Searching for cheap or free activities to do this summer with the kids that you can both enjoy? At Fulton Umbrellas, we know how tricky it can be to make sure children have fun during the summer break from school.
So, we’ve created this guide to the best, free summer activities for kids and adults! Take a look and see which ones jump out at you…
Organise a baking challenge
With The Great British Bake Off starting later this month, now is the perfect time to get your kids or grandkids baking some treats in the kitchen. Plus, there are no entry fees or transport costs involved; all you need to do is buy the ingredients!
For young children, make something simple like jam tarts, and for older kids, make the event more challenging to keep them entertained all afternoon. You could pick at random from the cookbook you always use or set each youngster off with a different cake recipe and let them judge the best by tasting.
Do a treasure hunt
If it’s a nice day, pack up the car and head to your local park to do this activity. However, you could always do this in the garden, too. To make this fun, firstly find out how many kids are taking part and their ages — a treasure hunt for a two-year-old will differ a lot from one that’s entertaining for a ten-year-old!
Next, pick a theme to make your treasure hunt special — anything from pirates to princesses will work to make your treasure hunt memorable — and make clues that fit the topic. For the treasure at the end, you could fill a small box with sweets and a few coins, or even lead the kids to a new board or garden game to keep them entertained for even longer!
Enjoy a bike ride
It’s a shame to waste the day indoors. So, why not get some fresh air and exercise with a long bike ride at your local park or somewhere further afield? Look online for designated cycling paths and perhaps choose an area that the children have never visited before to make it new and exciting for them. Use this cycling journey planner for help finding the perfect bike-riding location near you.
Make sure you pack a picnic for the halfway point and make plenty of stops so the kids can explore their new surroundings.
Visit a farm
Kids love animals and wide-open spaces, so visiting a farm is the perfect day out during the summer break. Even better, you should be able to do this for free — minus the cost of transportation — if you search online. Many farmers are happy to let people visit without an entry fee, although often a donation is greatly appreciated, and kids love to see the animals getting fed or running around.
Afterwards, you can keep the kids entertained by asking them to draw their favourite animal or moment of the day. If you have the items (glue, paper, water, and paint), you could even let them create papier-mâché pigs and cows, too!
Head to your region’s most famous and least-known landmarks…
Every region in the UK has a famous spot, even if it’s just a landmark that’s well-known to the local community. So, why not spend a morning or afternoon visiting your area’s most iconic place, then do some research to find a hidden gem near you?
This could be anything from a secret garden to a section of coastline you — and many others — rarely visit. If your children are old enough, get them to help you find somewhere online using their tablets or laptops — this will help build adventure and excitement!
Make a weather station for the garden
As an expert in rain attire and umbrellas, we had to include something to do with the weather! So, we recommend getting the kids together and testing their science skills by making a rain gauge or wind vane.
To make a rain gauge:
- Cut a two-litre plastic bottle two thirds of the way up.
- Upend the top part of the bottle and put it in the bottom section. Adhere with sticky tape.
- Make a centimetre scale on a piece of tape and stick it to your bottle.
- Go into the garden and dig a hole to bury the gauge. It should be about 5cm out of the ground.
And you’re done! Now, get the kids to head outside every morning to measure the amount of rain it has collected using the centimetre gauge on the side of the bottle. If the kids enjoy this craft session, why not let them make a wind vane, too?
To make a wind vane:
- Use a pencil to draw a 25cm arrow on card. Cut it out and use it to draw around and make another.
- Glue the arrows together.
- Now, fetch a cork and four matchsticks. Then, push the matchsticks into the long side of the cork — these should be at right-angles to each other.
- Write: ‘N’, ‘E’, ‘S’, ‘W’ on four separate pieces of card. Attach these to the ends of each matchstick — it’s a good idea to use an adhesive tack or clear tape to make these secure.
- Put sand in a bottle.
- Push a knitting needle into your cork before pushing into the bottled sand.
- Balance the arrow on top of the needle.
- Finally, put the wind vane in an open area and use your smartphone or a compass to verify which way is north so that you can point the ‘N’ card in the right direction.
And you’re finished! Now, the arrow will show you where the breeze is coming from.
These are just a few entertaining activities that you can enjoy free of charge this summer with the children. If you’re heading outdoors, make sure you browse our children’s, women’s and men’s umbrellas to stay dry and comfortable!