Parents with teenagers may not be looking forward to the school summer holidays as much as their youngsters given how much the six-week break is expected to cost them.
The Sun recently revealed that, on average, parents with teenage children will spend £1,260 keeping each teenager in the family entertained. This includes the cost of everything from meals out and treats to new video games and day trips.
Also factored into the expenses is the price of a week-long family getaway, which alone costs an average of £422.61 per teenager, the research from National Citizen Service (NCS) found.
If you live near one of the UK’s many stunning outdoor areas, you may want to try and cut the cost of your day trips by simply exploring the great outdoors. Hiking is a great option and one that’s free once you’ve travelled to your chosen route, for instance.
However, you may want to encourage your youngsters to try outdoor pursuits in Derbyshire, in which case it could be worth signing them up for an NCS programme. These run for three to six weeks, with one week of this time dedicated to outdoor activities, the Belfast Telegraph reported.
Another recommendation from the Northern Irish newspaper is to encourage your youngsters to sign up for the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) award. This includes an expedition that they have to organise. Their journey can be undertaken on foot, bike, boat or by horse.
Interim DofE chief executive David Oates commented: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s award can encourage young people to get outdoors and become more active, more confident and more involved with their wider community.”