You don’t need to spend money to have a nice time with your child – in fact, free experiences and the fact that you spent time with them will stay longer in their memory than expensive toys.
If you’re looking for ideas for a no-spend weekend, then look no further, we’ve got you covered. Most of these free ideas for activities with your children can be done at home, keeping transport costs to zero as well, and helping the planet at the same time.
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No-Spend Weekend with Kids
As parents, we can sometimes feel under pressure to shell out money to amuse our child, but trust me, your child will remember doing these fun free things with you way longer than they would if you bought them an expensive toy or splashed the cash to go somewhere.
These ideas are all easy to organise as well, and don’t worry, if you’ve never done some of the activities on this list, we’ve got plenty of tips and advice for what to do.
Food Themed Fun Ideas for a No-Spend Weekend
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1. Make pancakes
2. Make hot chocolate
3. Have a tea party
4. Make a marshmallow catapult
5. Cook a meal together
6. Bake some cookies or a cake
7. Make ice lollies
8. Try a new recipe
9. Make pizza
10. Design a family cookbook of your favourite recipes
Outdoor Ideas for a No-Spend Weekend
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11. Go on a scavenger hunt
12. Play a ball game
13. Do some stargazing
14. Clean the car
15. Plant seeds
16. Enjoy water play
17. Fly a kite
18. Have a picnic in the garden
19. Measure a tree
20. Watch a sunset or sunrise
21. Light a fire and make s’mores/roast marshmallows
22. Blow some bubbles
23. Lie on your backs and do some cloud watching
24. Run through the sprinkler (or rain!)
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Energetic Ideas for a No-Spend Weekend
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25. Play hide and seek
26. Hold a treasure hunt
27. Practice skipping
28. Have a dance party
29. Create an obstacle course
30. Try roller skating or rollerblading
31. Play hopscotch
32. Have a hula hoop contest
33. Go for a hike
34. Practice some yoga
35. Go for a bike ride
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Indoor Ideas for a No-Spend Weekend
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36. Paint a picture
37. Look at old photos together
38. Draw out your family tree
39. Write a letter to grandparents
40. Listen to podcasts
41. Tidy up the playroom
42. Play board games
43. Organise cupboards/play room
44. Create a gratitude jar
45. Have a quiz night or family game night
46. Have a dress up day
47. Have a spa day
48. Have a family movie night
49. Watch old cartoons on YouTube together
50. Do a jigsaw puzzle
51. Play Stop the Bus
52. Read a book together
53. Declutter and see what you can sell or pass on
54. Have a pyjama and duvet day
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Ideas for a No-Spend Weekend in Your Neighbourhood
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55. Visit an older relative or neighbour
56. Look for a free event taking place
57. Do a random act of kindness
58. Enjoy street performers and buskers
59. Visit a new playground
60. Feed the ducks (remember, bread is not a good choice. Instead, bring a few handfuls of oats or defrosted peas)
61. Go geocaching
62. Walk the dog or borrow a dog to walk
63. Go to the beach
64. Take a walk around your village, town or city on a new route you’ve never walked before
65. Go to the library
66. Climb a hill
67. Visit the park
68. Volunteer locally e.g. at an animal shelter or charity
69. Take photographs around your neighbourhood
70. Find all the street art or art installations near you
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Creative Ideas for a No-Spend Weekend
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71. Make a fortune teller
72. Write a story
73. Make a music video
74. Make slime
75. Design your own board game
76. Create a domino trail
77. Make a time capsule
78. Draw self-portraits or caricatures
79. Make sock puppets and put on a show
80. Learn how to make a pom-pom
81. Try a no-sew project
82. Use fabric scraps to create something new
83. Make a collage out of old magazines
84. Make a hopping frog using origami
85. Make a comic or family magazine
86. Write secret code messages
87. Build a card house
88. Make oobleck
89. Create a scrapbook
90. Build a LEGO masterpiece
91. Practise drawing an animal
92. Make a stop motion movie
93. Paint stones
94. Write a story starting with “Amy had to…”
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Educational Ideas for a No-Spend Weekend
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95. Visit a free museum
96. Learn a magic trick
97. Learn a new tune
98. Do a science experiment
99. Find out about your family history
100. Learn a new life skill
101. Try a new hobby
102. Learn how to say ‘hello’ or ‘happy birthday’ in different languages
103. Research another country
104. Learn to knit
105. Visit an art gallery
106. Learn all about animals
107. Write a haiku
108. Do a word search
109. Learn how to juggle
110. Learn a new game of cards
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