How to entertain your children without breaking the bank
Spending time with your children should be carefree and fun, but it can be hard to find cost-effective ways of doing this. Here are some inexpensive activities to keep your children busy without breaking the bank.
Read all about it.
Reading to your children can be a fun exercise. Better yet, after you've read to them, have them act out their favourite scenes. For children old enough to read by themselves, a little comprehension quiz (with prizes of course) could be just the ticket to keep them occupied.
Life’s a picnic.
A family picnic in the living room or the kids' bedroom can be fun. Have them decide what snacks they'd like. A little ingenuity turns the sofa in the world's best pillow fort and with their favourite movies on the screen, they'll be sure to be entertained for hours.
Arts and Crafts
It's amazing what you can do with a sheet of paper, a little imagination and access to the internet. Visit an origami site and put your child's dexterity to the test with little animal projects. You can fold an entire alphabet's worth of paper creatures. If that's not your speed, hold a little paper-jet flying competition.
Something to puzzle over.
Whether you’re at home or on holiday, nothing beats doing a giant puzzle on a rainy day. The whole family can get involved and a complex puzzle can really give the brain a good workout. Board games are just as much fun and are also cost-effective. Even if you lose all your money at Monopoly, you’ll still be winning!
Reap what you sow.
You don’t need a huge garden to grow herbs. Even a windowsill box will suffice if you live in a flat. Select some seed packets from your local nursery and get your family to help plant and grow your own herbs. Not only is gardening a great way to unwind, but the end result is free and fresh herbs to use in your cooking.