100 Free Things To Do in the Summer Holidays

With the Summer Holidays fast approaching we are going to need to find hundreds of things to do that will keep all the family happy and mean we don't dread the summer holidays coming! For a lot of us that includes things that are free to do or are near free and if we can factor the cost in to our weekly shop all the better. So here is a list of 100 free or near free things to do that we have tried and tested and all have been given the seal of approval as a great way to have fun and to beat the holiday boredom!

1. Go to the Park. If it's raining then put on coats and wellies and enjoy the empty park!
2. Check out your local Councils events. They normally have events planned that are free.
3. Go for a walk. It doesn't matter when you live just go for a walk!
4. Go for a picnic. If you are having sandwiches for lunch put them in a bag and off you go.
Having a Picnic

5. Go to your library. Libraries are free to join, they normally have events planned in the holidays too.
6. Go to the garden centre. Take a look at all the plants, and tools and Fish.
7. Feed the ducks. Don't feed them mouldy bread, but stale bread is fine.
8. Colouring. There is nothing wrong with crayons and paper from pound shops if you haven't got any.
9. Bike ride. If you own a bike then go for a ride, just wear the right safety equipment.
10. Chalk games. If it's in your own garden leave it for rain, or just brush it away at end of day.
11. Water fight. Take old soda bottles fill them and use as water guns.
12. Gardening. Just a few minutes work makes a big difference, pull weeds or dig over an area.
A tidy garden

13. Play with kids in the street. They are all looking for something to do too.
14. Scavenger hunt. With a list of things you need to find ask neighbours to load items to you.
15. Window shopping. Walk around shops looking at all the things that you could buy.
16. Make something new out of something old. Turn a old sweater into a pillow, jeans in to shorts etc.
17. Play restaurants. Set the table, make a menu and pretend to be servers and customers
18. Play shops. Use the things in your home, make a shop and sell things
19. Make a museum. First shoes, first curl, fossil from the garden, ancient writings...
20. Make an art gallery. Make up some art work, hang them all a room and invite everyone to visit
21. Go to a museum. See what a real museum has in it.
22. Got to an art gallery. See what a real art gallery has in it
23. Go for a ride on the bus. Sit upstairs, or the back and enjoy the ride
24. Explore a part of town you haven't been to before. Find a new park, or a specialist shop.
25. Have a sports day. Race against each other with home made medals for the winners.

An Egg and Spoon Race

26. Make a calender. It could be for summer or for the next year for Christmas gifts
27. Do some finger painting (and toes). Make flowers, or see who has biggest feet!
28. Watch a film. Spend time together watching a new or a favourite movie
29. Make up a dance routine. The summer hit or a favourite song!
30. Invent a new game. Maybe it involves rolling a dice and moving backwards!
31. Develop your psychic powers. See if you can guess what someone else is thinking of.
32. Learn a new skill (juggle anyone). There is always something new to learn.
33. Talk to a fisherman and see what he has caught. Had he had any luck? What can you learn about fish?
34. Imagination game. Pretend you are at the Zoo, or a tropical island...
35. Try to break a record. Tallest tower, longest jump, most skips...
36. Write a story. All contribute and write a story together.
37. Put on a play. Write it, rehearse and put it on for friends and family or film it.
38. Put on a concert. Practice, and put it on for friends and family.



39. Create a toy zoo. Use stuffed animals to make a zoo to visit.
40. Clean out your toys. Give old toys to others, fix broken toys give to a charity shop or women's shelter
41. Look for a four leaf clover. There has to be one somewhere right?
42. Go on a hunt for the end of a rainbow. There is going to be gold at the bottom!
43. See if you can make it rain (or sunny) by doing a rain dance.
44. Play memory games. I went to the shops or something missing.
45. Do a survey. How many people walk past your house, how many red cars in your street?
46. Draw a map. Put landmarks on, and show your home and end destination.
47. Camp in the garden. Make a den and have a nap in the garden.
48. Recreate an old photo. Pretend to be you when you were a baby or your parents.
49. Teach a skill to someone. Can you do something that nobody else can?
50. Do a service project. Maybe clean up the park or a local project.
51. Make something from rubbish. A robot, a game.

