school holidays

[Annielappo]

Now that this time of year is upon us again and the kids are going to be bored for the next what seems to be a lifetime(school holidays) has anybody got any ideas where I can take them for cheap affordable places were I dont have to break the bank. Any sugestions are very welcome.

[sense4all]

You don't say where you are located is this any use, is there a similar list for near you?

http://www.londonfreelist.com/home.asp

[Annielappo]

sorry i forgot to put where i am from liverpool.

[Annielappo]

good website sense4all i recommended it to a friend down south thanks 4 ur help xx

[saxy_jag]

I used to take mine hiking. We'd pack up a bit of food, get a map and take off into the local countryside for a good walk.

We had some good laughs (getting chased by a herd of cows), met some really nice people, found out some fascinating stuff about the area, and all it cost me was the food (which I'd have bought anyway), the map (although you can borrow those from your library) and the cost of the petrol to get there.

[saxy_jag]

I should also say, the kids loved the map reading bit. When the eldest got to secondary school he was the only one in his geography group who could read a map properly.

[Hellion]

Last year we had a Thursday Picnic in the park - we had a standing date from 10am onwards and anyone free met in the park with a picnic lunch lots of drinks and a football and the kids loved it. The Mum's just sit and chat and watch the kids it's actually really laid back. I'm very lucky I leave near a beach and a forest so we go there a lot. In the middle of the forest there is a railway bridge over the main London lineand if you stand on it and wave at the trains they all toot and wave back!
Quite a lot of cities now have an open topped bus tour where you buy a day ticket and can get on and off as many times as you like. Not sure how old your children are but it's actually good fun and cheap to explore where you live and Liverpool has a fabulous hisory, great art galleries, Beatles, ships etc. You can turn that into an adventure. Look in the library for ideas too there are lots of places that organise things for kids in the summer and often they are free.

[sense4all]

OK lets try this one then :

http://www.realdaysout.co.uk/Search/Show.aspx

[spudqueen]

Croxteth Hall and Farm ,cheap to get in and you can have a picnic in the gardens, there's also a great play area.

I used to live on the Wirral and some places I would take my kids were Thurstston beach, Wirral country park, Eastham Woods (there is a bear pit there - which kids love and there is a little cafe where you can get ice creams), the train to Chester and we would go down to the Dee and feed the ducks, have a picnic in the park and get an ice cream, you can also walk along the walls.

Formby is also good (you can get there by Merseyrail or by car), you can go to the red squirrel reserve then down to the beach. Freshfields station is the nearest to the red squirrel reserve.

You can also get the ferry across to Seacombe where there is a spaceport.

Another place my kids loved was Cheshire Oaks, they loved the hugh outdoor play area and I would take them to Macdonalds for dinner then they would have another play, I never even got to go in one shop!

[Pam29]

Lots of pools have free swims for kids in the summer hols - our local swimming pools do anyway.

[chatter]

Befor the school holidays ,we used to write lists of where we would like to go , and what we wanted to do,and on breakup day,we would bring our lists to the table,with great excitement,picknics at the swings,shopping with �3 eachto spend,dog rescue need people to walk the dogs ,always a favorie if you have no dog of your own,a happy school holiday party with all friends invited,and a cook in day lots of jam tarts etc,
oh how i miss those happy school holidays
from a great granma

[netty.m]

the maritime museum is doing story time and art sessions all about desert islands. Also the yellow boat / bus that goes around liverpool and into the mersey always looks fun.

[Annielappo]

Thank you 4 all ur answers it was good reading them all i will go and give the kids the best summer holidays i can. If you all want to in september we can all write back and let each other know how all our summer holidays went i bet we wiil all have some funny stories to tell. Thank you again and talk to u all in september.xxxx

[debbz1969]

You really can't beat a good old fashioned picnic. Get some other mums involved as well, the more the merrier. Bats, balls a frisby, a river or lake to paddle in. (and of course a compulsory bottle of wine for the adults). Kids of all ages love it. Happy Holidays!!!

[beejaybee]

What`s happened to parents imagination. Come to that, kids also. Todays kids have to have things planned for them. If it`s not electronic, digital or comes with controls, kids aren`t interested. I can NEVER recall being bored during any school holiday. I`m an only child & where I lived there were no other kids for me to play with. But I was never bored.