How to do half term on the cheap!

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When school’s out for half term, trying to keep the kids entertained for days on end can burn a massive hole in your pocket. Here are some ideas to help you make sure they have a fun week off, without bankrupting yourself! Remember any money you do save is FSCS protected for free in UK current and savings accounts.

1. Spend a day at the museum. Price: Free

There are so many fabulous – and free – museums to visit, and these often hold themed drop-in workshops over half term. Now is the time to do a bit of prep work – Google any galleries or museums near you and scroll down their What’s On section to see if there’s anything that will suit your little (or older) ones. Prepare a packed lunch for everyone in the morning (that’s at least £20 saved right there) and take enough snacks to keep everyone going if there’s lots of travelling involved. And get there early to make sure you get in – free workshops fill up quickly.

2. Get crafty. Price: £10

Team up with a couple of friends and take it in turns to organize themed craft afternoons for the kids at home. Depending on which half term it is, there are loads of ideas online for simple – and cheap – creations to make according to the season. Is it Halloween soon? Go for spiders made out of polystyrene foam balls, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. Or if Christmas is coming, you can make anything from bunting out of card, glitter and string, to tree decorations made out of felt. Start collecting anything you can use to turn trash into treasure, from toilet paper tubes to empty cereal boxes – all you’ve have to fork out on is food and drinks when it’s your turn to host.

3. Host a film club. Price: £5

A trip to the actual cinema can end up costing a fortune (you can easily spend a tenner on popcorn alone). So why not hold a cinema afternoon at home instead? Allow your children to invite one or two friends round each and tell everyone to come in a onesie and bring a pillow. Buy or download the latest film and make your own popcorn – kids will love watching the kernels of corn go pop in the pan! You could even go the whole hog and order some popcorn boxes online – these are relatively inexpensive and will give the whole experience an authentic feel. Then when everyone turns up, serve them popcorn and a drink, draw the curtains and let the show begin!

4. Take in the great outdoors. Price: Free

It’s the same old scene: you’re desperate to let the kids burn off all that energy outside, but can’t face yet another trip to the local playground. If the weather’s OK, head to a national park or country estate instead. And if you visit the National Trust website, you can enter your postcode and it will suggest any number of fab – and relatively inexpensive – days out near you. It will feel like a big day out to remember, with the added bonus that, other than the entry fee, your only other expense will be your packed lunches and travel costs.

5. Let your imagination run wild. Price: Free

If your children are of the age where they get as much joy from playing with a cardboard box as they do an actual toy, instead of splashing out on an expensive activity, turn the living room into a supermarket/doctor’s waiting room/restaurant/superhero HQ and bring down all the teddies to be customers/patients/citizens waiting to be rescued (with you first in line, of course!). Add layers to the game as you go on (eg if it’s a restaurant, get your kids to write up menus, lay the table, take your order, prepare the food, do the washing up, etc). They will love having your undivided attention and you will save money by staying in.

6. Do your homework

There are plenty of offers online – you just need to take some time out to find them. Sign up to receive newsletters from sites such as Littlebird.co.uk, which will send you regular newsletters containing offers on family-friendly attractions and events coming up. Dayoutwiththekids.co.uk lets you search for activities by region, while Kidadl.com will send you a newsletter every Wednesday suggesting fun – and often free – stuff to do that weekend, plus some offers. It’s also worth thinking about not just the half term that’s coming up but the one after, as you can often get early bird deals, particularly on train tickets or flights.

Whatever your money goals are, FSCS has an easy tool that will help you find out how much money you could save now and for your future. It's completely free and will show you how you could manage your money better in seconds. FSCS are the people who protect your money for free, from £1 up to £85,000 in UK banks and building societies and credit unions.

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