Our No Spend Day Out at Heaton Park with Subway #ad

I've been looking forward to the Easter break for so long, waiting for the chance to spend some quality time with the children without worrying about work, dreaming of lazy mornings, fun days out and cuddled up movie nights...

However, the school holidays can be an expensive business, with the cost of entertaining the family for two weeks really adding up. That's why Subway have decided to give parents a helping hand with their Kids Eat Free offer this Easter holiday. 

From now until 17th of April in participting stores in Great Britain, you can pick up a completely free Kids Pak with every Six-inch Meal Deal at your local Subway store. As well as a four-inch sub with a choice of filling and salad, the Kids Pak includes a drink, a snack and a gift to take home. 

To celebrate this fantastic offer, we were challenged to enjoy a day out in Manchester over Easter without spending a penny on the kids! As soon as I heard the challenge I knew that Heaton Park would be the perfect place to visit. Located just fifteen minutes drive (or 20 minutes on the Metrolink) outside of Manchester City centre, at 600 acres, it's one of the largest municipal parks in Europe and has so much to offer!

We started our day off with one of those lazy mornings I'd been looking forward to so much (isn't it just an amazing feeling to wake up without an alarm? ) then headed out to lunch. It's super easy to find your nearest Subway branch, using the Store locator and we found one in Whitefield, just a few minutes drive away from Heaton Park.

A Subway Picnic Lunch

Treating myself and my husband to a six-inch sub and drink meal deal, meant that both our children got a Kids’ Pak™  absolutely free! Each Kids’ Pak™ is 2 of a child’s 5-a-day. Every Kids’ Pak™ Sub is low fat, low in saturated fat and low in sugars, as well being a source of protein. They both chose brown bread with ham and cheese and a generous selection of salad and paired their sub with a Fruit Shoot My-5 and a Bear Yo-Yo fruit treat for afters. They each got a SEA LIFE Splashy Sticker Mosaic pack which was perfect for entertaining them on the journey home! We also received a voucher giving 50% off access to SEA LIFE centres across the UK & Ireland, for a family of four, perfect for saving money on another day out in the holidays!

This delicious, healthy lunch for all four members of our family, cost less than £8. What a bargain!

Subway is great for fussy eaters of all ages (I include myself in that!) as you get to choose exactly what you get, from the type of bread down to salad and sauce.

Despite it being a typical cloudy April day, the children decided we were having a picnic, so we took our lunch to the park and enjoyed it while in the grounds of the beautiful 18th century Heaton Hall which is currently undergoing renovations.

Once our tummies were full and our thirst quenched, it was time to continue on with our adventures!

Heaton Park Animal Centre - Free to visit!

With so much to do for free in Heaton Park, we were spoiled for choice so decided to start off with a visit to the Animal Centre. Our youngest is a big animal lover and couldn't wait to find out which new friends we would meet today. 

We had great fun watching the pigs get fed, the goat pull tongues, and the peacocks show off their stunning plumes. I absolutely love the fluffy alpacas, they are just adorable!

Visiting the Highest Point In Manchester

Once we'd bid farewell to all of the animals  - Elizabeth had found out each of their names from the friendly staff of course - we decided to go for a wall around the grounds of Heaton Hall and visit the highest point in Manchester, where the ornamental temple designed in 1800 sits atop a hill. The children ran up and down the hill playing football and giggling at their made up games, while we followed them at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the breathtaking views for miles around. 

 Heaton Park Tramway Museum - Free Entry!

Our final adventure of the day was a visit to the Historical Heaton Park Tramway, which is run by the Manchester Transport Museum Society. Heaton Park is home to the oldest section of original tramtrack in the UK, dating back to 1905!

On Sundays between Easter and October, you can watch a selection of lovingly restored trams running through the park, and even ride on one for a small fee, we were happy to watch them and wave at the passengers as they went past as we walked along to the museum which is full of Manchester tramway history.

We didn't Spend a Penny on the Kids all Day

We had a fantastic day out that was filled with fun activities and we didn't need to spend a single penny on the children all day. I really enjoyed taking part in the challenge and it made me realise that there are so many things in Manchester to enjoy for free! You really don't need to spend money to enjoy a fun day out.

The #KidsEatFree offer at Subway is excellent value for money and we'll be taking advantage of it again while we are out and about during the holidays as it's running right up until 17 April!

