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This is the second of a two part series of articles talking about fun and cheap ways to spend time with your kids without breaking the budget. The two articles combined will total 41 ideas. This article in particular will have 21 out of the 41 ideas. My first article, which posted on Monday, June 4, 2018, had 20 of the 41 ideas. Hope you enjoy this list and let me know if you think of any others.
Check out the last 21 out of 41 ideas that we came up with (in no particular order):
21. Play with Remote Control Cars/Boats
- Age Group: 2 and up
- Cost: Varies depends on the cost of the remote control car/boat (Toys-R-Us may give a pretty good deal)
- Description: We have a lake out behind our house and I have seen people driving remote control boats on the lake. I have imagined doing this with my kids when they get older. I have always loved the water and boats, but there is something cool about miniature sized boat on a small pond behind our house. When I lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, there was a remote control park with two tracks that allowed you to drive your remote control car for free. It looks like you can find tracks around in most areas for RC racing.
22. Have a crafts day at the house
- Age Group: 2 and up
- Cost: Varies depends on the cost of the craft items
- Description: You can find a lot of craft ideas from this page on parents.com. Crafts can be done with random stuff that you find around the house. It can be simple and cheap! Have fun creating with your kids this summer!
23. Throw a Dance Party (A small Family Dance Party)
- Age Group: Younger Kids
- Cost: $0
- Description: We actually did this the other day with my daughter. We put YouTube on our TV and it played a bunch of different Disney songs. We laughed, danced and I even dipped my daughter. She had the biggest smile on her face. Your young kids will love dancing to the music!
24. Sell Lemonade
- Age Group: Older Kids
- Cost: Found two packs on Amazon (Prime Members Only: $6.99) or (Other Package: $13.86)
- Description: Sure, this is a stereotypical summer time activity, but you can keep the kids entertained while teaching them a valuable lesson about business!
25. Have a family game night
- Age Group: 2 and up
- Cost: $0 (unless you don't have any board games)
- Description: Growing up, playing cards, monopoly, clue, uno and any other type of board game was a family tradition. It is something that I can't wait to do with my kids. Take some time this summer to sit down with your kids and play a board game or teach them to play cards. You will never forget the time and they will crave more time playing games with their parents.
26. Color
- Age Group: 18 months and up
- Cost: $0 (unless you don't have any colors or coloring books)
- Description: I still love to color and I take time every once and a while to sit down and color with my daughter. She still struggles with the coloring concept, but it is time shared doing an activity together.
27. Go for a Walk/Run
- Age Group: Any
- Cost: $0
- Description: There is nothing simpler than going out for a walk with the family. As a family, we love our evening walks. For running, the workouts are better when you are pushing a child in a stroller! So go get that workout in, while pushing your kid around! We love doing this with our daughter and she has grown up in a stroller and loves the walks/runs!
28. Feed the ducks
- Age Group: Any
- Cost: Cost of the bird food
- Description: We have a lake behind our house and ducks are a common sight. We take time to go out and feed the ducks. This can be a fun activity for kids of all ages!
29. Go to a baseball game
- Age Group: Any
- Cost: $10-$100 per person
- Description: The Great American Pastime is one of the neatest experiences for your child. The cost will not be zero, but you can find parks that offer $10 per person. That's not too bad for 9 innings! Some baseball parks even have kid areas like parks or pools.
30. Create a family project
- Age Group: 3 and up
- Cost: $7 to $15
- Description: You can find any little project to do as a family. For example, you can purchase a bird house kit at Hobby Lobby from $7 to $15 and put it together with the kids and then paint it. This is just one example, pick something that your family will enjoy!
31. Go Geocaching
- Age Group: 3 and up
- Cost: $0
- Description: A scavenger hunt from your phone, what more could you ask for?? I had never heard of this, but my sister told me about it and I thought it would be a great adventure for any kid this summer! Want to find out more? Check out this article: 15 reasons to love geocaching.
32. Plant a Garden
- Age Group: 3 and up
- Cost: Varies depending on the cost of the plants
- Description: I'm not a big gardener, but some people really enjoy it! Some people even talk about the calming nature of gardening. If this is for you, go for it! For my family, this may have to be a kid suggestion. I definitely won't be suggesting it!
33. Paint Rocks
- Age Group: 3 and up
- Cost: Varies (found a rock painting kit on Amazon for $11.99)
- Description: My sister notified me that this is the latest crave! I had no idea. I guess it's time to find some rocks to paint.
34. Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt
- Age Group: 5 and up
- Cost: $0 (Just the time to create the clues)
- Description: You could create the clues or just create a list of nature items that you need to find on your next adventure in the great outdoors. I personally like the idea of creating a list of things that should be seen in the park and try to find them. It's easier on the parents and the kids will enjoy it!
35. Visit a local museum
- Age Group: 4 and up
- Cost: $0
- Description: There a lots of local museums that offer free entrance. Even in the big city of Houston, the museums offer free entrance on certain days. I would imagine most cities have the same offers as Houston, so take advantage.
36. Go for a Bike Ride
- Age Group: 1 and up
- Cost: $0 (other than the cost of the bike)
- Description: In our household, we are a biking family. Biking is one of my greatest joys and I plan to give my kids the same experience that I had on the bike. We have a bike trailer that my daughter can ride in. Last summer, I took her on multiple bike rides. I plan to do the same this year!
37. Visit the Beach
- Age Group: Any
- Cost: $0-$10 (In our area, they charge $10 to park on the beach)
- Description: What kid doesn't love the beach? Heck, they all do!!! So give them the sandy beaches and bring along a picnic.
38. Have a Baking Day
- Age Group: 2 and up
- Cost: Cost of the baking supplies
- Description: This was another suggestion from my sister. Her 3 year old daughter loves baking with Mom. What kid wouldn't right? This is simple idea. Keep the kids busy with baking and the family gets to enjoy the end product after dinner!
39. Go visit your neighbors
- Age Group: Any
- Cost: $0
- Description: Do you really know your next door neighbor? It seems like lots of people don't know their neighbors nowadays. Think out side of the box and take over that baked item from the last example and start a conversation. Maybe it will lead to a great friendship!
40. Read a book
- Age Group: Any
- Cost: It should cost you $0!
- Description: With the busyness of the school year, most of my reading is done over the summer. Help foster the love of reading in your kids by having story time set aside each day. Not every kid will enjoy it at first, but reading will eventually grow on them (it did on me).
41. Watch Netflix/Hulu or Rent a Movie from the Library
- Age Group: Any
- Cost: Approx. $11 per month
- Description: Now, I left the TV one for last, because I was a habitual TV watcher in the summers as a kid, and I wish I would have done more outside. Watching TV in itself is not bad, but too many people watch TV all day everyday. Don't let your kids fall into this trap. Watch TV in moderation.
Well, there's 41 great ideas that you can use to keep your kids entertained this summer. I know that my daughter and I will enjoy some of these tips. We just went out and bought chalk, crayons, coloring books and a sprinkler. Let's just say we are ready for a summer of adventure! Are you?
Share any more tips in the comment section or post your photos of your summer adventures!
