10 last-minute half term ideas that won’t cost a fortune

From board games to bonfires, here’s how to keep the kids entertained and not glued to a screen all week

After a washout summer, my initial thoughts for this October half term were to try and find some cheap fly-and-flop sunshine. Alas, I started my planning in September, and it turns out that cheap October sunshine doesn’t exist. To fly our family of five to even the most modest resort was going to cost in the region of several thousand pounds – so we’re staying in Britain instead. 
I’m not going to lie, the thought is filling me with doom as I contemplate the pouring rain and the impossibility of keeping three children entertained and not permanently glued to a screen for a week. So I’ve decided to spend a fraction of the money I might have thrown at Easyjet on a timetable of pre-planned activities for the week. 
Give yourself a break with the cooking and allocate a budget for meals out, takeaways and frozen meals from Cook (mine get strangely excited by a £3.75 meal deal from Sainsbury’s, so that’s lunch sorted); book ahead and online for the best deals on things like the cinema or bowling. It’s ok to let everyone slob out in front of a screen some of the time as long as you set some rules – mine are only allowed on the Playstation after 2pm during the holidays, for example. 
Ready to make this half term the best ever? Here’s some inspiration:
From £10.41
The half term film offering at the major cinemas is not particularly inspiring this year, so why not take it up a notch with an outdoor cinema screening? Yes you’ll need to wrap up warm, and yes rain is always possible, but the advantage of outdoor viewing at this time of year is it’ll actually be dark enough to see the screen properly. 
Adventure Cinema runs outdoor screenings around the country (even when it’s raining) and has a number of special spooky offerings planned for Halloween. Visit adventurecinema.co.uk to find out what’s on near you.
From £20
You may already be aware of this concept, particularly if you have a Netflix subscription, which is where you’ll find the 2021 family comedy starring Jennifer Garner, in which a set of parents who usually say no decide to say yes to their kids’ wildest requests, all day long. The kids get full control; the parents get a reminder of what childlike fun really is; happy days all round. 
Rewatch the film in preparation (one for your sleepover night, perhaps?) and be thankful that even on screen there are some ground rules: a budget, a distance limit and the kids aren’t allowed to ask for something to happen in the future (no, you can’t have a puppy). The day also has to be earned with good behaviour beforehand. You might want to add some of your own – no damage to personal belongings allowed, for example; nothing illegal (the parents in the film end up in jail); perhaps a permitted travel distance and might I also suggest a time limit, for a firm end to the chaos? I’ll be setting a budget of £20 per child (they can pool it if they like) and our day will start no earlier than 7am and run no later than 9pm. Wish me luck… 
Free
One of my best memories from my time at boarding school was the last night of term in Year 8, when we were allowed to sleep wherever we liked in our boarding house: in a cupboard, in the housemistress’s dogs’ bed, on the landing. A friend and I chose to sleep in the bath: unfortunately I lost the draw and ended up at the tap end. One of the least comfortable nights of my life, although it did nothing to dull our friendship, which remains steadfast 30 years on.
I plan to recreate the memories with my kids this half term: there will be a movie, there will be unlimited popcorn and yes, there will be the opportunity to sleep with the dog or in the bath. I might even let them have a friend over – as an added bonus, our bath has the taps in the middle. Nobody will get any sleep but we (they) will all have fun. I hope.
From £10
Britain may be old and creaky in many places, but that also means that, along with the history, there’s usually a ghost tour to be found. In Nottingham, on its Original Ghost Tour you’ll hear the disturbing tale of the Human Pin Cushion; in Edinburgh, Gory Stories takes you under the Scottish capital’s streets; in Bristol, fully costumed guides take you to haunted buildings and TV and film locations and in York the York Dungeons runs a Little Peasants walking tour or you can even hop on a ghost bus tour, complete with spooky skeletons.
Free (if you’d be feeding them anyway), or from £125
I’ve been talking about doing this for years, but this half term I’m actually going to do it: spend a day teaching my three boys aged 8, 11 and 13 to cook a simple meal which we can then eat together for lunch or dinner: on my list of potential recipes are stir-fry, bolognese or maybe some sort of quiche. I plan to send them to the shops with a list, then incorporate all the basics as we cook our dish: knife skills for chopping, switching the oven and hob on, making a soffrito or sautéeing onions, ensuring meat is properly cooked and how to season properly – all skills that they can then use to make other recipes and develop their repertoire. 
