Free and Cheap Things To Do With Your Toddler or Pre-schooler

Mellissa McNaughton
Apr 8, 2021
6 min read

Living on a budget can be tough for any family. I read an article the other day that said they now estimate that around 4.3 million children in the UK are living in poverty which is a deeply shocking statistic and if you are struggling to feed and clothe your children then you are not going to be thinking about entertaining them with days out etc.

I know that this past year or so has changed a lot of families' incomes for the worse and I want to reassure you that there are always things you can do with your kids that will cost absolutely nothing but the memories made will be priceless. Sometimes we too as adults need to get away from the stresses of these things and getting out and about with the kids can help do that. Seeing your kids happy but not having to worry about paying for something is invaluable.

so with that in mind, I thought I would compile a list of sorts of the kind of thing I am talking about and hopefully, it will give you some ideas.

Nature Walk

I know I am very privileged to live in the countryside with nature all around and if you are too then get outside, Don your child's wellies and raincoat and go into the wilderness, there is so much to see when you get there. There are trees and fields and animals and insects to discover. If you do not live in the countryside then take a walk to your nearest park or nature reserve and see what there is to find there.

A great tip is you can write out a list of all the things you want to discover on your walk and tick them off as you find them, this makes it seem like a treasure hunt and I don't know any children who don't love a treasure hunt.

Science Experiments

We all have things in our kitchen cupboards that can be used for science. Pinterest and TikTok are full of little ideas of what you can do to make fun science at home. You can make a homemade lava lamp with just vegetable oil, food colouring and water and it's so cool to look at. You can make a volcano with dish soap, baking soda and vinegar. You can make even make slime using glue, baking soda and contact lens solution. The possibilities are endless all this one takes is a little time but the fun you could have is huge and if your child is learning a little science in the process then fantastic.

Cook as a Family

So we all know that you are going to be cooking in some shape or form most days, why not get your child involved. Say for example you're making spaghetti bolognaise for dinner that evening why not get your little one to weigh out the veg or to (supervised) stir the sauce. They can have lots of little jobs, they can put in the herbs and spices and add the salt and pepper, they can weigh out the pasta, put the kettle on to boil. Pick some parts of it that are age-appropriate for your child and ask them to help and when they do remember to praise, praise, praise. You'll have a little chef on your hands in no time at all.

Make a Den or Pillow Fort

On a rainy day in the house, we can all get a little bit bored with nothing to do so why not dig out as many blankets from the back of the airing cupboard as you can and turn the living room or playroom into a blanket fort. You will be surprised how happy this will make your child, doing all the normal everyday things they do but inside a fort is the definition of fun. You can cover the bottom of the fort in pillows, stick a movie on the tablet and snuggle in, bliss!

Make Your Own Sports Day

This is a fantastic way to both have a fun time with your children and to tire them out a bit too, most of the classic sports day activities are really easy to replicate at home. Even if you don't have a garden you can do a lot of them indoors. For example, a running race can just be over a short distance, you can see who can do 3 or 4 laps of the living room the quickest. Or how about doing an egg and spoon race you just need some boiled eggs and some spoons. Or there is beanbag throwing, if you don't have any beanbags the just pop some rice into a sock and tie up the end. You can reward the winner (and participants) with pretty normal stuff, a pack of stickers or a biscuit. It's more about the fun you have than the winning anyway.

Visit A Museum or Library

Most of us will have some sort of museum or a library relatively near to us (might just be the cost of some bus fare), but museums are generally free entry which is great to introduce your kids to some culture. Every town has a library and almost all of those have a kids section. If you haven't already then check out your local library because they do some great things for kids, they do workshops and classes and even storytimes for children and they are all completely free. Not to mention borrowing books for free as well. These things can seem a little old-fashioned but really your children will love it.

Visit a Park/Playground

We all have a park or a playground near us and sometimes that is all you need for your child to have the time of their lives. They can make friends here and play. Parks are thought of as just places for kids to play but when you really think about it they are actually really important tools for your child's development. They teach social skills very similar to how school playtime will, they teach children about taking turns and sharing. They also help build up fitness and skills like climbing and balance. So they really are a great activity for any children and of course free.

Willow on the slide in her favourite park

Play Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is a really easy game for children to grasp at a young age, you can play it outside of course or in the house if needs be. Willow loves a game of hide and seek inside and each time we play together you can tell she is building confidence at not only her counting skills but recognizing places that we can hide in and keeping quiet when hiding herself.

Have a Picnic or Tea Party

All you need to have a picnic is to eat your lunch on the floor or outside and call it a picnic and suddenly it's an activity, honestly changing the setting of a mundane activity like eating lunch changes your child's whole perspective of it. Tea parties as well are easy to set up, if you already have a tea set for your child add some water (or juice) and you are ready to go but if you don't then don't despair, grab a jug and some plastic cups and call it a tea party and your little one's imagination will do the rest.

Have a No Technology Day or Evening

This is one of those things that sound like a chore, switching off phones and tablets and TV's but honestly, it forces you to find things to do like board games or read to your child or even just to talk to them. Our lives are so busy all the time that often we don't just take a step back and do things old school. Sit around the table and chat about our lives or tell each other funny stories or jokes, or even tell some spooky ghost stories or just sing songs together. This is what we call real quality bonding time and all families should, if they can, do this once in a while and I promise you will feel closer to your child afterward. Give it a try.

Here is a list of another 10 things you can do for free

Have a teddy bear picnic - Gather your favorites and get outside.
Feed the ducks - got some old stale bread or even some oats or seeds? the ducks will be happy to share.
Wash the car - Kids love water so get them involved with this one.
Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles!
Play dress up - let them raid your wardrobe and have some fun.
Make up a story or a play - then turn your little angels into performers.
Read books - educational and fun.
Bake something
Make sock puppets
Make paper boats - you can sail them in puddles, ponds or even the bath.