On Wednesday 5th of April Lindsey from the Eastleigh BID / Visit Eastleigh Office had a day off and decided to put to the test if you can take the children out for the day and spend very little or no money. With the current cost of living crisis, the school holidays can fill some parents with dread as to how they are going to keep the kids entertained on a budget. Lindsey wanted to put to the test how the events and activities that Eastleigh BID / Visit Eastleigh provide for the Town Centre are helping with this.
As well as Visit Eastleigh, there are also local businesses within the Eastleigh BID area that offer free activities for Children such as Alston House Care Home, The Point and Eastleigh Library.
Lindsey and her son started their day at Alston House Care home to participate in a free Easter Hunt. They arrived at Alston House and started by looking at the animals at the mobile farm, they then made their way to reception to collect their trail sheet. The hunt was on for the relevant stickers in the gardens to complete the trail sheet and then claim their prize!
After they had completed their Easter Hunt at Alston House it was time for another Easter Trail. Armed with their trail sheet (printed off from the Visit Eastleigh website) and smart phone they started the Easter Trails on offer from Eastleigh BID and LoyalFree App. There were bunnies located in the shop windows of 11 town centre businesses and a poster with a QR Code whereby you could scan the code on the poster and an Easter Egg would pop up on the phone. Whilst doing the trails, they also found Ems Friendly Farm on Leigh Road Precinct which was a free event provided by Visit Eastleigh (Eastleigh BID). The lambs were very cute!
As the sun had made an appearance, Lindsey then treated her son to an ice cream at a cost of £2.20 from Poppins Café before they headed to the park. Poppins have a wide selection of food, drinks and sweet treats at great prices. They also have offers on the LoyalFree app.
Lindsey and her son spent approximately 4 hours in Eastleigh at a total cost of £2.20 for an ice cream. As it was a Wednesday the library was closed however Eastleigh Library put on a variety of events free of charge on other days of the week and at weekends. Some are regular events, and some are one off seasonal activities. Regular activities include crafting and Lego building – a great addition to you low-cost day out.
Lindsey’s comments on the day:
“It was a lovely day out for me and my son and whilst we were lucky that the weather stayed dry, even if it had been raining with a pair of wellies and a raincoat, we would have had the added fun of splashing in puddles. There are also many covered areas in the town centre including the colonnades and the Swan Centre which is great. To be able to go out into Eastleigh with children knowing that it will not cost a lot or can even be cost free will be a massive help to families at the moment. My son had an amazing time and loved hunting for bunnies and was over the moon to receive an Easter Egg from Alston House when he completed their trail. He slept well that night too!”
There are various free Events on offer from Eastleigh BID / Visit Eastleigh throughout the year. Full and all details of the events that are coming up can be found at https://www.visiteastleigh.co.uk/events/
