Keeping the kids occupied can often be a costly expense - especially during holidays.

The cost of going on days out and buying things in can soon spiral out of control. So, this short guide will point out several ways in which you can entertain the kids on a budget.

Arts and crafts

All that junk mail that comes through the post can be put to good use now! Simply give your kids the unwanted mail and let them use if for arts and crafts.

By doing this, you won't need to buy paper in. The kids can simply use crayons to color over any writing (or use the back of the page) and can cut (with your supervision) the paper into nice shapes. They could even make paper chains by creating loops with pieces of paper and interlinking them.

Garden fun

Kids love getting messy - so let them! Let them plant their own seeds, grow their own crops and water the plants for you. Not only will they learn about nature doing this, but they will have loads of fun too!

This fun can last for hours. You only need to buy a few packs of seeds for your kids to plant, and they will want to check how well they're growing every day! A good type of food to let them grow would be fruit (or vegetables), as this will encourage them to eat healthily too.

Cardboard boxes - a world of imagination

Ok, so this may sound a bit cheap and tacky, but the kids will still love it. Give them a few big cardboard boxes (ask for some from your local supermarket - they should have loads in the warehouse), and let their imaginations do the rest!

They can color, shape and change their box as much as they like. Whether they make their box into a house, a TV, a boat or a car - it's guaranteed to keep the kids occupied for hours.

Treasure hunt

If you've run out of ideas when it comes to entertaining the kids, why not organize a little treasure hunt around your home?

All you need to do is hide a few surprises around your home and give your kids a list of clues to find them. Don't make them too hard… but at the same time, don't make them too easy! You want them to be occupied for a few hours so make sure there's enough hidden for them to find!