Free and low cost things to do

Doing arts and crafts is a really fun activity which can help develop your child's dexterity and creativity. You can try out lots of different crafting activities such as:

• junk crafting - using old recycling materials to create something spectacular like a car or rocket ship
• painting - giving your child a fun way to express themselves on paper
• rock art - you could go collect some rocks and build art with them or even try painting them

The Let's Go Club from Cbeebies have lots more fun arts and craft activities you can try at home.

Dressing up as different characters is a great way for your child to explore different roles whilst expressing themselves through play. You can use old clothes and items you already have at home to help bring their imaginative play to life. You could try playing:

• restaurant - you can get the pots and pans out so they can pretend they are a chef
• hair salon - hair brush and accessories can help you to take a trip to the pretend salon
• veterinarian - teddy bears can be great visitors to the vet office

There are lots of fun fitness and sports activities that your child can try to encourage them to stay active. From football, to taekwondo and everything in between, there are lots of different activities for children in and around Buckinghamshire.

Playing board games are a great way to encourage your child's learning, they can be a great opportunity to work on their reading and maths skills. Some board games can really help with their dexterity.

Reading together can really help to improve your child's knowledge of different words and letters.

Some libraries have reading sessions, or you can just go along to choose new books together. Joining the library is free if you live, study or work in Buckinghamshire.

Learning how to cook and bake is a great life skill and can also be a really tasty skill to have too!

BBC Good Food have a handy list of easy bakes for kids and fun baking projects to get you started.

Swimming is not only great fun, but it's also a life saving skill.

There are discounts available for some people, so you can save money when visiting a leisure centre too.

Museums are great places to learn more whilst having fun. Plus, lots of museums have activity packs for completing at the museum or even at home.

Visiting a local park, nature reserve or woodland is a great way to get outdoors. There are lots of playgrounds you can visit in and around Buckinghamshire, you can even try going to a different playground each week.

Cycling together as a family can be great fun. If your child doesn't know how to ride a bike yet, now is a great time to start teaching them.

For most children the most difficult part is keeping balanced, you can try getting them used to this by removing the pedals or starting on a balance bike.