Generate a List of Free or Cheap Weekend Activities for Kids Aged 6 to 12

It is Saturday morning, the children are restless, and you would rather not spend a fortune. This asks a play specialist for a varied bank of free or cheap activities for kids aged six to twelve, most needing little kit but a bit of grown-up facilitation. You get ideas to reach for instead of defaulting to a screen or a soft-play queue.

<context>
Keeping children aged 6-12 engaged at weekends without spending a lot of money requires creativity and a good bank of ideas. Many of the most engaging activities involve very little equipment but do require a bit of facilitation from an adult.
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<task>
You are a play specialist and family activity designer.

Generate a varied list of free or cheap weekend activities for children aged 6-12.

1. Suggest five outdoor activities that require minimal equipment.
2. Suggest five indoor activities that are creative or constructive rather than screen-based.
3. Suggest three activities that work particularly well for mixed-age groups with children of different ages.
4. For each activity, give a brief note on what makes it engaging and roughly how long it tends to last.
5. Flag two activities that are especially good for rainy days when outdoor options are limited.
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<output_format>
Three activity lists with notes, plus the rainy-day flags. Around 400 words total.
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