Sound too much like hard work? If you’re London-based, My Little Chef At Home will send someone round to your house to do it for you, or host a virtual session; prices start at £125. 
Free
Old Enough! Or My First Errand is a Japanese reality show that’s been running since 1991. In it, toddlers are sent off on solo errands like buying groceries and delivering packages, accompanied by a camera crew. 
This half term I plan to take it one step further and introduce an element of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to the proceedings. I will drop them in an (as yet undecided) location with a map, a compass, some cash and no phone, and they will have to make their way home unaided. Possible bonus points for achieving some tasks along the way. I’m just debating whether to AirTag them for my own peace of mind, or go full jeopardy.
If your kids are smaller, channel the Japanese: if they’re capable of crossing a road by themselves and looking both ways, they’re probably capable of going to Tesco and buying some baked beans. My first foray into these sorts of independence skills was to give my three sons a tenner and send them to the corner shop to buy as much food for the food bank as they could get. They negotiated some heavy discounts on a couple of dented items and came back full of cheer. It’ll bring a warm glow to your heart (and let you enjoy a solo coffee).  
From £5 for a pack of sparklers
And light it in an early celebration of Bonfire Night. This is the perfect opportunity to do a bit of garden clearing at the same time. Build a tripod with thick, strong logs locked together at the top; inside, add kindling and smaller fuel. Get your fire going nice and early in the evening and you can then use the embers to toast marshmallows, cook sausages (start them off in the oven first) and bake bananas stuffed with chocolate and wrapped in foil. 
Throw in some mulled cider (apple juice for the kids), stock up on sparklers and fireworks (remember you have to get them from a dedicated supermarket counter) and you’ve got the perfect autumnal party: Guy Fawkes optional. Don’t have space for a bonfire? A firepit will do. 
Yes, you will need to do some groundwork on this one – if your children are anything like mine they will need to prepare mentally for the gargantuan task that is a day of holiday where they’re not allowed to watch telly, go on the iPad or do any gaming. Think of it as your gentle slow day. This is your moment to get out all those crafty kits they’ve been given for Christmas and birthdays that have been languishing half made or unopened on the shelf – I plan to facilitate the creation of an Airfix plane, a cardboard marble run and a radio made of paper. 
Treat them to some rubbishy junk food for lunch (McDonalds here we come) then spend the afternoon browsing in a bookshop (let them choose any book they like) or hitting up the library: ours does a mean cup of tea and a scone for about £3.50, you can take your dog and read for as long as you like. Turn the evening into a games night with hot dogs, mocktails and popcorn: current favourites in our house are Linkee (or its junior alternative), Racing Demons (if your kids are a little older and you’ve got enough sets of cards), Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza (easy, surprisingly stressful, but fun) and Monopoly Deal (SO much better than the real thing, and much quicker too). Then pack them off to bed and reward yourself with a proper drink to celebrate your achievement. 
Free
Yes we know you can take your kids out for a decadent afternoon tea in a nice hotel, but have you seen the prices? More than one child and you’re looking at several hundred pounds. Spend a fraction of that and host your own instead. Scones are quick, easy and delicious to make; a Victoria sandwich never goes out of fashion and is a great starter baking project; a roll of ready made puff pastry can be transformed into delicious cheese and Marmite savouries, throw in some cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches and you’ve got a meal fit for a king. 
If you’re feeling really adventurous you could make some jelly. Dig out your best tablecloth and that lovely wedding present tea set you’ve never used, light some candles and invite friends over to join you – dressing up optional. The best thing is, it’ll all be over by 6pm and you won’t have to cook supper. 
From £16
I spent years living in London before I jumped on a City Sightseeing bus with an American friend who had come to stay – and wished I’d done it before; I learnt loads about the place I called home. So why not get in there early with your kids? If they’re anything like mine they’ll also be far more amenable to being a tourist if it involves sitting down. 
City Sightseeing runs open-top bus tours all around the country: bus tickets are flexible, allowing you to hop on and off at your leisure over a 24-hour period, so you don’t have to do everything in one go, and often a bus ticket will entitle you to discounts at other local attractions too. If you’re in London, there are three routes to choose from; the Blue Route comes with a special kids’ commentary. I’ll be hopping on and off the bus with my kids in York, where I’m debating signing up for the Yorkshire dialect commentary.
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