CAN I DO THE SCHOOL HOLIDAY ON THE CHEAP?

With the six-week break approaching, mum Jo Dunbar, 42, wondered how much fun you can have for free

-  JO DUNBAR

Days out, meals out, treats, entertainment – as the summer holidays stretch out before us it’s easy to imagine it costing a fortune to occupy our kids. Last year, data from American Express suggested families spent more £3,000 on entertaining children in school holidays. Ordinarily, I'd book my son James, nine, onto a football camp, while his brother Will, 11, might do an art class which he loves, but is pretty pricey. Chuck in a couple of day trips and treats - the cinema, ice creams and lunch on the go - and I'm out of pocket. But there must be ways to cut costs. Using what free and discounted options are available, can I amuse my sons for a week? Here’s how I got on...

MONDAY

Today I am aiming for free fun. I have my own coffee in a travel mug, and we've visited our nearest beach. Buckets and spades, cold drinks from home, and that buys us three hours at the beach where the boys run around, kick a football and dig a massive hole. They are worn out and I haven’t spent a fortune. Win-win! Today's activities could be reprised in the park too and it’s a reminder that not every trip out needs to be pricey. If you live near the coast, you can also plan a visit to a lifeboat station. When they open varies, but the RNLI have an interactive map to find your nearest lifeboat station at rnli.org/find-my-nearest. From there you can find opening times or contact each station directly.

TUESDAY