Free & Budget Friendly Summer Fun For Kids

The summer holidays are here, the kids are home, the sun is shining…….and the dreaded juggle begins.

While the extended holidays were originally developed to help farming communities, the modern 6 week break can bring extra pressure, guilt and financial strain to families who are attempting to manage work and make the holidays memorable for the kids - all while watching the expenses increase at an alarming rate. What you really need is family-AND-budget-friendly entertainment, which is creative, fun and engaging enough to actually keep their focus off their screens!

Hey there Cherry Baby is an independent business run by just one person - me - and as a mum myself I’m 100% there in the trenches too. Because of this, I have pulled together a list of free or budget friendly activities; either to entertain the kids when you are in desperate need of some adult-time, or for the family to do together.

1. Head to your local park! On gloriously sunny days, we head out to our local park. There are playground facilities for the little ones, as well as more action packed equipment such as a zip-line or skate park for the tweens. Grab a picnic rug, some sandwiches and a flask of coffee and you can spend hours enjoying the fresh air. It's also a great budget-friendly option for meeting up with friends.

2. Den building - indoors or out! Why not while away the day in the woods, collecting fallen branches and twigs to create a cosy secret hideout, with flowers, leaves and other treasures added for decoration. Indoors, all you need are blankets, or bedding, some pegs and a sofa! Just hope the kids don't want to permanently move in!

3. I would always recommend checking out the options in your local or surrounding area for free or cheap activities - you'll often find the details on social media, flyers on noticeboards or in your library. 

Local councils usually run family fun events in their town centers, so make sure you visit their websites - and it's the perfect time of year for fetes, fairs and county shows! It's doubtful that you'll be able to visit without spending some money, but you'll be supporting small businesses and creatives rather than larger corporations.
Other suggestions include National Trust or Wildlife Trust sites, county parks and trails - or you can even head to the coast for some (free) sea air!

We are lucky to have the secondary site for the Natural History Museum less than 10 minutes away. Free to visit (though at busy times it's worth booking) you can wander around and discover 100s of incredible species.
If you are planning a trip, why not get the kids to complete the alphabet game? Can they find a different animal for every letter of the alphabet?

4.  Local or independent cinemas will often show family-friendly movies at reduced rates. Matinee showings, morning screenings or SEN-friendly showings are also usually available. Check out your local cinema websites for more details. 

5. Teach the kids about entertainment from your childhood (yes, even if they say ‘old skool is boring’).
My children have been watching the movies from my youth (I’m an 80s baby) and Jumanji (Robin Williams at his finest), Teen Wolf and the first Jurassic Park have been a hit. Most streaming services offer this genre of film with no additional charge. Turn off the lights, draw the curtains and relax - Why not add some supermarket popcorn or some unbranded sweets to the mix for the full cinema experience at a fraction of the cost!

A word of caution - I'd forgotten how some of the older movies are definitely less ‘PG’ than current PG rating requirements. Expect some f-bombs or slightly darker tones than the more modern family flick.

6. Get busy in the kitchen! Home made (or shop bought) pizza bases make a perfect blank canvas for toppings, simple cupcakes can be baked and smothered in decoration, or you can let the older ones flick through a recipe book and find an option they'd like to make for tea. 

7. Pick Your Own fruit and veg is a fun activity and the fields are bursting with produce this time of year - as well as picking punnets of delicious berries, why not let the kids dig up carrots, potatoes and other veggies. It's a brilliant way to get them outdoors, and they can learn where food comes from with some hands on fun! An added bonus? They might even pick the ingredients you needed for tea anyway!

8. Head to the local swimming pool or splash park. Low level cost, high level exercise, it’s a fun activity sure to wear out the kids! Our local pool has flumes, a rapid river and jacuzzi, connected to a standard swimming pool, ideal for both swimming practice, diving games and family fun. Add a picnic to the splash park mix and you have a full-day of fun with minimal expense - just don't forget the sunscreen.

9. Despite your best efforts, there will undoubtedly be times when you can't be as hands-on as you'd like, or when you need a creative, wholesome distraction. 

Our Surviving Summer Print & Play Collection has been designed specifically for busy families who want to find budget friendly, screen-free alternatives to keep the kids entertained.

This mega pack includes 35+ print-and-play games, challenges, activities and creative prompts, designed entirely in house (no AI) as part of the Cherry on Top range, and are ideal for kids aged 7 - 12 years. You'll find printables for every situation:

Grab & Go 🎒 perfect for coffee shops, waiting rooms or hanging around for siblings. 
- Word Search | Honey Bee Maze | iSpy at the Beach | iSpy at the Allotment | iSpy on the Road | Complete the Picture | Crack the Code

Travel Time 🛣 car journey boredom is a thing of the past! Plus our travel tracker and road trip challenge templates can be personalised for every journey.
- Number Plate Challenge | Road Trip Hunt | Road Trip Colour Tally | My Travel Tracker | Road Trip Challenge

Rainy Day Rescue ☔ even on those wet days, there is still fun to be had!
- Indoor Scavenger Hunt | Build a Fort | Hunt and Seek | Monster Dice Game | Comic Strip Creator

Outdoor Adventures 🌻 make the most of the great outdoors (even if it is just the garden)
- Rainbow Nature Hunt | Create a Summer Bouquet | Nature Photo Challenge | Nature Challenges | Nature Mandala

Classic Games ♟ who will be the ultimate retro games master?!
Hangman | Dots and Boxes | Snakes and Ladders | Noughts and Crosses | Connect 4

Creative Corner ✏ let imaginations run wild with these creativity prompts.
Create your own Ice Cream Parlor | Design your own Theme Park | Design your Alter Ego | Welcome to the Doodle Zone | Splatter Art Challenge

Brain Boost 💡keep brains busy and test your logic with these games and challenges.
Spot the Difference | Extreme Close Ups | Terrific Transformations | Seriously Sudoku | Awesome Analogy

Family Fun 💚 fun for all the family. Will you play kids v parents, pair up for teamwork-makes-the-dream-work or put it all on the line for the ultimate family winner! 
True or False | Drawing Challenge | Create your own Quiz | Summer Fun Checklist | Family Summer Collage

The entire Surviving Summer mega pack is available as an instant download. Download once and print as many times as you like during the holidays (and beyond).