The weather’s getting warmer and spring is in the air, so now’s the time to get the family out and about at weekends to blow away the cobwebs of winter. To give you a helping hand, we’ve put together a range of activities that are big on fun but small on cost!
A day at the museum
There are literally thousands of museums all round Britain covering everything from lawnmowers to dog collars and from mustard to pencils. As well as the more quirky ones like these there are also more traditional ones like London’s Natural History Museum or ones that celebrate local history in places like Cardiff, Leeds and Edinburgh. Best of all, many of them are completely free and lots of the ones that do charge have special deals on family tickets.
Not only are museums packed with fascinating things to see and do, lots of them organise free activities for the kids at weekends. So while they’re busy having fun maybe you can treat yourself to a sit down in the museum café.
On your bikes
After the massive success of the Tour de France’s “Grand Depart” in Yorkshire last summer more and more people have been taking to two wheels. So why not get the family bikes out and join them? Most parks have routes for cyclists and if you’re feeling a bit more ambitious you can ride round some of the National Cycle Network’s 14,000 miles of bike and pedestrian friendly paths across the UK. 2015 is the Network’s 20th anniversary so what better way to celebrate it?
Bored? How about a board game?
At this time of year there’s always still the chance that rain, or even snow, will mean you’re stuck inside. If you are, why not get the board games out and hold a weekend tournament? Play as individuals or split into teams and battle it out to see who is the master of Monopoly, the champion of Cluedo and even the king (or queen) of Kerplunk! Charity shops and car boot sales are great places to find second-hand board games to add to your collection!
Green-fingered fun
If you’re lucky enough to have a bit of a garden it’s also the perfect time to get everyone out doing all those springtime jobs to tidy the garden ready for the summer. To get the kids interested it’s a good idea to give them their own corner to tend where they can start with things that are easy to grow like giant sunflowers. Even if you live in a flat this could also be the year to start having a colourful window box.
Take a look at the library
Your local library is a great place to go if you’re looking for low-cost family fun. You can encourage children’s love of reading and creativity for next to nothing. Plus, they usually have leaflets and posters showing what’s going on in the local area and they also often run their own free events for families too.
