Have some fun with the family
As daunting as they are, the school holidays are a good time to have some fun with your kids and so we've found plenty of ways for you to keep them entertained for free.
The weather's rubbish and finances are tight after spending all your cash on preparations for Christmas, but don't let the school holidays fill you with dred.
Get creative - Why not let the children make their own Christmas cards? All you need is some plain paper, a box of pencils or crayons and maybe some stickers to jazz them up. Ask your kids to draw pictures of Christmas tree's, Father Christmas and snowmen and if they're good, send them out! Family will find them adorable
Go to the library - lt's free to visit and there's loads to explore if you have little ones. Sit in the children's area and spend the afternoon having storytime. Bring some books home and most librarys have a dvd section now where you can loan out the latest films
Turn your living room into a cinema - Lay out some blankets and cushions, dim the lights and let them watch a movie in the dark whilst munching on some popcorn
Have fun online - The CBeebies website is fantsatic, there's loads of games, stories and activities to keep the kids happy for a few hours
Speak to other parents - There's loads of websites such as Mumsnet that list free activities to entertain your infants during the school hols and you can find other mums on there to share tips with
Play some games - If you're kids are a bit older, you can't go wrong with a classic family board game. Or, if you have a Nintendo Wii that's been put away since you bought it and never been used, drag it out and have some fun
See what's going on around you - Your local museum or art gallery might be holding Christmas events or workshops that are usually free, not your first choice of day out but you and your kids might learn something new!
Alexandra Baracskai