No spare cash for days out but a house full of children to entertain? Here are 10 ways to keep them happy for £1 a day or less.
Get them learning a new sport
Free sports sessions for them to have a go at anything from martial arts, paintball, swimming, football, cheerleading and dance classes are on offer through Asda's Sporting Chance scheme. Sessions are free and last from around two hours to full day sessions. Download your voucher online, check what's on in your area and book your place.
Saturday morning movies
Go to the cinema on a Saturday afternoon and you can easily spend £25 for a family of four; but on Saturday mornings you can get in for just £1 at Cineworld and 95p at Vue cinemas as both offer special kids' screenings. It's a great chance to watch your favourite films again or catch those you missed first time round!
Have a day out at the seaside
Ok maybe too cold for sandcastles on the beach but you can still enjoy ice creams, fish and chips and the pier amusements and if you book in advance you can get there by bus or train for £1libraries across Reading but there's lots of other events across the country including a special Halloween 'School of Sorcery' event at Newcastle City Library. All events are free though places are limited. Check local libraries for details.
Go behind the scenes of the X Factor
How do you fancy being sat in the audience to watch the live X Factor shows? Free tickets are available at www.applausestore.com along with a whole host of other shows including watching auditions for Fearne Cotton's 'Face The Music' show. And if you sign up online you'll get regular updates and ticket offers.
Get a culture fix at a museum
And we're not talking stuffy, dusty museums here; there's heaps of free, interactive hands-on-stuff for all ages at the Science Museum, storytelling at the Museum of London and you can find everything you ever wanted to know about dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum.
Go out for pizza
Lunch out can be expensive so take advantage of a 'kids eat free' deal at Pizza Hut where kids get a two course meal free (worth £3.99) including a drink, with every adult main course or lunchtime buffet.
Wear them out at a theme park
If you're a Tesco shopper now's the time to swap those clubcard vouchers for free days out as vouchers can be exchanged for four times their value. Swap them for tickets for Cadbury World, Whipsnade, Legoland, Chessington or Alton Towers for a fun family day out.
Have a duvet day watching DVDs
Even better as this one's free if you take advantage of the 14 day free trial at Lovefilm. There are around seventy thousand films to choose from and no need to collect as they're sent by post. Just remember to cancel your membership after the trial period or you'll be charged £3.91 a month.
Go to a farmers' market
Great fun and a cheap breakfast for the kids as they can enjoy free nibbles like bread, cheese and sausages; they'll learn more about where their food comes from and it's free entry. Find markets that have been approved and inspected by the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association or use the site to find your local farm shop or where to 'pick your own'.
Have fun and please share any ideas you have for cheap ways to keep children happy in our comments page.