Budget family friendly activities..

[mrsabbott]

What are some of your favorite inexpensive or free family activities?

I try to make all things "fun".. if we are going to a park/playground, we automatically make it a picnic! I have a Mickey Mouse bread press (you press it into the bread and it makes a Mickey face.. can be used for sandwiches or toast) to make things extra fun!

We go to the local bookstore often.. they have a train table, a lego table, and frequently have story hour and other special events.. all that are FREE! We read books there as well. I usually buy myself a coffee though and will often buy the kids a cookie to share, although I bring in my own snacks sometimes too. I usually spend about $8 and the five of us (DH doesn't usually come) enjoy ourselves for at least a couple of hours!

Lowe's and Home Depot have their free building thing.. I just always forget about it until it is too late! We have gone before and the kids loved it!

We go feed the ducks at the local lake/park! Free and it uses up the stale bread!

We have a firepit in our backyard and have sat around it telling "scary" stories and roasting veggie dogs (we're vegetarian)! Follow it up with microwave s'mores (made with marshmallow crème) and catching lightening bugs!

Every Friday, we have pizza/movie night. Sometimes we make our own pizzas, sometimes we order in, sometimes we buy frozen. We usually pop some popcorn and eat on the living room floor. Our favorite tradition!

Now that the kids are getting older, we sometimes have a game night! Rummy, Uno, and Disney DVD Bingo are the favorites!

We have a cook out! Make dinner on the grill, plug in the sprinkler, make some shaved ices (MIL got us one from Walmart a few years ago and it is the best thing ever!) and eat outside! Gets the garden watered too!

Go to the local Upick farm! Today, we went to a blueberry farm and picked blueberries! Everyone loves it, they probably eat more then they put in their buckets.. the berries are way cheaper and taste better then you buy in the store! We bring our own drinks (it's thirsty work!) and for $13 we have over 6lbs of blueberries in our freezer (not to mention the ones in our tummies! They don't mind if we eat as we pick!)..

 

[MSSANDRA]

GREAT Summer fun and memories.

A few we do:

The library. Most have summer reading programs with stories or puppet shows and all have tons of books and movies for free!! Take a huge bag home, pile up on the couch and read read read!

Our local Bowling alley and skating rink have free summer days and times. You can purchase parents to bowl quite cheaply or just watch the kids. Check out on line.

Check out local historical sites. Many are free of just a donation. We have a Gold mine near us we have toured many times. Take a lunch and its a fun 1/2day.

Bake cookies, or cup cakes or whatever! Let the kids decorate and if you don't want them all in your house....take to neighbors or nursing home etc!

Camp out in your back yard, or on your porch or even in the living room. Use whatever you have. Quilts, old flashlights etc!

LOVE Cheap Summer fun!

 

[Narnia_girl]

These are all great ideas!


We basically celebrate anything we can. One year we had so much fun with extended family at Christmas that we planned a year's worth of parties.

January Snow Man brunch we made our own scarves from T-shirts, guessed how many snowballs (mini marshmallows) were in a jar, and other snowmen crafts/games. The party favors were super cheap because of after Christmas sales.

Presidents day means making powdered wigs (cotton balls), doing presidential trivia, and eating traditional foods (Senate Bean Soup).

Kentucky Derby Day we bought cheap supplies at the thrift store and glamorized our own Derby hats. We ate fun foods, picked our favorite horses and bet Monopoly money.

etc.. throughout the year...

 

[kathie859]

I have to second checking the library for fun things (FREE) for kids. I volunteer at the summer reading program. The kids have access to some special (not in circulation) books, pizza, drinks and if they attend twice, they can pick out a book to keep (think sticker books, activity books, reading by level books). The library also has a "lock in" for older kids, several different craft events and a circus coming next week! OH, and movies and popcorn weekly.

 

[spima3]

I think we did every "free" activity there was. When the kids were little, they were good about it.

As they got older, not so much!

Our library use to have some wonderful programs for the kids, bingo night, movie night, sleepover on Halloween, read to your favorite dog. It was wonderful.

Sometimes I really miss them being little.

We're entering the college years now; there isn't much free there!

 

[kreckl]

We like free bowling! http://www.kidsbowlfree.com You can get lucky and score shoes at a resale shop, or ask Grandma for bowling shoes for a birthday gift in anticipation of summer fun.
We also do movie nights at home, dinner on the beach, free fun Fridays at local museums...

 

[mrsabbott]

Narniagirl, I like the way you think!! I think that we can turn lots of little things into a celebration!!

The snowman thing reminds me.. we have another tradition in the winter! When it snows, I make "snowman pancakes" for dinner! Granted, we don't get a ton of snow here usually, otherwise it wouldn't be the healthiest of dinners to have or as special! I make pancakes in varying sizes and layer them on a plate like a snowman. I use a sifter and sprinkle powdered sugar over the top to make it look like the snow. Then, I decorate using whatever I can find... pretzels for the stick arms, m&m's or chocolate chips or craisins for eyes, noses, and buttons, etc.. The kids LOOOVE it!!

kreckl, thanks for the free bowling link! There are 2 alleys about 45 minutes from here that participate.. pretty sure we can plan a day excursion and top it off with some free bowling sometime!

We also have a membership to the zoo/science museum! We get it every Christmas! I always pack a lunch and drinks to take with us and it just costs us the gas to drive there! We had hoped to go camping this weekend, but it's not going to happen so I think a zoo trip is needed instead!

 

[clori]

Our local movie theater offers free summer kids movies with very short book report for school aged kids for entrance.

Our local public access TV station has some very cheap summer kids classes for ages 8 to 14.

we have a local museum of science membership and have gotten into reciprical museums for free.

Libraries often offer discount passes to local places

If you live near museums see if they offer special admission times. For instance the Boston Childrens Museum is $1 on Friday nights

Take advantage of free swimming pools often run by cities or towns in the summer. if you have a recreation department see what is offered.