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Woohoo! We made it! Just about…
To the end of the school year. 👏🎉🎈
No more mad mornings!
Dashing about in all directions…
And no matter how early we get up, no matter how much prep we do the night before…
We always, without fail, manage to be five minutes late!
The shame!
The stress!
The neverending resolutions to turn over a new (punctuality) leaf from tomorrow, next week…
And now, next year!
But let’s not dwell on stressful new school year resolutions…
(We’ll save that for another blog post! 😊)
Because it’s summer!
And summers are about fun, fun and… ooh… some more fun!
Or, at least, until the kids begin to chant…
Which usually happens about the time we’re relaxing into a nice phone catch up with one of our BFFS! 😫
So, reluctantly, we say ”buh-bye!” to the bestie (and any misguided notion of a relaxing and fun summer for ourselves! 😭), as we desperately…
Rack our brains to come up with a list of fun summer activities for the kids that will not rob us of either our bank balances or our sanity. 😬🤞
I know!
Practically an impossible feat!
But here it is, folks!
The ultimate guide to fun family activities that are totally, utterly and blissfully free!
You’re welcome! 😊💕
1. Take a walk in the park
Oh yes! It’s an oldie, but it never ever fails to disappoint.
A leisurely walk through the park on a warm summer’s day – when the birds are singing, the brooks are babbling, the ducks are diving, the squirrels are scampering – is bound to fill all our hearts with joy!
Until…
The toddler is having so much fun running up and down the muddy hill that he is refusing to come home, the middle one is tired and the oldest one is bored…
Again!
Time for plan B!
2. While away the day at the playground
Ooh! The playground! Swings, slides, see-saws and roundabouts…
It never fails to delight! 👏 👍
Until it’s time to go home and…
The tears and tantrums start up…
Again!
Sigh!
Next…
3. Appreciate the art
Who doesn’t love a pretty picture?!
And whether it’s in an art shop in our local town, or at a big city art expo, like the Andy Warhol one at the Tate Modern in London, art is usually free to enjoy…
Until such time as somebody decides to shout out…
”I’m beyond bored!!”
Yet again!
Sigh! 🙃
4. Mooch around a museum
But who could possibly be bored at the Natural History Museum…
Which allows us to get up close and personal with all creatures great and small, living and extinct?!
The girls especially like the pretty butterfly displays, while the toddler is in awe of the dinosaurs!
”Whoa!” is all he can say!
I’ll take that over ”I’m booorrrred!”
Any day!
I almost heard that immortal cry at the V&A!
But, luckily for the kids, the Dior expo I so, so wanted to see was sold out!
Boo! 😭
A stay of execution for us all…
Of sorts!
5. Learn to love the library
And then there is always the library!
Silence!
Books!
Inspiration!
Three of my absolute favourite things clustered together all in one place!
An introvert’s paradise! (For more on this, click How to Survive as an Introvert… In a World of Extroverts!)
Until…
They discover the swivel chairs!
Aargh!
Too much noise!
Too much embarrassment! 😳
It’s a case of paradise lost! 😬
6. Be a tourist in your own backyard
Or why not use the current Instagram trend for pretty, urban, posed pictures to our advantage?!
Convince the tween to take Insta-worthy pics of our locale and it’s a win-win situation…
Until…
The toddler and the pre-teen have had enough…
Again!
Moving swiftly along!
7. Cool down by the pool
And if all else fails, there’s always the summer version of a duvet day…
Which is…
A cool down by the pool/paddling pool/water sprinklers day!
And provided you already have the equipment (if not, check out the Shop It Here section below! 😊), this super fun, family friendly activity will cost you nothing, zilch…
Nada!
It’s fabulously free!
As is a trip to a local beach!
It’s fantastically mermazing…
Until…
The wind picks up, blows sand into our eyes and brings us smack bang back to the reality of our children’s cries of…
”We’re bored! Can we go home now?”
😩🤯
Oh, well! We tried!
On the plus side, our bank balance has not been decimated!
A result…
Of sorts!
Just like when we learned how to save money as a shopaholic in A Shopaholic’s Guide To… Saving Money!
Stay tuned as we continue to find new ways to carve out our long term financial success! 🤞😬
Until next time, my dearest readers,
💋 Mostly Mum
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