Free family fun - guest post.

Today, I am mostly taking a little teeny tiny blog break.  So in my place is the lovely Tamsin Oxford, author of Playpennies.co.uk to talk to you about how to do fun stuff for free with your kids.  Seems appropriate since it looks like the weather may just decide to brighten up (we live in hope).

I will now retreat to slaving over a hot laptop in the office, while I dream up ways to spend more time with my girls.

Enjoy!

This guest article comes to you from the pen of Tamsin Oxford, author from PlayPennies.com, a UK parenting blog.

Often we see those words “free family fun” and think, “Oh yes, sitting around on mouldy park benches in leafy parks with strange men in anoraks...” But actually you can have a lot more fun than you realise without spending a single penny. Here are five favourites for the money-wise parent:


Tour your local area

No, this doesn’t involve mouldy park benches, unless you want it to, of course. This is about nabbing the free local guides from your library (often many of these include maps) and setting off on a walking tour of your area. Combine this with a (free!) library book on how to pick edible plants and flowers to eat, tracking animal spoor or recognising birds, and you’ve got an educational and entertaining day out. Kids love the picking up weird plants bit.

While you’re in the library

Most local libraries offer free childrens' entertainment. For one glorious hour, someone else reads the stories, does crafts, sings badly and amuses your kids while you either join in or “rest your eyes.” Extend the time to choosing a new book for them to read (and you, obviously) and take it outside for reading if the weather permits.

Arty Parents

You’d be amazed at what you can create with your kids out of the stuff you have lying around at home. You probably won’t even have to fork out for craft glue or accessories. Nab free ideas off countless websites, make paper maché out of the newspaper recycling pile and print out free themed colouring in pages from sites like Disney and Rowntree. These are a great way to pass the time on a rainy afternoon.


Anytime Picnic

Rain, snow, sleet, sun – you can have a picnic anywhere and anytime you want. The time honoured picnic is a wonderful way to have fun and unleash your child’s imagination. Have one in the lounge and throw coloured sheets over chairs to create a Bedouin tent or go outdoors and picnic in the park.

Outdoor games

For this you only need a garden or a local park. Take some pots and pans, a sieve and put on some safari gear and go Tiger Hunting in the garden. The kids bang the pots to scare out the animals and you leap upon them and wrestle them to the ground. This is brilliant for developing imaginative play while spending precious time with your children.

Find out more top tips for saving the pennies at Playpennies