Free and Fun Summer Activities 27 Jul 2011
The summer break can be a really expensive time for parents. Many popular activities cost money and over time this can quickly build up to costing a small fortune. However, with a little bit of thought there are plenty of fun activities that you and your children can get involved with. The biggest thing to remember is that free doesn’t mean boring; in fact when the budget is zero you’re forced to think creatively and this can mean more fun for everyone!
For this post we’ve tried to come up with a few ideas to get you started and hopefully inspire some fun and free activities for you this summer. If you’ve got some ideas then feel free to leave them in the comments, it would be great to hear what everyone else thinks!
Outdoor Challenges
For this activity we can add an interesting spin to the classic afternoon walk. We’d suggest finding a new location for a fairly long walk and creating a map with interesting points along the way. Then you can leave it up to the kids to search out and find the marked locations. If you have the time you could always leave some small treats along the route and turn it into a bit of a treasure hunt! This might take a bit of pre-planning but it could be really good fun, and is certainly guaranteed to keep everyone busy for a couple of hours.
Borrow A Dog
Perhaps that sounds a little bit crazy? Many young children absolutely love animals but due to circumstances are unable to have a pet. It can make a really entertaining afternoon to take a dog out for a walk, or help someone look after their animals. If you have an animal rescue centre nearby, why not ask if they need any help or if you could take a dog out for a walk? Most rescue centres are more than happy to allow people to walk the dogs. Not only will your kids have a great time, they’ll also be helping out and getting some exercise at the same time.
Picnics
Ok so with this idea you will have to buy some food and drink, but picnics are still a very cheap way to have a great afternoon out with the kids. With a picnic you have the opportunity to find a great location and keep all the kids happy for a few hours. It could also act as a great addition to another activity such as swimming, as any parent will know how hungry children get after doing a sporting activity.
Slumber Parties
If you’re
brave enough then why not organise a slumber party for your children’s friends.
It’s definitely great fun for them, but it’s probably wise to be organised and
prepare a few games or films to keep them entertained. A slumber party is a
great idea because it is 100% free; the only cost involved is the potential
damage to your sanity! The more prepared you are the better, and we’d recommend
coming up with a full schedule of activities to keep their minds busy from the word
go. As previously mentioned, films are the perfect way to wind everyone down,
so perhaps you could prepare a fun packed evening followed by a calm finish with
a film.
Gold Award for our Princess Tea Set 18 Jul 2011
We're delighted to announce that one of our favourite products has been awarded the top prize by the reviewers at Bizzie Baby. Our Pink Princess Porcelain Tea Set has received a Gold Award following testing by three sets of parents and children.
Bizzie Baby uses real parents to review products and give them a true test-run in the real world. They let their children play with / use the products for a prolonged period to see how popular and robust they prove to be. They look at the quality of packaging, aesthetics, practicalties and of course how long the children spend playing with them.
Our tea set was given 5 out of 5 by all three reviewers, whose children loved playing with it again and again, both on their own and with their friends and siblings.
So if you're looking for a little girls gift, but would like to read some tried and tested reviews before you buy - click here to see what the Bizzie Baby reviewers had to say.
Twitter Freebie Time!! 23 May 2011
Everyone likes a freebie and I have some lovely Princess Dress Writing Sets wanting loving owners so I've decided to run a Twitter giveaway. This will be the first of many giveaways I plan to run as the fact is that everyone loves a freebie - something for nothing.
It's all very well companies offering discounts off future orders (to be placed within a set timeframe) but in my opinion that's just a way of forcing people to place orders when they wouldn't necessarily do so. Yes, a great sales tool but in the eyes of the customers it's not ideal if you don't want to spend.
So if you want a true Freebie then please simply retweet this competition link http://bit.ly/jEBq56 . At the end of this week we'll be giving away a beautiful writing set to 5 of you who have done so, chosen at random. Share this with anyone else you know who has to buy gifts for little girls or who has a little princess in their family. They have the chance to win aswell!
Good luck!!
More Great Party Ideas 15 May 2011
If you're organising a party for your little girl there's no doubt that you want it to be the best it can be. At Pink Heaven we often come across some really cool places to host your party and thought we'd share some of our favourites with you.
We'd highly recommend any of these companies for anyone looking for something slightly different to do for their next party. If you've got any favourites please feel free to leave your ideas in the comment section...we'd love to hear them!
Oopsy Daisy Party Bus
Based in Kent, the 'Oopsy Daisy Party Bus' is a family run business providing a converted double decker bus for children's parties. The bus comes kitted out with loads of fun stuff including a soft play area, karaoke and eating facilities. A great way to entertain up to 18 guests.
Pink Pamper Parties
Pink Pamper Parties specialise is themed parties for girls. They cover over 40 counties in the UK and provide a range of party themes for fairy parties through to Hannah Montana parties. Being Pink Heaven we thought this was definitely worth a mention!
Science Boffins
If you're looking for a more constructive party theme, then the Science Boffins could be exactly what you're looking for. Not only will your guests be educated, but with the activities including mad experiments it's also going to be great fun for everyone. All parties come with a science instructor and equipment.
Glitter and Glamour
Glitter and Glamour specialise in organising parties to make your birthday girl feel really special. They provide a variety of services including make over's, hair braiding and loads of fun games. You can also choose to include some arts and crafts and get your guests to design and make their own glamorous pillow case!
All Bagged Up
Every good party needs some special goody bags for your guests. All Bagged Up provide some really cool party bags including sweets and toys, and all of this is priced very reasonably. The website features a wide range of different bags for girls, boys and also unisex parties.
London Children's Magician
For something a little bit different, why not try hiring a magician. There aren't many kids who don't enjoy a good magic show and Christopher Howell's London based service certainly fits the bill. With a variety of tricks and props it's a great option for any party. His magic shows have featured in Time Out magazine and Christopher has performed in many schools across London.
Sublime Science
If you're looking for an educational party with a difference, Sublime Science may well have the answer for you. Every child gets to make their own sweets and slime, and the show includes magic tricks and experiments with giant bubbles and fizzy potions. Their location covers the majority of the midlands from Buckinghamshire to Derbyshire.
It's Freebie time! 18 Apr 2011
Everyone likes a freebie and I have some lovely Little Ballerina Notepads wanting loving owners so I've decided to run a Facebook giveaway. This will be the first of many giveaways I plan to run as the fact is that everyone loves a freebie - something for nothing.
It's all very well companies offering discounts off future orders (to be placed within a set timeframe) but in my opinion that's just a way of forcing people to place orders when they wouldn't necessarily do so. Yes, a great sales tool but in the eyes of the customers it's not ideal if you don't want to spend.
So if you want a true Freebie then head along to our Facebook page and become one of our likers. At the end of this week we'll be giving away a Little Ballerina Notepads to 10 of our likers chosen at random. Share this with anyone else you know who has to buy gifts for little girls or who has a ballet mad princess in their family. They can come along and have the chance to win aswell!