Disclaimer: We have been compensated for this post but all images and opinions are our own.

Confessions of a Summer Parent...

So the summer holidays are almost upon us and the frantic google searches of how to entertain our children for six weeks have started...

We want something fun, but educational...

Exciting, but inexpensive...

Active, but not too tiring...

Then we have to fit it all in with the playdates, the summer camps, our work, cooking, cleaning and oh yes actually sleeping at some point over the next month and a half!

If it's any consolation, we know that it'll all be over in a flash and September will be here before we know it. Although, actually I know that thought won't help when we're in the middle of what feels like a thirty hour day, we have a todo list as long as our arm and two children whining, 'Muuuuum, we're bored.....', because every single toy in the house has been played with, screen time has been used  up (and some!) and they are fed up of playing outside in the rain...

So here are my top tips (confessions!) of a Summer Parent...

1. If you can't beat them, join them! 

They're in their best clothes with no wellies, but they've been eyeing up that giant muddy puddle for the last ten minutes. You may not have any spare clothes with you, and you know that you're going to get the car covered in mud on the way home, but really who can resist a Muddy Puddle? I know my husband can't!

Photo courtesy of Jenny at The Brick Castle

2. Get the kids to do the cooking!

'I'm huuuuuuungry......' Two words every parent will hear about three thousand times each day of the summer holidays. Well why not get them to sort out lunch for a change? Get a ready made Pizza base, pop sweetcorn, peppers, tomatoes and Anchor cheese in to some bowls and let them go crazy! I guarantee you'll get half an hour of peace while they make funny (or rude!) faces, treasure maps or pretty patterns with their lunch! All you'll need to do it pop it in the oven for ten minutes!

3. Get the kids to earn their keep!

The list of chores will no doubt be getting longer over the summer holidays so why cross a few off while keeping the children busy? Washing the car is a good way of them helping out and is great fun in warm weather too (just don't let yourself get involved in a water fight, well unless you want to!)

Photo courtesy of Jenny at the Brick Castle 

4. If all else fails... Chocolate!!

I'm not one for bribing children as a rule but if helps to keep your sanity then why not reserve treat for negotiation once in a while? Chocolate is so versatile, they'll likely take it in the packet but again if you want to keep them distracted for longer melting it for them to 'bake' something with is usually a good idea. (And don't forget Mum's emergency chocolate hidden in the ironing of course!

What are your tips (or confessions!)  for keeping the kids occupied during the summer holidays?

“This post is an entry for BritMums Confessions of a Summer Parent Challenge, sponsored by Anchor”.

What's Happened? What's Happening? #WHWH 16/07/2015

Welcome to What's Happened? What's Happening? It's the first week of the new linky all about days out and events, hosted by myself and Pippa from Red Rose Mummy! It's ideal timing as the children are about to break up for the summer holidays and there are lots of fun events and activities going on!

Each time we'll be featuring posts from the previous link ups, sometimes with a theme, sometimes simply because we wish we'd been there! We'll also be highlighting the best of what's happening so you don't miss out on any must see events! As this is the first week we've had a look around our favourite blogs and found some great posts to share with a summer holidays theme, there are some fantastic ideas around for things to do over the school holidays.


We love exploring the outdoors, so I was excited to read what Mary from Over 40 and a Mum to one and her son thought of Conkers, the outdoor adventure cente, it looks like the ideal summer holiday day out!

Pippa and I both live in the North-West and love to get hands on with nature so Karen from That Lancashire Lass' post showcasing the best of wildlife in Lancashire really appeals to both of us. I think we'll both be adding these to our 'to visit' lists.

Do you love the LEGO Movie? If so be sure to check out the special movie weekends at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester. You can meet Emmett and Wildstyle and they will be screening the movie from 10am each day. If you have a Minions fan then they may be excited to see the new movie out in the cinema this summer, you can read In The Playroom's review of it here.

Last week my daughter and I visited the Imperial War Museum North to experience their newest exhibition, Horrible Histories: Blitzed Brits, we really enjoyed and will be returning with my son during the school holidays, a great free day out. Another local museum that is worth a visit this summer is the Museum of Science and Industry who are hosting Play It! where you can get to grips with the best video games from the last 30 years from ping pong to Pac Man.

