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Keeping kids entertained over the summer can cost a small fortune, especially if you have more than one. Working with BettaLiving, the fitted kitchen retailer we were offered the opportunity to turn the tables on expensive summer activities while still enjoying oodles of fun in the hub of the home.

Apparently keeping a child occupied over the summer holiday can cost anywhere between £1000 and £1600 (not in our house it doesn’t, this must be a national average) however we’ve definitely found the summer to be more costly that any other time, especially when the weather is dire. With research showing that on average the number of days it rains in the UK in July is 14, or one in three, having activities planned to keep little ones occupied during wet weather is a must. As it turns out for much of July we were in a heatwave and while we enjoyed some outdoor days, garden fun and the usual fresh air activities there were days when it was simply too hot to be outside and when delicate skin needed a break from the rays!

To keep us going over through the rainy (and the hot) days BettaLiving sent us a #kidsinthekitchen box packed full of activities which we could use to keep the boys occupied. The maximum cost of the box was £50 and the contents….. what fun! Twenty different activities (see more on each here), many which could be used time and time again have not simply been time fillers, they have been fabulous fun activities in their own right.

Research included in the kit also showed that children tend to lose as much as two months worth of skill, or 25% of the school year during the summer. These activities are all based on fun as well as encouraging the retention of these skills and the information supplied came with expert comment from Naomi Richards, author of “The Parent’s Toolkit” on how each activity offer the kids something both fun and skill-based.

Having tested the majority of the activities at least once and still having one or two left to enjoy we can safely say that BettaLiving have hit the nail on the head with this campaign. Not only has each activity been fabulously fun, they have provided hours of skill-based activities which are extremely frugal to say the least. We’ve made ice lollies (and Angel Delight lollies), played indoor ten pin bowling, made marshmallow structures, grown and harvested cress for our sandwiches, decorated spoons and enjoyed making up plays with them and much more. In the last week of the holidays now we still have Weetabix Jenga, pizza making and a volcanic experiment to enjoy.

Have a look at the BettaLiving activities and our photos below, they are sure to give you lots of inspiration for future frugal holidays, half-terms and very day play!
Thanks BettaLiving, we have thoroughly enjoy our Kids in the Kitchen experience!

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