This bank holiday, don’t get trapped into making it an extension of every other weekend (running errands, housework, buying groceries) – instead, make the most of this day of freedom and do something different!

But what to do? If you’re not heading away someone nice this bank holiday weekend, you can still entertain yourself and the kids at home, and there are so many choices available to fill the time. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to bundle everyone into the car for a trip to an obscure tourist destination, with pleas of ‘Are we there yet?’ on repeat every 10 minutes.

You can make the most of the great outdoors in your local area – dust off the bikes and get cycling, or head to the nearest park with the kids and let them go bananas on the monkey bars! If you have time to plan it, a garden scavenger hunt can be a fun way to spend an afternoon outdoors, with fun things to find and a prize at the end for the winner!

If you’re lucky enough to live near the seaside, head down for the day (just check if the tide’s out first!) You can bring a football, a couple of blankets and a picnic and spend a great day out, which makes a change from another afternoon in front of the TV or PlayStation.

Feeling brave enough to venture to a theme park? For adrenaline junkies and those who like their thrills in the form of rollercoasters, there are tons of theme parks waiting to be explored. You can check out all the details of UK theme parks in this guide, and there are sometimes great offers to be had to give you cheaper admission. 

A museum day out might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there are still some really interesting days to be had exploring history, science, technology, space or life under the sea! Lots of museums and galleries have free entry too, so you don’t need to spend a fortune to be entertained.

If you don’t want to stray too far from home this bank holiday weekend, there are plenty of activities to do here too. Plan a BBQ with friends (if the weather co-operates!), or bake cupcakes with the kids and take over the kitchen with crazy decorating skills.

And of course, there is the bank holiday weekend favourite – a spot of DIY!

Whatever you get up to this weekend, enjoy!