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Top 10 Free Family Activities

30th May 2013

In this modern day and age it can difficult to fit in quality family time on top of your daily routine, but when the weekend does arrive you’re free to do as you please. Here at Tiny World, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 free activities you can do with your kids that are just as much fun for you as for them, so you can be sure you’re making the most of your time together as a family without worrying about breaking your weekly budget.

Outdoor Activities

A quick visit to your local council’s website will highlight all of the free local attractions in your area. This includes everything from museum exhibits to stately home open days. Whilst these might not sound like the most child-friendly activities, there will be something you can all enjoy. Whether it’s a natural history exhibit to teach your children something new about the world they live in or sprawling gardens with a maze at a stately home, it will be an adventure.

If you live in the middle of a city you could take a day out to your nearest park for a picnic. You can enjoy the great British outdoors with some lovely finger food that your children can help you pack; healthy snacks such as carrot sticks and humus are fun as well as nutritious.

Whilst we’ve all enjoyed a wonderful Easter break and egg hunts have come to a close, an egg hunt come treasure hunt is a great activity for your family to engage in. You can hide clues around your garden which lead to the next and the prize can be anything of your choosing. Be it a trip to the playground or a sweet yet healthy treat to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner.
Wherever you live there is nature to be found. You can design a quick and easy nature bingo sheet with points for different types of birds or bugs. You can combine a lovely family stroll in the evening or afternoon before dinner with a fun activity for your kids.

Hold an art class! Give your children a notebook and a pen and take a walk around your local area. Tell your children to draw anything that inspires them with one condition; they must not stop moving. When you get home you can compare notebooks and see what an interesting compilation your children have made, they can even explain why they picked a certain aspect over another. You’ll be surprised with what captures their interest!

Rainy Day Activities

When the rain begins to pour you don’t have to worry about family activities indoors because we’ve picked 5 of the very best for you!

Create a home cinema experience with popcorn or any other snacks you have in the house. Getting the kids involved in the prep can make it a great family experience and you get to sit back and enjoy a couple of hours cosy and warm with a wonderful film. Shrek is a firm family favourite we can recommend!
You needn’t be outside to enjoy a traditional picnic. Push back your sofa or move your dining table aside; now is the time for a picnic rug and a couple of cushions. Depending on how old your children are you could also morph the experience into a Teddy Bears’ Picnic! They can bring their favourite furry friend to lunch and introduce them to the family.

Writing letters is an important skill that develops your child’s writing ability too. Encourage your children to sit down with you and engage in some traditional and timeless letter writing. Everybody loves to receive a hand written letter, and with the inundation of technology it’s important to keep this tradition alive. They can even expand the letter writing into an art session and enclose their drawings with the letter. This will give you a chance to write a shopping list, organise your schedule, or write a letter yourself. Older relatives in particular will appreciate this form of communication as they tend not to be as technologically engaged as younger generations.

Planning the family meals can feel like a bit of a chore, so we propose for one day at the weekend you let your child or children become the chef. You will sit down after breakfast and plan lunch and dinner from any ingredients you have in the house. This way you can use up any perishable products before your next shop and your children can learn about the elements that make up a healthy nutritious meal. We recommend you set out some guidelines such as: meals must include one piece of fruit or veg, otherwise you may end up with yoghurt and chocolate for tea tonight!

Stage a photoshoot: Invite your kids friends round for a playgroup session and they can dress up and maybe even borrow some of your old make up or face paints. It’s great to let their imagination run wild. You don’t even have to have a real camera, if you don’t own a digital camera or a disposable you can pretend to be a director and help them pose and make silly faces. After the shoot you can stay in character and tell them you’re off to your next shoot in Hollywood. If you do take real photos you can upload them onto your computer; et voilà! You have occupied your kids on a rainy day, had some fun, and created memories.

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