Today I am mostly.... Planning

Today's task is to plan the summer holidays. This sounds like a simple task, but believe me it is a whole day's work, if not more. With two children who argue constantly, I like to have a diary full of events (preferably free) to entertain the rugrats in the 6 week break.
With a week to go until the end of the school year, I am starting to panic slightly. This time last year, I had a full Excel spreadsheet of activities, places and costings, all planned meticulously. I am quite far behind this year, and it is starting to stress me out.
So what do we find to do and where do we start looking?
My first stop is the local town council. They hold occasional play dates involving bouncy castles, arts & crafts or music workshops. Most are free, or are £2-£3 per child. Next on the list is the library - every year they have a local magician in. It is a ticketed event, but it is free (Which reminds me, I must go and get tickets - he is very popular!) They also run a reading challenge in the holidays that rewards the children with various items, depending on how many books they read - there is fierce competition on the return to school in September to see who has read the most!
We are lucky to be surrounded by a lot of country parks and National Trust sites, so a look on the National Trust website is a must. If the country park near you is not listed on there, then do search to see if they have their own website. I have booked in pond dipping, bug hunting and den making for my two, all for a small charge per child.
Netmums also has a good 'Whats On' section for your local area and is worth looking at. We have a theatre near us that shows films a little while after standard cinema release and charge a lot less than big-name cinemas, so we have two films also booked in. You could also look to see if they are running any workshops for the older children, or if you are willing to spend a bit of money then you can see what childrens shows they are running.
Your local leisure centre is bound to run summer camps, although these will cost a bit more. But if it is all day childcare you are looking for, then you may find something to suit here.
Check out your local church groups. We have one nearby that runs a week-long activity at the end of August, and it is entirely free.
As we are in the middle of three counties, I also look at neighbouring councils to see what they are offering. We have many villages in the area that are involved in a playscheme that sees a lorry full of equipment driving to various village greens and emptying it's contents for the afternoon. They have a bouncy castle, face painter, balls, hoops etc and a number of volunteers and playworkers who oversee the events.
If you put your mind to it, there are plenty of free activities and events. We also go to local parks, splash parks, museums and walks in the woods. I am not saying we go out every single day - as much as I don't want to admit it, there is still housework to do in the holidays. Some days I pop a film on, shut the curtains and pop some popcorn to keep the children entertained whilst I get on with some jobs. It is always reassuring to know though, that I have a diary full of events should we want to get out. Good luck!