With so many great attractions aimed at families throughout the UK you could easily visit one every weekend for a whole year… and bankrupt yourself in the process! The thing is there’s only so many trips to the park, to the local mother and baby group, or to the shop to buy nappies that will keep an 11 month old entertained!
When you do fancy a day trip there are a number of ways of making this affordable including daily deal sites such as Groupon. Whether it’s discounted London zoo tickets, a theme park break, or an aquatic adventure you’re after, Groupon have hundreds of deals at up to 70% off.
We’ve had some awesome days out doing just this. In fact, some of my favourite days out have been spent at zoos. You completely forget that your children have no concept what a goat is before they see one for themselves. Dexter was completely overwhelmed when he saw a real pig for the first time - until then I suspect he assumed they all talked, wore red dresses and enjoyed jumping in muddy puddles!
Tickets sorted, you can save further money by using these free little tricks on the journey to keep your little monkeys tantrum-free:
- Set boundaries: Okay this won’t work for the baby contingent but sharing the agenda with older children (when and where you’ll be taking a break etc) helps set expectations and stave off those annoying “Are we there yet’s“.
- Plan your route: Try and stop every few hours. Locate picnic sites and toilets along the route to avoid service stations with fast food outlets and sweets shops. Take packed lunches to keep costs down, and maybe a football or frisbee to encourage everyone to stretch their legs before setting off again.
- Pack sensibly: Allow each child to bring along a few favourite toys. When these lose their appeal make sure you have crayons, books, and handheld games in your armoury.
- Vary entertainment: Take it in turns to choose the music for an hour to stop whinging and save yourself from having to listen CBeebies: The Album on repeat. It’s also worth boning up on your car games before the trip to ensure you not guessing that Harry spied a rabbit with a W for half an hour.
- Consider investing in a child-friendly digital camera: You’ll find children snap away at the most mundane of things! They’ll also film each other in the back seat and have fun fiddling with the settings.
- Reward good behaviour: Bribery does pay! If all else fails, promise to stop for an ice-cream if they stop pulling each other’s hair.
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