IT'S not easy coming up with enough fun and affordable activities to keep the kids entertained during the summer holidays.
Thankfully though there are plenty of creative ideas that won't cost the earth AND will get your children out from under your feet.
All it requires is a little imagination and a few bits and bobs you already have lying around the house.
Here, savvy mum-of-two and founder of Jamu Wild Water Tahi Grant-Sturgis, 40, shares her top tips to get the kids out of the house and exploring with fun, free activities you can try at home…
Build a bug hotel
Firstly, you’ll want to wash and dry an empty juice bottle and remove the label.
Once complete, carefully place your natural materials into the bottle.
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You can start with rocks and then use twigs, grass and leaves to make a home fit for a king (bug).
Then leave the lid off of the bug hotel and wait for some bug friends to check in!
Design a den
Building a den is an easy way to get out in the garden and be surrounded by nature during the summer break.
You can go simple with a sheet over the garden table or really get creative by using a washing line and draping over sheets and pegging them into the ground.
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5All you need now is to provide some snacks for them to enjoy in their den.
Create a bird seed pizza
Using cardboard packaging, get the kids to cut out a shape of their choice.
Then, punch a hole in the top of it and thread through some twine.
Using a mix of flour and water to act as a glue, they can then create a bird 'pizza' with seeds and grains, allowing it to dry before hanging.
You can then hang the pizza in a tree and wait for the birds to begin their feast.
You could even get the kids to make a note of the different types of birds that come and visit their bird seed pizza.
Cloud spotting
Clouds in the sky is a great way to get the kids outside.
Simply lay down a blanket on the ground, lay down and look up into the sky and look out for shapes and animals.
You never know what you might find, and this encourages them to get their imaginations going.
Design nature jewellery
During a walk in the park, get the kids to look out for twigs, flowers and leaves that you can use as nature 'jewels'.
Once home, you’ll need some twine that you can cut to correct length to make a necklace, bracelet or even a crown.
Use some glue to stick the twigs, flowers and leaves to the twine and once dry, they can wear their nature jewellery with their favourite outfit.
Go on a nature trail
Pop onto Google and look for nature trail checklist which can be printed ahead of your hunt, and head to the local park or garden to begin.
Get the children to search carefully within bushes, on tree trunks and in the grass and gradually tick off what they find from your list.
Make a wormery
Using a see-through glass or plastic container, add layers of soil and sand and some leaves for food.
Rummage through the garden to find some worms in the garden and carefully add them to the container.
Now they can watch how they tunnel into the soil and help make spaces for roots to grow.
After a few days, it’s then time for the worms to be released back into your garden.
Pebble painting
Head out on a walk and hunt for big rocks that are smooth enough for you to paint.
Once they've chosen a rock, head home and set up your arts and crafts station.
You can get them to write their name, or draw a design, and they then have a lovely little ornament for their bedroom.
Host a wild sleep over
If you can face it and they're old enough and you're around to supervise, allow the kids to invite some friends over to host a wild sleep over in the garden.
Pitch up a tent and stock the tent with torches and some yummy snacks.
They can then watch the stars and enjoy nature with their friends.
Bark rubbing
Finally, make sure you’re equipped with some paper and crayons.
Then, find a tree and place the paper onto the trunk and hold it with the hand that you don’t write with.
Using the hand you write with, take a wax crayon and press it firmly on the paper.
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Move the crayon in big strokes across the paper – don’t worry about being neat!
There you have some bark rubbing art – perfect for displaying on the fridge.
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