We're hoping you all have posts ready to link up, whether you've been away recently, or out for the day, perhaps you've been to a fantastic blog event? We would love to see what you have been up to. If you haven't got a recent post, why not share your favourite ever blog event, or a day out that you loved and wrote up a while ago? Link up these posts to What's Happened? We'd love to see a bumper linkup this week to welcome the linky back with a bang.

If you know of some great events happening soon, then come and shout about them at our What's Happening? Link up.

We read and comment on every one and share on Twitter, Facebook. Google+, Pinterest and StumbleUpon. 

We'd love you to add our badge to your post to spread the #WHWH word...

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Thank you Gift Ideas for Teacher

The school holidays are fast approaching and as well as thinking of ways to entertain the children over the summer, it's time to start thinking about ways to show your child's teacher how much you appreciate them. I believe that putting time and thought into a Thank you gift for your children's teacher is more important than the money you spend so I've brought together a few simple ideas to say thanks, all for under £10...

Stationery. Who doesn't love a brand new notebook and pen? Package it up nicely with some ribbon and pretty cards and you have a lovely looking and useful gift that looks a lot more than the £2.48 it cost!

Why not get crafty? This cute little corsage is so simple to make and your child could even get involved. I recently tried some sewing with my four year old and she loved it! You could make it out of scraps of any fabric and use a coordinating button. It costs just pennies but it a lovely gift that shows that time and thought have been spent instead!

Everyone loves chocolates and wine, right? Why not team a home made gift up with some yummy chocolates and a small bottle of wine? It looks like a an expensive gift but with Lily O'Brien's Petit Desserts costing just £7 a box, this whole gift is still less than £10.

If a lovely pot of Earl Grey is more your teacher's cup of tea then why not team a a pretty china cup and saucer up with some chocolates or even a candle? This blue spotty teacup and saucer was just £2.69 from Quality Save and Lily O'Brien's Tasting collection is a bargain at £1.50! This whole gift was under £5!

Whether you decide to buy a gift or make one, there is always room for a home made card, let your children express themselves and make a card that will show their teacher how much they appreciate them and will miss them.

We were sent some samples from Lily O'Brien's to include in this gift guide.

May Half Term Family Fun in Manchester and the North West

Can you believe it's almost time for another school holiday? The schools break up for May half term this week and I've been looking at what's on in Manchester and the North West to entertain children over the Bank Holiday weekend and during Half Term...

Geronimo Festival at Tatton Park (23rd to 25th May)

This May Bank Holiday, Geronimo! comes to Tatton Park, Cheshire. Geronimo Festival claims to be the largest children's festival in the north-west with hundreds of activities for children from 0-12.

Tatton Park is an ideal setting and there seems to be much to do, including live shows on the "Geronostage", exploring Themed Woodlands and Build a Den. Children can also watch a Circus, Ride a Donkey, Swing through the Trees, enjoy a thrilling BMX bike display, zip down High Wires if they dare Dare! There will be an Adrenaline Zone and a Craft Marquee. Younger children can enjoy storytelling shows, bounce around in the  Inflatable Village or hit the dance floor with Zumba and Ballet workshops. Children of all ages can have fun in Survival School and get up-close to cuddly creatures in the Petting Zoo.

There will be secial appearances from CBeebies favourites, including Hook and Line from Swashbuckle, Alex Winters, Katy Ashworth and the lovely Mr Bloom!

Standard tickets are available from £22.50pp / £86 for a family of 4 and tickets will also be available on the day priced at £25pp. Do be aware that Tatton park has a £5 parking charge for all cars.

The Lost Carnival at Burrs Country Park, Bury (22nd to 25th May)

The Lost Carnival comes to Burrs Country Park in Bury from 22 – 25 May. The carnival is an ambitious, large-scale, outdoor experience from Wild Rumpus, producers of the award-winning Just So Festival, and So It Is, a new producing company established by Bury Met director David Agnew, The Lost Carnival is an immersive theatre experience that invites families to step into a world unlike any other. Expect spellbinding theatre, circus, music, visual trickeryand a story beyond your wildest dreams.

The most enchanting carnival in the world, suddenly stopped touring in its heyday, under suspicious and mysterious circumstances. The carnival is coming back, but can the audience help it to ward off past dangers and bring it back to its former glory?

