It’s the summer. A lot of kids are out of school and just starting their summer vacation. I know my boys are. I know I’ll be looking for things to keep my kids busy without breaking the bank. Here’s some ways for your kids (and you) to have fun even if your budget is tight.
–Reuse, with household squirt guns– Maybe your kids don’t have squirt guns, maybe they broke, whatever it is there’s no reason they can’t still have a cool them off squirt gun battle. Reusing empty dish liquid bottles make great squirt guns and they fill up fast too. The ones with the pull up top work the best. Another idea is water spritzers bottles that you might have for water for hair care.
–Homemade sprinkler– I saw this one on pinterest and loved the idea. Another great way to reuse. You basically take a 2 L soda bottle poke holes in it, then tape it to a garden hose. You can lay it on the ground or hand it over a clothes line or tree branch and there you go: http://pinterest.com/pin/553731716653865834/ or here: http://pinterest.com/pin/118360296429593882/
–Berry picking– This one you should do with your children to ensure they’re picking the right thing. Here in PA we get wild blackberries and elderberries around the end of July. Use an old ice cream bucket or cut the very top off a gallon milk jug and you have a good basket for gathering berries. Then you get to take them home and create things with your kids. Pies, tarts, preserves, sundaes, whatever you like.
–Have a picnic in your back yard–it always make lunch or dinner a little more special. We don’t have a picnic table, we just lay an old blanket out in the yard and I make up a plate for each of the kids. You could even make some sun tea for your picnic.
–Nature Trails–This could be so much more than just a walk through the woods but the walk is nice too. We have a nice nature trail in a public park near us. The kids take jars and find salamanders along the way by lifting up rocks and small pieces of wood in the mud. You could also pick flowers, or do things like bird or squirrel spotting and see how many you can find.
–Free events in your area–There are lots of sources to find free events in your area. Try your local Macaroni Kids website for instance. Another place to check is at your local community building or churches in your area.
–Pinterest is full of “make-your-own” ideas from sidewalk chalk, to homemade bubble recipes, and lots more. So don’t fret if you can’t buy it, you can make it and a lot of times that’s fun for the kids too.
I paid for a family season pass to our waterpark in February. Now, the waterpark is open and we can go any day after that, we go to the park which is in the same area and we have dinner at home. While I did pay for the pass I got it when it was at it lowest price.
I Love finding great ways to amuse the kids in the summer that are free or inexpensive. My daughter and I spend a lot of time creating 3D art work out of random things we find around the house like empty paper towel rolls, egg cartons, and empty juice boxes. This is great on a rainy day!