A Home Made Game, made from Rubbish!

52. Clean a car. Yours or a neighbours.
53. Offer to help a neighbour. Tidy garden, do some shopping, clean out garage/shed
54. Go bird watching. How many can you see?
55. Go on a bug hunt. What can you find?
56. Go on a butterfly hunt. How many different types can you identify?
57. Have a BBQ. Cheap BBQ from pound shop and cook some sausages and marshmallows.
58. Make Dinner. From a cookbook, from start to finish.
59. Make musical instruments. Shakers with rice, comb and paper, drums from pots and pans.
60. Make pasta necklaces/bracelets. Cheap pasta and then paint after.
61. Look for patterns in the cloud. Who can find a rabbit in a hole?
62. Have a Backwards day. wear clothes backwards, have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Eat pudding first!
63. Do some arts and crafts. Use up old things laing around, half a pack or beads etc make a picture
64. Make a daisy chain. Make several!

PippaD wearing a daisy chain

65. Make a nature scene (grass, leaves etc). Go on a nature walk first to find them.
66. Make a big picture use magazines etc. busy street or similar.
67. Write a letter. To your friend, or family or to yourself.
68. Blow bubbles. Who can blow the biggest?
69. Be a nature detective. Look for things from list.
70. Search for star constellations. Stay up late and learn which stars are which.

The sky at night

71. Take a dog for a walk. Take to the park and have a run. Throw a ball etc.
72. Get boxes from supermarket and make them in to cars/boats/planes
73. Make puppets from socks. paper eyes or felt or scraps of material.
74. Put on a puppet show. With your socks!
75. Mini golf set. Make a small course and see who can do it in best time, least hits etc
76. Play blow football. a couple of straws and a paper ball see who can score a goal.
77. Play skipping games. Can you do double dutch? make up a skip rhyme.
78. Design and run an obstacle course. time yourselves see if you can get faster by end of holidays
Big Boy on an obstacle course

79. Make a newspaper. Use news from your street, neighbours birthday, cat had kittens etc.
80. Make your own salt dough and sculptures and then pain them.
81. Check newspaper for offers at local attractions such as the Zoo and go for the day.
82. Make a scrapbook. Ticket stubs, pressed flowers, biscuit wrapper.
83. Play football or basket ball or netball. One ball so many games.
84. Play Rounders (use empty pop bottle or balled socks) who's team will win?
85. Learn some Magic Tricks. Card games, slight of hand.
86. Play Card Games. Snap, 21, bridge.
87. Do leaf and tree bark rubbing's. Can you find faces in trees? See the parts of a leaf
88. Press flowers. Learn the Latin and common names and make a book.
89. Climb a tree. Or learn to climb a tree.

A Mothers Ramblings Sitting on a Tree

90. Put pictures in a photo album. They always need doing. Write when and who in pictures
91. Play Bargain hunt in Charity shops. Who can find best bargain. Can be no spend if just looking.
92. Visit a Toy Shop and play with the toys on display. It's fun and free.
93. Make a jigsaw puzzle. Cut up a cereal box picture or a photo
94. Make a time capsule. What would you put in it. bury it in the garden.
95. Pretend travel the world. Have a meal from different parts of the world, pretend to visit the sites.
96. Do a marathon (over several days). Walk a mile a day and add it all up.
97. Make a pinata. Decorate it, fill it and then smash it!
98. Create a secret club. Handshake and secret hideout.
99. Play games with balloons, ball, tag, make them into animals, sing a song about them...

Top Ender and Big Boy with Balloons

100. Do the housework - chores can be fun!

So that is my list of 100 free things to do in the holidays, or at weekends, or after school or even when you should be at school! Oh and I just thought of another free thing to do that will keep everyone busy, keep them thinking and happy...

101. Make a list of things to do that you have thought of!

What are you planning to do this Summer Holiday?