FILLING half-term days with fun-packed activities does not have to cost a fortune – or anything at all, in fact.
You just need a little imagination.
The book No-Spends Days, by Miranda Moore, is full of tips and ideas to help you enjoy life for free.
Miranda, who is trained in forest schooling and bushcraft, said: “A rich life full of experiences needn’t cost the earth – and tightening the purse strings doesn’t have to come at a cost to personal fulfilment.
“We simply need to become more creative with our time and find new ways to remain active, engaged and joyful.”
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Here, in an exclusive extract, we reveal 12 ideas from the book.
- No-Spend Days, by Miranda Moore, is out now (Summersdale, £8.99).
1. Macro explore
PICK a place you know very well — a local wood or park, for example — and imagine you’ve never been there before.
Actively look for ten new details you have never noticed.
Maybe it’s a tiny forget-me-not poking up through the grass.
Perhaps a bird’s nest, snail or a colourful piece of bark.
Observe the world above your head and at your feet.
The idea is to appreciate all the tiny details you don’t normally take the time to look for.
2. Interview an older relative
DO you have an older relative or friend full of stories about their youth? If so, ask if you can interview them.
Quiz them about their childhood — what it was like, where they visited, who they spent time with and their earliest memories.
This can be a fascinating and intimate experience for both of you.
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The interviewee enjoys reminiscing about their childhood, and you learn how different it was from today.
You can also type it up and share with family members for a family archive.
It is a great way to record these memories and events.
3. Make a feel-good playlist
CREATE a playlist of your favourite uplifting tracks to listen to during a walk or hike — or just for dancing around the kitchen and singing in the shower (nobody’s judging you!).
You could pick fairly up-tempo tunes that will help you keep a good walking pace while raising your spirits.
4. Try geocaching
THIS activity is treasure-hunting for the digital generation.
Using a smartphone or GPS-enabled device, participants search for a geocache — a small waterproof box hidden in a specific location — which they are guided to by co-ordinates on an app.
Inside, you will find a mini logbook where you can add your name and the date.
Plus, there’s often a surprise, such as a trinket, left behind by the last person to find it.
If you take the treasure, be sure to leave another in its place.
With 3million caches in 191 countries, you can do it almost anywhere (geocaching.com).
5. Painting stones
GETTING arty with pebbles and stones is a simple way to while away a few hours.
You can use a paintbrush or glitter marker pen, and go for an image or pattern.
A simple “mandala” pattern can look great.
Start with a large dot in the middle, then create a circle of dots of a different colour around it.
Continue with different colours and different sized dots, and you’ll be surprised at how good it looks.
Choose stones with a smooth surface and clean off any dirt first.
6. Beach litter pick
COMBINING a day on the beach with making the world a better place — what could be more satisfying?
If you have children, going on a beach litter-pick is a great way to get them thinking about looking after our natural world and feeling good about themselves at the same time.
Together, you are taking care of the environment for future our generations while also enjoying a day outdoors at the same time. Fantastic!
Remember to bring a bin bag and gloves for everyone participating.
7. Stargazing
WHETHER it’s the Big Dipper (also known as the Plough) or Ursa Major (Great Bear) that dominates your night sky, a spot of stargazing can be a humbling and mind-blowing way to connect with the cosmos and, no doubt, inspire a profound thought or two.
There’s something timeless about staring out into the depths of space that is both magnifying and minimising.
Many local observatories do not charge an entry fee, so you can try one of those, too
8. Draw what you saw
SKETCH or doodle something from your day out to remind you of the carefree enjoyment you had — and to extend the fun time.
If you aren’t a fan of drawing, you can use symbols, squiggles, words or anything you like.
Refer back to this any time you need a quick pick-me-up to make you smile.
9. Write a song
DOWNLOAD a songwriting app such as GarageBand or Reaper and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can put together the foundations of a decent-sounding track.
Pick a tempo and key, add a drum beat — you can choose from many different styles and sequences — and add instruments as you choose.
“Auto loops” mean you can repeat sections, and there are digital notes, keyboards and fretboards on some versions so you don’t need your own instruments.
You can also add vocals and download free audio samples.
Experiment with different sounds and rhythms, and change the tempo to see how it changes your track.
10. Garden bird count
SPEND an hour in your garden, if you have one, or in a nearby park or wood.
Note down any birds you see, keeping a tally of different species.
If you need help identifying them, print off a page detailing common species or download a bird ID app.
Listen out for different bird calls, too.
11. Create a mood board
CUT a sheet of card into a rectangle (or whatever shape you like) and transform it into a mood board.
Gather all the items you’d like to include — photos, magazine cuttings, drawings, words, pieces of fabric, items from nature and anything else you like — and arrange them before gluing them on to your board.
You could pick a theme, such as family, friends, an interest or a particular holiday, era or year.
Or maybe just a loose concept you’d like to explore.
Display it on your wall, or gift to a friend if it matches their interests, too.
12. Pond-dipping
FOR this simple and fun activity, you’ll need a net and a bucket or jar.
You could bring a magnifying glass if you have one, or even just a spoon to pick up and view tiny creatures up close.
You’re likely to find all sorts of shrimps, beetles, frogs, dragonflies and various fish and birds in and around rivers and ponds, often hiding under the rocks and in crevices.
If you bring an identification chart, you’ll be able to recognise all the different little critters hiding in the shallows.