LAStheatre will present the story of The Lost Carnival, a story beyond your wildest dreams. Families can expect spellbinding performance, circus, music and visual trickery.

The tale behind the Lost Carnival can be found in the form of a fictional radio documentary podcast produced by sleuth Arthur Bird. Families can follow the story at www.thelostcarnival.org.uk and use the podcast, archive and clues to try to solve the mysteries of the carnival themselves, before the story culminates at the live event.

Tickets cost £10 per person (under 3s go free). Carnival goers should dress for the weather, and wear sturdy shoes. Tickets are available at www.thelostcarnival.org.uk.

#HookedonMusic at the Museum of Science and Industry (23rd to 31st May

The #HookedonMusic Citizen Science Experiment is coming to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester from Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 May, the museum will jump to the beat when all visiting movers and shakers - even embarrassing mums and enthusiastic dad dancers – will be invited to groove on down on the make shift dance floor right in the heart of the museum in the daily silent disco.

The aim is to have fun whilst taking part in a Citizen Science experiment. Each set of headphones will be pre-programmed with three different channels pumping out catchy tunes relevant for different age groups. By recording the reactions and responses to the music and the reasons for switching channels whilst dancing - researchers and scientists will gain a better understanding of what makes different musical features popular. All the discos will be filmed to support this research.

May Half Term also sees the return of the ever-popular #HookedonMusic quiz, testing musical knowledge and tastes in this fun, frantic and fast-paced game-show running in between the silent disco. There are even prizes to be won! Teeny boppers and toddlers can also get in on the #HookedOnMusic action too in the Jungle Disco. Join Roary the Lion, the King of the Jungle for this energetic and interactive storytelling session and help the animals get ready for the big jungle hop. Recommended for the under 5s.

Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 May.

Silent Disco – Revolution Manchester – 11.20am; 12.20pm; 1.20pm; 2.20pm

#HookedonMusic Quiz – Revolution Manchester – 11am; 12pm; 1pm; 2pm; 3pm

Jungle Disco – 1830 Warehouse – 11.30am; 12.30pm; 1.30pm. 2.30pm

Suitable for all ages

Free – drop in - no need to book

The silent disco will be filmed for internal scientific reseach

www.mosi.org.uk

Cunard's Three Queens celebrate 125 years, at Liverpool Docks (24th - 26th May)

Between 24-26 May 2015, all three Cunard ships will call at Liverpool to salute a city that will be forever part of it's history, culminating in all three Queens meeting on the Mersey for the first time on 25 May. 

I used to love watching the ships sail down the Mersey as a chill and this will be a historic event. Find out more details here

Dinosaur Day at The Millgate Bury (28th May)

This half term The Millgate shopping centre in Bury, have a dinosaur coming to visit! On Thursday 28 May you can meet Tiny the Stegosaurus, a 125 million years young dinosaur brought to life. She will be joined by a palaeontologist who will present lively and informative natural history shows at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm. You can pet her, talk to her and feed her. Event is FREE and there will be a dinosaur trail to follow to win a treat! Find out more here.

The Journey Home at The Edge Theatre, Cholton (22nd May)

The Journey Home, the acclaimed children’s book by award winning author Frann Preston-Gannon, is brought to life through puppetry, lyrical music and transformative design in this new production byLittle Angel Theatre.

Suitable for ages 3+

Tickets: £8 / £6

Sing-a-Long-a Frozen, Warrington Pyramid & Parr Hall (23rd May)

We went to see the fantastic Sing-a-long-a Frozen when it was at the Lowry Theatre, It was a really entertaining evening that both the children thoroughly enjoyed. If you missed it you can get tickets to see it at Warrington Pyramid and Parr Hall. Read our Review to find out more.

Creative Crew at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre (up until 22nd May)

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester is challenging local young creative talents to showcase their exceptional LEGO® building skills in a bid to win a position in the LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Creative Crew and a trip to Florida!

The competition will see the budding builders pushed to their LEGO® limits, facing new challenges along the way and presenting their creations to Master Model Builder Alex Bidolak.

A total of twelve children aged 5 to 12 will be inducted into the Creative Crew following a series of challenges. Beyond just their LEGO® build skills and techniques, the Creative Crew will be called upon to be the first to test out and review new rides, tell the world about cool new LEGO® products and teach others how to design amazing builds.

