Survive the summer holidays and the challenge of keeping children entertained with these fun activities that don’t cost the earth.

I’m bored!

Two words you’re bound to hear over the next few weeks if you have school-aged children.

So how can cash-conscious parents keep boredom and mischief at bay for the duration of the summer break?

It’s not easy, as popular activities like going to the cinema, zoo or theme park can be expensive.

However, there are low-cost, fun activities that will engage and captivate your children. You just need to be prepared with a few ideas up your sleeve.

Here are three fun school holiday activities that won’t cost you a fortune.

Scavenger hunt

Put your child’s observational skills to the test by organising a scavenger hunt in your garden or local park.

You can either write your own scavenger list or print one out from the internet.

Your child can then go ‘hunting’ for the items on the list (eg feather, flower, ladybird, something yellow).

Create a scrapbook

This can be a creative project that carries through the entire school holiday period.

Buy your child a scrapbook and encourage them to collect mementoes on their days out (such as postcards, coasters, sweets wrappers or leaves).

You can also take photos of your adventures and print them out.

Your child can then stick the items in their scrapbook and write and draw about their experiences.

At the end of the holidays, you’ll have a wonderful journal to look back on in years to come.

Box clever

A humble cardboard box can keep inventive kids engrossed for hours. All they need is tape, marker pens, paint and scissors – and a box, of course.

If you don’t have a spare box at home, a local retailer might be able to help you out (the bigger the box, the better).

Once you’ve got your box, your child can let their imagination go wild.

They could create a castle by cutting an arch-shaped door and adding some turrets and a drawbridge made from cardboard.

Or cut the top off the box, add some paper plates on the outside for wheels, and you have the beginnings of a car or bus. Paint and decorate accordingly.

From all of us here, we hope you have a happy, safe summer.

If you know someone who would find this article helpful, please share it with them.