Five ways to make the most of the summer holidays with kids

Image source, Nilly Dahlia Image caption, Nilly Dahlia says she wants her kids to enjoy a "nostalgic summer" By Emily Holt Published 5 minutes ago The six-week summer holidays have officially begun and, for many parents, finding exciting but affordable activities for children can be tough. For most families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the break has only just started. In Scotland, children have enjoyed some time off already, but will return to school earlier than those elsewhere in the UK. Here are five tips to help children get the most out of the next few weeks of summer. 1. Not every holiday has to be abroad A family's first instinct when summer is approaching may be to look at booking a trip abroad, but rising costs and travel expenses mean a holiday isn't feasible for everyone. Mags Rivett, director at Family Holiday Charity, which supports families with UK trips, says there are many benefits to arranging time away with children that don't require expensive travel. She says the social aspect of a holiday can help children develop their communication skills. "Lots of kids have never really had the opportunity to meet people outside of their own community," Rivett says. "But if you go somewhere that's got social facilities, it's a really important opportunity." She says getting recommendations from friends and family is a good place to start. Rivett gives the example of Skegness, a coastal holiday destination in Lincolnshire, accessible by train or coach, which her charity has supported families to visit. A family-of-four's accommodation in a holiday park there this August starts at around £750 for a week, while an off-peak return train from Manchester would cost around £280 for four. By contrast, a last-minute trip to Majorca for a family-of-four at that time starts from around £2,000. Better deals can usually be found booking further in advance. 2. Prioritise the moments, not the cost Samantha Thomas, creator of Budget Mum UK, says she focuses on the time she can give her children, rather than the money she could spend on a day out. Thomas suggests focusing on your budget first to understand what you can comfortably spend, and then build your activities around that, to help remove any "stress or guilt" during the holidays. "Children don't need a six-week programme of expensive activities," Thomas says. "Some of the memories that they'll treasure most will come from simple things, like baking together or a picnic in the park, or building a den in the living room." Ingredients to bake fairy cakes with buttercream icing usually cost between £10 and £15 - depending on what you already have in the cupboard. For a picnic - or picky bits - prices can vary. But it can easily be done on a budget of around £5 . Image source, Samantha Thomas Image caption, Samantha Thomas says treasured family memories can be created on a budget Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, an author and single mum of two, echoes Thomas' opinion and wants to relieve the press