£389 to keep a child happy over summer

TWO in five hard-pressed parents are already trying to cut back on spending as they prepare to entertain their children over the summer holidays, research suggests.

Some 39 per cent of those with schoolage children put aside an average of £220 in June to boost their budgets for July and August.

Nearly one in ten start planning and saving for the summer holidays as far as six months in advance. And more than a third (35 per cent) have to cut back at the end of the holidays after blowing the budget.

Parents typically estimate they spend £251 on activities keeping children occupied while they are off school during the summer.

And with usual household outgoings costing £ 138 more over the holidays than during term, parents’ total extra spending over the summer break is an estimated £389 on average, a survey of 3,000 parents by deals website Groupon found.

This summer could prove a particular squeeze on parents’ wallets, with inflation hitting its highest level in nearly four years in May at 2.9 per cent.

Some 45 per cent of parents admit they are struggling for new ideas to entertain their children by the end of August.

The average parent estimates they make 13 suggestions to their child every week during the summer break, and the average child starts to get bored just after 1.30pm on a typical day.