Summertime and the living is easy … unless you’ve got kids. How can you keep them occupied without breaking the bank? Poorna Harjani has some ideas State schools in England break up this week, and in Scotland kids are already footloose, fancy free and driving their parents mad. Although child experts and psychologists seem to agree that a bit of boredom is good for children – helping them to develop their imagination and learn how to manage time – you may find that having them constantly drifting around the house complaining of nothing to do is absolutely infuriating. But with a family day ticket to a major attraction such as Legoland or Alton Towers costing more than £100, it is wise for parents to check out alternatives. There are plenty of fun and free things to do around the UK this summer. Here are a list our favourites: 1) The National Theatre’s Watch this space festival is a free summer celebration until September 26th. This includes outdoor theatre, circus, dance, acrobatics, storytelling and film events for all ages. 2) Pick up an activity backpack and embark on one of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Back-Pack Saturdays . The free packs are full of hands-on activities including jigsaws, stories, puzzles, construction games and things to handle relating to collections in the museum. Activities last about 45 minutes and are suitable for children aged 5-12

Original Source Ten of the best … free things for kids this summer