Money Smart Blog

Summer Activities don't have to be hard - nimbl

Written by Amber Kelsey | Dec 14, 2018 12:00:00 AM

We have all been looking forward to the summer holidays, however, what can we do to keep ourselves busy without spending any money? Summer activities of course.

Did you know that 8-15 year-olds in the UK spend 20 hours a week gaming! According to a report the average is around 6 hours, which is only 11% of the 52 hours of media consumption a week. This is a lot… whether the sun is shining or not, there is always something else to do.

With the forecast looking very convincing for a hot summer, it’s a great time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Creating and Designing

With a long break ahead of you, it’s a great time to get creative and design something new.

Summer’s a time for clearing out old clothes, however rather than spending money on new clothes, why throw away your old t-shirt, when you can give your old top a new look with a fresh colour palette. You just need some acrylic paint and brushes. If your top doesn’t fit any longer, then try turning it into something else – a pillow for your bed or a bag to take to the beach. Make sure you check with your parents before you start creating!

For a bigger project – get some old tins, boxes or plastic containers and build your very own drum kit, or how about using an old bike wheel to turn into a clock, or grab a few old gloves and create a wooly toy. Apart from having lots of fun, recycling is a great way to help the environment.

Learning Something New

Summer is a great time to learn something new and this can be from playing an instrument to learning how to cook, or even learning a new language. There are many apps online, which can help you learn, such as SimplyPiano, Duolingo and Tuscan Chef.

You can also keep your brain’s cogs turning, by taking quizzes on ‘Kahoot!’ or with some brain training on ‘Peak’. Just because you’re not at school, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your brain active!

Staying Active

Talking of staying active, did you know that children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. With a (hopefully!) hot summer it’s perfect for getting outside and enjoying the weather. Here are a few activities to get up to, to stay fit and healthy throughout the summer.

Make your way to a nearby track and go for a run, or go on an adventure through the woods, cycle to the park and have a picnic, whilst playing some active games like frisbee. If you like running you should check out Park Run – it’s completely free and takes place every week all over the country – why not set yourself a target to improve your time each week?


You could sign up for a fun run and raise some money for charity – I’m going to do the Race for Life with my Mum.

Go to the beach for a swim in the sea, play volleyball or bodyboarding/surfing in the waves can be good exercise.

If you just want to have some fun in the back garden, exercise on the trampoline, or how about creating an obstacle course. You might be able to convince your family and friends to have a mini-Olympics, with lots of fun races of your choice.

Fun Activities

If it’s raining try having a scavenger hunt through the house or have fun with water balloons in the garden – you’ll be wet anyway! You could stage your own fashion show, create a movie with friends or get your old board games out and have a family game night.

If the suns back out, then borrow a tent and ask if you can camp in the garden. Make some paper boats and race them on the pond or build a plane and see how far you can fly it. Build a swing or if you’ve got somewhere to do it, build a treehouse then play capture the flag.

Jobs and Earning Extra

If you are interested in earning a few extra pounds, you can ask your parents if there are any chores to do, or think about starting a summer job, to help pay for that new pair of shoes you’ve been wanting. For more ideas on earning some money, read the nimbl blog about summer odd jobs.

Day Out

Many museums across the country are open to the public and are free.

For the one and only ‘British Museum’, you will have to make a journey to London and visit the collection of human history from the past 2 million years! If you prefer fine art, then you can make your way to Glasgow and visit ‘Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum’, which has 22 galleries with over 8,000 objects.

If you are into films and television, then you ought to visit Manchester’s central library, which hosts a ‘BFI Mediatheque’. For many of you who don’t know what this is, just as I didn’t the first time I looked at it. It’s a place where you can see thousands of films, documentaries and television shows for free, all whilst sitting in your own booth.

Possibly, you’re interested in taking a walk out along the coast to discover the stunning scenery. There is a beautiful trail, 3.4 miles from Studland village to Old Harry Rocks, near Bournemouth, or maybe a trip to ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’, will suit your interest – there’s lots of WWII history along the way.

Final Thought

When my dad was young (it was so long ago that apparently, they only had three TV channels!) there was a programme on BBC for children during the school holidays called Why Don’t You!

Every episode started with a song “Why Don’t You, Why Don’t You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead”!!

Well, now you know you don’t have to spend any money to have fun this summer, why don’t you just switch off your computer and go out and…

Have a great summer