in one bag, surround it with ice and salt in the other, then shake for 5–10 minutes. The salt lowers the freezing point of ice, creating the perfect potion to freeze your mixture. It’s a quick way to learn science and the kids get a delicious treat at the end!
15. Build a den
Use blankets, bedsheets, chairs, or a washing airer to build a cosy den. Bring in snacks, torches, books. So simple, but always a hit.
16. Make slime (the easy way!)
Use cornstarch and water and it makes instant and safe slime. Just pop a tray underneath as it can get very gloopy!
17. Get cooking or baking
Let them help with lunch, bake fairy cakes, or make their own pizzas with bits from the fridge. They’ll love the responsibility and creativity (and licking the spoon, obviously!).
18. Make your own puzzle
Get the kids to draw a picture, glue it to cardboard, and cut it into pieces. Then challenge them to put it back together. Great for problem-solving and motor skills!
19. Disco time!
Crank up the tunes and have a family dance party! We use Amazon Music and they’ve got a free 3-month trial that can link to your Alexas and the best bit is you can cancel anytime! My top tip would be to make a note of the date when your trial runs out and then you will have had months of unlimited Amazon Music for FREE! There’s honestly so many great playlists for kids and family fun!
20. Let them be bored (yes, really!)
Sometimes the best creativity comes from being “bored.” Give them some open-ended bits (boxes, pens, fabric scraps) and see what they come up with. You’ll be surprised what their little minds can dream up!
So thats my ultimate list of budget-friendly summer activities that you can do at home. Most of these are totally free, some just require a bit of imagination, and others come with handy free trials to keep things exciting without the spend.
Have a wonderful Summer and let me know which ones you try in the comments!
P.S. Don’t forget to bookmark this for those “I’m bored” days!
