Ideas For Entertaining Grandchildren Cheaply
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Over 14 million people in the U.K are Grandparents and more of them than ever are talking on childminding responsibilities to help out their cash-strapped grown-up children. As more families rely on two incomes to make ends meet, Grandparents are a godsend to those looking to avoid hefty childcare costs when both parents need to work.
And for the most part, these Grandparents love the extra time with their grandchildren – getting to enjoy all the fun stuff but knowing they can take them home again at the end of the day.
Ideas For Entertaining Grandchildren Cheaply
However, some Grandparents may find that continual feeding and entertaining of these little ones are having an impact on their own finances. While we always do everything we can to help our nearest and dearest it shouldn’t come at the expense of our own financial well being.
In this post, I am going to look at the best Ideas For Entertaining Grandchildren on a budget – even when visiting the more expensive places like adventures parks and the zoo.
Saving on Trips to The Cinema
First up are trips to the cinema – a great way to keep the kids entertained, especially on the inevitable rainy days the typical British summer provides.
- Meerkat movies is a great way to get 2 for 1 cinema tickets for next to nothing. If you’ve used the ‘Compare the Market’ website in the last year you’ll just need to download the app and sign in. If you haven’t it’s worth buying a cheap travel insurance policy to for a few pounds to get the discounts – which last for a whole year. Even better, Meerkat Movies can be used even when you don’t have your Grandchildren.
- During School Holidays and most Saturday’s and Sunday’s many cinemas have a ‘Kids Club. Movies are usually older but prices are low and adults are often charged the same as children. These showings are usually in the mornings rather than in the evenings. As an example, Vue Cinemas ‘Mini Mornings’ are every weekend and tickets are just £2.50
- Taking your own (well hidden) drinks and snacks can save an absolute fortune. Wilko’s is our favourite for pick n mix which is often half price during the school holidays and Poundland is great for 2 for £1 bottles of fizzy drink and bags of chocolates such as Milky Buttons and Maltesers.
Saving on Eating out in the Holidays
Choosing between a quick fix like McDonald’s and KFC or somewhere a bit nicer as a treat will depend on the age of your grandchildren and what sort of budget you have. If you fancy somewhere a bit more upmarket as treat there are plenty of ways to save.
- Loads of places offer ‘Kids eat free’ or ‘Kids eat for £1’ during the holidays – it’s worth looking out for these are doing a little bit of research before heading out for the day.
- A new feature that runs alongside ‘Meerkat Movies’ is ‘Meerkat Meals’ which offers 2 for 1 dining for up to 6 people across all courses, Sunday to Thursday. Perfect for filling up hungry teenagers!
- Tastecard also offers 2 for 1 meals at lots of chain restaurants including Prezzo, Zizzi and Ask. If you can’t save on the kid’s meals at least you can save on the grown-ups! Tastecard costs around £30 for a year but we usually make that back after two meals out. Days accepted vary by the restaurant – this may just win out over Meerkat Meals for having some places, such as Frankie and Bennys, available on a Saturday – a massive bonus.
- Always check for vouchers, offers and discount codes online before you go or try downloading a vouchers app such as voucher cloud.
National Trust Membership
Living in Somerset I am lucky enough to have easy access to all of the National Trust Properties near Bristol as well as lots of beautiful estates in the surrounding counties too, meaning a National Trust membership is well worth the money.
A national trust membership would offer access to hundreds of different days out, all over the country. A family membership can be paid monthly or annually and includes entry for two adults and up to 10 of their children or grandchildren under the age of 17.
Saving on Trips To Adventure Parks, Zoos and Safaris
Zoos, Theme parks, Farms and Adventure parks all offer great ideas for entertaining grandchildren and families alike – but the costs can soon mount up. That, said there are lots of ways to save on adventurous days out.
- Booking tickets in advance online usually saves around 10-20% – this does, however, tie you into the day you are booking for so be sure to check the weather if it’s a weather dependant attraction!
- Websites such as Groupon and Wowcher for discounted tickets.
- Lots of attractions offer a ‘return in the next 7 days for free’ – perfect for getting two days out for the price of one. We usually try and go on a Friday and then the following Thursday to really spread the fun out. As an example, this is something Crealy in Devon offers.
- The majority of pubs, shopping centres and supermarkets have leaflets offering discount vouchers on local attractions.
- Make use of OAP discounts, family tickets and under 5s go free when you can.
- Annual memberships – these could save hundreds if you live really close to a popular attraction – we plan to do this for Crealy when our daughter is old enough as it’s 40 minutes away and is a brilliant day out.
Becoming Facebook Savvy
Facebook is actually a brilliant resource for finding ideas for entertaining grandchildren for free. I follow my local Library and several local attractions to see when they have events, discounts and special days. Facebook will also notify you if lots of people you know are going to a particular event – I have often found things I’d like to go to this way.
Following pages on Facebook such as Piniq that specialize in offers for days out is another great way to find discounted things to do with your grandchildren.
Ideas For Entertaining Grandchildren: Free Days Out
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with traditional free ideas for entertaining grandchildren, such as trips to the park, feeding the ducks and dads at the beach. Picnics are always a good shout and if you’re struggling with food costs when looking after your Grandchildren all day remember to ask Mum or Dad to pack them a lunch – you’re providing free childcare and saving them a fortune, so it’s something they should be happy to do if you’re already on a budget.
Could you be entitled to Benefits?
If you’re providing a substantial amount of childcare during school holidays you could be entitled to benefits, including a pension top-up. Find out more here.
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