What's on locally in Essex

The six weeks summer holiday break can be so daunting for families, especially with an ever-increasing number of bills to pay that are being hiked higher than ever. 

It can be difficult to find days out that fall within budget, or days out at all, with so many seeing closure over the last few years post-covid, Brexit, and bills.

The world of social media can be a messy place, but it can also be a wonderful place to find solace and support, as well as ideas for the kids. 

Some of the free resources I use personally, are:

• Geocaching - great to get the kids out and about 
• Beach days / pack your lunch up and head to a nearby beach 
• Park play dates / grab some friends, blankets, bat and ball, or football and head to a park. So many have splash pads or paddling pools nowadays.
• Look up free activities that Councils put on as well, from arts and crafts, face painting
• Look at things like Sky rewards, or even Tesco rewards, and exchange vouchers for experiences. We get free cinema passes every month with both our Sky TV package and also Vitality health insurance by linking our Fitbit's to the app.
• Baking at home days, instead of buying cakes/cookies, raid the cupboards and make them with the children.
• Instagram and TikTok are great for children activities at home, using everyday stuff.

I've connected over the years with so many people on my socials and it's where I usually find activities to do with Alfie too - seeing somebody else experience them, sharing pics, and wanting to give it a go ourselves. The general theme of struggle aside from childcare and money, when we have conversations with locals in the shop, is the lack of options available through not knowing. 

I wanted to share some platforms and ideas here to give you all a little insight into what you can do, and perhaps inspire you to get a date in your diary to enjoy these fleeting moments of summer that we have, or to even give you ideas of what you can do at home! 

I saw something the other day that said "we only get 18 summers with our children" before they're grown, and it really struck a chord with me.  This will be my 8th real summer with Alfie, as I don’t count his first summer here as he was only 1 month old… 

Here are some of my favourite pages to follow. 

Ries Playhouse 

A self-described hygge living, nature loving, special school teaching assistant with a qualification in BSL level 3, Marie used to run child-minding service, Rie's Playhouse. She now uses that platform to share ideas of activities that you can do with the children at home, from sensory play trays to Lego marble runs, tuff trays and art projects. Most of what she shares uses only what you'd already have available at home, or you can change it accordingly to suit, to make it as cheap as possible for you. 

You can find her Instagram account here:

www.instagram.com/ries_playhouse   

Really no such thing as bad weather 

Chelmsford based solo mum and Essex Mums Best Blog four years in a row, @reallynosuchthingasbadweather loves to share her days out with the world to encourage others to get out and about. Her profile is a constant source of ideas and inspiration. 

From local walks to camping weekends, no budget to big budget, there really is something there for everyone to enjoy. 

www.instagram.com/reallynosuchthingasbadweather

A "Mums Guide To..." 

Most areas across the country will have some form of guide for ideas for days out and activities locally. If you go to the search bar on Instagram and start typing "Mums guide to" you will see a range of suggestions coming up, or you can type in your local area for more specific search results. 

On these Mums Guide To pages, you will find dedicated Web pages for local parents with information on local classes, activities, days out, recommendations. 

I check out the Southend page on a regular basis to find things for Alfie and I. It gives reassurance knowing they are reliable with what they share, there is no misinformation or paid for reviews. It adds that extra layer of protection and feeling of safety knowing the inspiration has come from a respected source. 

What days out do you have planned for the Summer?