Once selected, the Creative Crew will each gain a family pass for four to the attraction for a year, they’ll attend monthly creative design and build sessions with our Master Model Builder plus one lucky winner will receive a family trip to LEGOLAND Florida!

Find more information here.

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester have also relaunched their Duplo area ideal for toddler fun, read all about it over at Red Rose Mummy.

Turtle Fest at Sealife Manchester  (up until 22nd May)

Pick up a Turtle activity pack and learn about turtles at the Turtle Fest this month at the Sea Life in Manchester. Find out more here.

Easter Fun Days out in and around Manchester

Easter weekend is upon on us! It's really crept up on me this year as my son only broke up from school yesterday and I'm used to him finishing the term a full week before the bank holiday!

Either way I am thrilled to have two weeks off work to spend some quality time with my family and wanted to share with you some of our plans over the Easter break. In true My Mummy's Pennies Style we will be planning lots fun days out that won't break the bank!

Today we attended the sixth annual Manchester Duck Race which is held in Spinningfields to raise money for local charity BrainWave.

The event is free to attend and family ducks were available to purchase to enter the race at just £1 with all money raised going to charity. Despite the rain we had a lovely time and really enjoyed watching the corporate ducks race with their fun customisations! Our favourites were Captain America and the Hulk (I doubt this is suprising to regular readers who know we are big Avengers fans!) It as our fourth time attending and I hope we will return next year too!

Cadbury's National Trust Easter Egg Hunt

We've been National Trust Members since our youngest was a toddler and are lucky to live so close to quite a few great sites including Dunham Massey which is our favourite. Across the Easter weekend over 300 National Trust locations are teaming up with Cadbury's and hosting fun, family Easter Egg Hunts in their beautiful spring woodlands and gardens. Every trail will start at Base Camp where children will receive their Eggsplorer Trail Journal containing their eggspedition trail map and clues so they stay on track, after successfully completing the trail each Eggsplorer will be rewarded with a delicious Cadbury Egghead. You can find your nearest trail here. The Easter Egg Trails are free to members or normal admission fees apply to non-members. I find our family membership really great value as we get to visit a number of different properties each year for one set fee.

Free Easter Egg Hunt App from Gamar

Although we have lots of days out planned i'll also be planning some Easter themed activities at home including an Easter Egg Hunt in the garden (or inside if the weather doesn't improve!) and I was delighted to discover this FREE augmented reality app from Gamar which is fab for creating interactive Easter Egg hunts around your home, garden or even a public place like a local park, You can download it for FREE on the Google Play Store or itunes App Store.

Room on the Broom Live at the Lowry

The live stage show of our favourite Julia Donaldson book, Room on the Broom is coming to the Lowry Theatre in Salford this Easter  from Tuesday 7th April to Sunday 12th tickets start from just £12.50 and can be purchased from the box office. We're excited to be seeing the show on Tuesday so i'll be sharing my thoughts with you after that!

Free Daily Activities at Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)

The Museum of Science and Industry is one our favourite local museums and always puts on a great selection of school holiday activities around its current exhibitions. Daily activities are available based around the exhibitions;  Power: Fighting War from the Factory Floor and The Innovation Race: Manchester’s Makers Join the First World War.

 With a suggested donation of just £3 per person it's a great value day out for the whole family this Easter.

Cinderella and Frozen Fever at the Cinema

My children (hey, who am I kidding? My whole family!) is Disney mad so we have been eagerly awaiting the release of the new Cinderella movie, in no small part due to the addition of the Frozen Fever short exclusively shown at the beginning of the film. We went to watch it this week and loved it. I won't give anything away but would truly recommend it as a fun way to spend a few rainy hours these Easter holidays! Check out offers at your local cinema to get the best deal. We found that going handy in the morning got us the best price!

So that's just a taste of what we'll be up to this Easter, what plans do you have? I'd love to hear about other days out in the North West so please do share...

Ten Frugal Ideas for Rainy Day Fun

We've been really lucky so far weather wise for the first couple of weeks of the school holidays, the sun has shone brightly and we've been able to have day's out, trips to the park, picnics in the countryside and lots of fun in the (grandparent's) garden...

There's barely been time to stop and rest never mind utter the word's 'I'm bored'. However as soon as the weather takes a turn for the worse and the rain starts pouring, it's can get harder to find fun activities to keep the children entertained especially if you are on a tight budget.

