Advertising Feature by The Mill House

Get creative at our half term Doodle Den! 

We're turning the The Mill House into a giant canvas – doodle across the floors, walls and our colouring cube, have fun posing with our giant colouring pens, then take your creativity home with your very own doodle board. Let your imaginations run wild this half term!

Date: Thursday 19th February 2026
Sessions: 10am, 11:45am, 1:30pm, 3:15pm
Location:The Mill House SG13 7JY 
Suggested age: 3-10

These are a really fun and informal sessions, the children can go wild doodling across the floor or they can get creative at the tables while you enjoy a cuppa or have fun joining in!

Book here!

Things to do on a budget this January

Beat the January blues and get out and about with your family this month without breaking the budget.

Every where we go we hear people saying the same thing... they are broke. December pay day seems such a long time ago and some how they've got to entertain their children on a show string budget.

Not to worry we are here to help...

We've highlighted some of our favourite Free or Budget friendly activities locally (some slightly further afield) to help you out this January.

Most things are Free with everything being under £5.50.

Tips for success

 First things first you don't actually need to go out! There's much to be said for staying home with a DVD or Netflix or digging out that craft box or playing a family board game.

We know that going on a FREE ACTIVITY does not guarantee you will get away without spending any money , food, travel, parking they can all add up but here are our 5 top tips to spend less on family activities.

•  Get the kids on board! Challenge them to get involved in the planning.
• Set expectations- explain to your children (if they are able to understand) that you are on a budget and that you wont be buying extras on the trip. Get them to agree to this BEFORE you leave.
•  Food!! Food!! Food!! often the cost of eating out can cost us an arm and a leg so don't! Pack a packed lunch and get the children involved. They are more likely to eat what's been prepared if they have helped to make it. Be creative, cold pizza, pasta, soups can all be taken on picnics, we've even heard of hot dog sausages being transported in a flask of boiling water as well . Take drinks too, there's much to be said for a flask of hot chocolate in the park.
•  Check parking costs before you leave- sometimes free activity's such as "The Gruffalo Trail" have car parking costs, be aware of these before you leave.
•  If you are going to an activity where activity packs are for sale, again these can add to the cost of your trip, prepare before you go. Pack your own notepads and pens perhaps make your own worksheet if you have time and explain to the children you wont be buying those as you have your own.

Out and about: 

Theres much to be said for a trip to a good old park  so wrap up warm , put on those wellies, grab those bikes or scooters, a flask and a picnic and head off on an adventure.

Panshanger (keep an eye out for the fairy doors!) 

Hartham Park

Lea valley Sculpture Trail

Cedars Park

Hatfield Forest

Ashridge estate

Stanborough Park

Church Farm, Ardeley

Slightly further afield 

The Gruffalo Trail

100 Akre Woods at Aldenham County Park

Ashridge estate

Museums and places of interest

The main one being Hertford Museum of course!

But there is also Bishop Stortford museum 

Lowewood Museum

Mill Green Museum - open sunday pm (small fee)

Stevenage Museum 

Verulamium Museum

Tring Natural history Museum

RAF Museum

Stockwood Discovery Centre

Budget friendly zoos, farms and nature reserves.

Cedars Nature Centre - is amazing and only £2.40 pp 

Colchester zoo is offering tickets for tenner this month with under 3's going FREE.

Mead open farm are running kids for a quid this January.

Lee Valley Park Farm are running farm for a fiver this January too.

Pets corner Harlow - a new amazing park has just been built by the toilet block too

RSPB Rye Meads Nature Reserve - Free entry but there is a parking charge.

Parndon woods - one of our favourites - we love the den building area!

We hope you enjoy this article and that you find it useful. If we've missed anything off the list do feel free to let us know.

Thanks for reading

Kayleigh & The Boys

XxxX