With the October half-term fast approaching, here’s our pick of the fun days out and activities to enjoy as a family without breaking the bank.
The October half term is my favourite school holiday – I love the vibrant colours and crisp blue skies we often enjoy in the autumn months.
After a busy start to the new school year, the half-term break is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your family, but it can also be a strain on your wallet if you want to include a few days out. Fear not! With a bit of planning and creativity, you can have a fun-filled week on a budget.
Without further ado, here are my top money-saving tips to help you make the most of the October half-term. From autumn walks to visiting museums and galleries, all the activities listed in this article are things I love doing with my family.
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Not yet a member? If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus. Enjoy unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more.
How to save money over the October half-term
Plan ahead and budget
First things first, set a budget. Knowing how much you can afford to spend will help you make better decisions. As a family, create a list of potential activities you’d like to do, including a breakdown of entry fees, travel, food, and any extra costs.
Planning ahead allows you to look for deals and discounts, ensuring you get the best value for your money.
Embrace the great outdoors
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Autumn is a beautiful time of year, and the UK is blessed with stunning parks and countryside, so make the most of them by packing a homemade picnic and heading to your local park for a day of outdoor fun.
Many parks offer free or low-cost activities such as nature trails, exercise courses, duck and geese feeding. And if you take a football, rugby ball or kite, that will help keep the children entertained and give you a bit of exercise with laughter.
Go to the woods and collect pine cones, conkers and leaves in different colours to take home for craft activities, such as making Christmas decorations.
You could also do leaf rubbing or make animal masks – the Woodland Trust is a great source of ideas for autumn leaf crafts. Building dens using branches is always a hit, or you could create a tick box list of 20 trees, fungi, animals and birds that children can search for.
Visit a free museum or art gallery
My favourite museum is the Victoria & Albert (V&A) in London. I love wandering from room to room, country to country. Most of the V&A is free and you can easily spend hours there. There are many free museums and galleries to visit around the country, but sticking with the capital, you could check out this list of the best museums in London for kids. Don’t forget to check out local museums; these are a great way to understand the history of the city, town or area that you live in.
Save on family days out with Boundless
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Attractions aimed at all the family can be expensive, but luckily there are ways to lower those entry fees. Boundless membership includes unlimited access to WWT centres across the country (see what events are on at WWT this autumn and winter), as well as annual membership of Kids Pass, with loads of discounts on days out and UK attractions, and unlimited access to Kew Gardens (adults can also save 10% on tickets booked by 13 October for this year’s Halloween at Kew event).
Speaking (or writing!) of Kew Gardens, I recently visited there. It’s stunning throughout the year but particularly worth visiting in autumn to see the trees changing colour. Find out family blogger Katy Stern from Otis and Us enjoyed a day out at Kew earlier this year.
I can’t wait to visit Hampton Court Palace using my Boundless Plus membership (this gives unlimited access to all Historic Royal Palaces sites). Hampton Court is running various half-term activities and fun events for children, including a spooky Halloween event at Henry VIII's notoriously haunted palace.
Get creative at home by crafting and baking
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You don’t always need to go out to have fun – why not plan some creative activities to enjoy at home. Baking, crafting, and movie marathons can be just as enjoyable as a day out. You can even turn it into a themed day – how about a pirate adventure with homemade costumes and a treasure hunt in the garden?
The possibilities are endless, if you can invest a little time in them, and often cost very little. This year, Halloween falls over the October half-term, making it a great opportunity to make your own spooky costumes, decorations and games. Children of all ages tend to love simple activities such as pumpkin-carving or painting, bobbing for apples or crafting their own witches hat to wear trick-or-treating.
Baking is a Beattie household favourite, with Halloween themed baking top of the list. How about this list of bewitching bakes from BBC Good Food – the pumpkin loaf looks amazing!
Don’t forget, if you’re a Boundless member you can take advantage of a range of discounted shopping cards for a range of retailers, which could save you money on craft supplies and recipe ingredients.
Do more with Boundless
If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus. With Boundless, you get unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions, including Kew Gardens and Wakehurst and WWT centres across the UK, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more. With Boundless Plus, you can enjoy additional benefits including unlimited access to Historic Royal Palaces sites, National Trust for Scotland places, access to The Ramblers' extensive walking community, and peace of mind with roadside assistance and local recovery by LV= Britannia Rescue.
Tips
