Average parent spends over £1,000 per teenager keeping them entertained during holidays, survey claims

Four in 10 parents worry about cost of family activities, according to poll

Nearly 40 per cent of parents worry their teenage children will spend too much time in the house over the holidays, according to the survey (Getty iStock)

The average parent will spend £1,260 to keep their teenage child entertained during the summer holidays, a study has found.

A survey of 1,000 parents of children aged 16-17 who are in education found that the cost of taking teenagers on day trips, buying video games and magazines totals £502 over the six-week break.

Commissioned by National Citizen Service, the government-funded activity programme for teenagers, the survey also found the average cost of food and drink for teenage children over this period averages £335. This includes treats and meals out.

The average summer holiday, either in the UK or abroad, costs an additional £423 per teenager.

More than four in 10 of the parents surveyed said they were “worried” about affording a summer’s worth of entertainment for their family.

Chris Brown, director of sales programme recruitment at National Citizen Service (NCS), said: “Our research has highlighted an issue for many parents across the country who are unsurprisingly worried about the cost of the summer holidays.

“With the long break fast approaching, parents want to ensure that their teens are spending their time productively, without breaking the bank.”

One in ten of the parents surveyed said they did not know how to advise their teen to make the most of the summer holidays.

Picture: (NCS)

Three in 10 said they worried their child would waste hours on social media and 29 per cent said they did not think they would get enough fresh air.

Half of the parents polled said they were concerned that their child would ”waste the entire summer”.

Ellie Smith, mother of NCS participant Bradley Smith, 17, said: “Like many of the parents surveyed, I always wanted to make sure that Bradley was spending his school holiday productively.

“I can definitely relate to the 40 per cent who admitted to being ‘worried’ about affording a summer’s worth of entertainment.

“We didn’t have the money to send Bradley on a big residential trip or pay for lots of small activities so when the opportunity to go on NCS came up, it was ideal.”

Ms Smith, 38, of Bradford, West Yorkshire added: “NCS is a fantastic and financially feasible way for parents to ensure that their children have a fun, productive summer without having to spend hundreds of pounds.

“I’ve seen a huge change in Bradley since his time on the programme – it was life changing for both of us.”

Mr Brown added: “With summer holidays set to cost parents over £1,000, programmes such as NCS can help them not only save money, but also ensure their teens are spending the summer building skills that can help them in the future.”

SWNS