Cheap Family Days Out
A boy in a children’s swimming pool. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There’s nothing worse than bored kids getting under your feet, but do you ever feel that you need to re-mortgage the house to take the family for a fun day out? Well have a look at some of our ideas below for cheap family days out.
Try your local swimming pool – of course the big waterslide filled water parks are great fun, but at many of these a ticket for a family of 4 can be over £30! So instead check out your local council run swimming pool and leisure centre. Many offer special ‘Family Fun’ sessions, with toys and inflatable’s and the cost for the same 4 person family can be under £10, and to be honest they’ll probably have just as much fun!
Visit your local Museum or Art Gallery – no longer the fusty home of things that you can’t touch (and that your kids certainly can’t touch!), many municipal Museums & Art Galleries are not only free to enter but are filled with hands on activities that your kids will love. Also check out local ‘What’s On’ guides for details of extra workshops and activities that are aimed especially at families, there may be a small charge for these but I can guarantee that it’s cheaper than a Theme Park!
Go to the park – the UK has some amazing green spaces, with parks and recreation spaces scattered all over the place. Not only do many of these have fantastic playgrounds filled with great swings, slides and other play equipment, but explore a little further into the wilderness and you never know what you’ll discover. Why not try going on a mini-beast hunt or get older children a ‘Spotter’s Guide’ book and send them off to see how many trees, plants, insects or birds they can identify. Pack a picnic and if the weather co-operates you can stay out all day – for free!
Check out Voucher Sites – if you do fancy doing something a little different, or splashing the cash on that special treat, then make sure that you check out voucher and discount websites before you go. Websites such as www.moneysupermarket.com and www.vouchercodes.co.uk allow you to search for deals by type so you can narrow your search to family days out in your area, or if you have a specific attraction in mind then try visiting their website for any special offers. Or a quick Google of the name and ‘voucher’ can often point you in the direction of some great deals and discounts.
So the moral of the story is ‘think local’ and ‘do your research’. There are some great ‘What’s On’ magazines that can point you in the direction of both permanent family attractions and one-off special events, and by obeying these few simple rules you could save yourself a fortune!
The article was written by Jenny Bennion, copywriter for What’s On & Where To Go Magazine.
Category: Travel