One thing I find particularly difficult to find are activities that will keep both my three year old and six year old entertained. So thought I would share with you some ideas for rainy day fun on a budget...

Disclaimer: I've included a few affiliate links to help you find some cheap bits to help with these activities.

Baking...

Baking is great fun for children of any age. You can incorporate messy play, learning about weighing and measuring, taking turns and let their imaginations run wild with decorating. There's even a yummy treat to keep them entertained while you are cleaning up the mess! Even if you aren't keen on baking yourself you don't have to be Mary Berry to have fun with your kids in the kitchen. I use a really basic fairy cake recipe: 100g of unsalted butter, 100g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 100g of self raising flour and a dash of vanilla essence, mix it all together, divide it between 12 cake cases and pop in the over for 15 mins on gas mark 4 / 180C. Once they've cooled down let the children loose with some icing!

Crafty Fun

We have a craft box that I keep topped up with cheap art supplies when even I see them reduced in the supermarket and I also pop in any suitable packaging that we get such as ribbons, bubble wrap or tissue paper, a fun way of recycling it! Here's a Disney Frozen themed picture my three year old made using bits and bobs from our craft box this morning, can you tell who it is?

Going on a Welly Walk

Just because it's raining doesn't mean you can't venture outside! A the saying goes there's no such thing as bad weather just unsuitable clothing! Wrap up in waterproof and wellies and go on a Welly Walk around your local area! Find the best puddles and have a contest to see who can make the biggest splash!

Have a puppet Show

If your house is anything like mine you will have an abundance of odd socks around (Where do they go?!) Why not turn a few into some simple sock puppets and put on your own puppet show? We usually have some googly eyes in our craft box (you can buy a pack of 100 for less than £1) just add a couple to an odd sock and there you have a simple sock puppet ready to star in your puppet show! Why not treat Daddy to a show when he gets home from work?

Make your own Board Game

This is some thing that older child could do on their own and younger ones will enjoy with some help. Get a large piece of card or paper and using a ruler and pencil split it into squares. Then comes the fun bit! Think 'snakes and ladders' but encourage children to use their imagination! Maybe draw a princess with long hair you could climb up if you land at the end of it, or a dinosaur whose tail your would slide down! Once you've finished drawing, it's time to play! Either use coins as counters or cut some circles out of coloured card. Who will win?

Make a story Den

Making indoor dens was a favourite rainy day activity of my childhood, all you need is a couple of sheets or blankets and some chairs to drape them over and you have an exciting indoor den ready for adventures to start! We use the bookcase as one side of the den so that we have a special story den! Great for some quiet time when they start to get a little giddy too!

Have a Duck Race

You don't need a river to have a duck race! Why not get some cheap rubber ducks and fill a washing up bowl or even a baby bath with water (add a drop of blue food colouring if you want) then have some splashy fun? See who can make their duck win the race without actually touching it! They could splash the water behind it, blow really hard or just shout 'You can do it Ducky!' (You will probably want to do this one on the bathroom or kitchen floor so it's easier to clean up!

Make your own Pizza

Kids in the kitchen doesn't have to mean baking. Why not save yourself a job and get them to make lunch? My two love getting busy in the kitchen and pizza is one of their favourite things to make, it can be really cheap too! Check out this easy veggie Pizza that we made recently.

Choreograph a Dance Routine

We're always being told to keep our children active and one thing that never fails for mine in this area is dance. I fear they may have inherited my lack of co-ordination, but they make up for that with lots of enthusiasm! Getting children to make up their own mini dance routine and then perform it for you is a great way of encouraging team work and older children to teach simple moves to younger ones. Teach them some simple moves and watch how they put them together! You could even video it on your phone and make a dance video, could your family be the nest youtube hit?!

Make your own Jewellery

It would be hard not to mention Loom Bands in a post about budget rainy day fun ideas, but I did leave it to the end! Loom Bands are the latest craze for school aged children and they are really cheap to buy, You can buy a pack of about 600 multicoloured bands, a hook and some s clips in most pound shops or get full kit including the loom for around £10. The best way to get started is to check out some youtube tutorials and start experimenting!

I'd love to hear your rainy day activity ideas too...

Check out other fun play ideas on the #playtime linky:

All images in this post are my own please ask before using them, thanks.