How to Entertain the Kids This School Holidays for Free (or Super Cheap)
School holidays can feel so long over summer and finding things to do can get expensive.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
There is so much free fun out there plus we share a few ways to get discounts for super cheap entertainment too.
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What Do Your Kids Love?
When planning out or looking for activities, write a list of things your kids love to do or are interested in.
Get them involved in creating the list so they feel part of the process too.
Grab Discounts
Before booking anything, always look for a discount.
Groupon has great deals for school holiday activities from local attractions through to skate parks and more extreme adventures.
Check out our list of discounts and coupons for Aussies plus how to get a discount on everything.
8 Free Activities for School Holidays
Here are some free activities for you to consider.
1. Head To Water
Whether it is the beach, lake, river, a waterfall or swimming pool, head to the water.
Most kids love splashing around, swimming, seeing what is in the water such as fish or tadpoles.
You can try snorkelling, diving, walking to and under waterfalls, surfing, playing on the beach and much more.
See what is in your area to explore.
2. Geocaching
This one teaches skills and can be super fun as you never know what you will find.
It can be done virtually anywhere too. It is the world’s largest treasure hunt.
Check it out the Geocaching app.
3. Hiking
Hikes can be short such as a bushwalk or they can be much longer and include camping overnight.
Research hiking tracks, old tunnels and what to see along the way in your area.
The wildlife and edible plants can be interesting to learn about and spot too.
Add in a nature style scavenger hunt and it is no longer just walking.
4. Bike Riding
Get on your bikes and ride around a lake, explore your suburbs, take the bikes somewhere new or meet up with friends to ride together.
Bike riding is a great way to get fit, get somewhere quicker and have fun.
You could include a picnic or treat somewhere along the way.
5. Build Forts
Kids love making forts and spending time in them whether they are drawing, reading, playing games or watching a movie.
Create a fort kit with an old pillowcase, old sheets, some ropes and pegs.
This way, whenever your kids want to make forts, it’s not your linen cupboard they are pulling out.
Old boxes work great too and can be used inside or out.
Along with tarps, camping gear, wood and anything else they find outside.
6. Free Festivals
Check Facebook, community noticeboards and ask others about any free festivals coming up.
There are usually quite a few in school holidays.
Festivals often having roaming entertainment, samples and can be themed.
7. Free Activities
Check your local tourism board, Facebook, Meetup and similar sites to see what’s on for free.
Look for movies in the park, competitions, classes such as yoga or Tai Chi.
8. Library Fun
Coding classes, robotics, art, movies, storytime, there is so much happening at your local library.
Libraries are an incredible resource for free entertainment. Of course, there are books, DVDs and more too.
Bonus: Discounted Movie Tickets
If you get Shopback and use the app, you can get discounted movie tickets.
The tickets are valid for 3 years and you can get either kids or adults plus discounted gift cards.
Since most kids want to see a movie at some point, this can be a more affordable way to do it.
New Shopback members get bonus cash back when they join which could mean you get the movie tickets for free (once the cash back is applied).
What do you do for fun or for free in the school holidays?
You might also like 37 frugal and fun activities plus these winter school holiday ideas.
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