Free Summer Activities For Your Family
Summer vacation is here and what’s the first things your kids will ask for? Money! “I want to go to the movies. Do you have any money?” “Can I have money to go to the water park?” “Hey Mom, a bunch of friends are going to the mall, do you have any cash I can borrow? I promise I won’t spend it all!”
If you’re like me, the biggest frustration of having kids home for the summer is all the added expense. Sure, some may get an allowance, some may have their own savings, but the bottom line is, eventually they will be looking for their parent’s wallet. Over the past few weeks, I’ve started my list of summer activities that cost very little and can keep kids of various ages entertained.
Bowling
Some bowling alleys in the area are participating in a national campaign that allows kids to bowl two free games per day. You would have the shoe rental (or if they plan on going a lot, you could pick up a pair of bowling shoes for under $30) and snack money (we all know kids can’t survive without snacks!) but if you limit them to one snack, that can save money and keep them busy!
Bike trails
Most communities now offer a bike trail that leads you around the town. Going for a bike ride and using the bike trails is a great way to get exercise and bike safely at no cost! Give the kids a stop watch and they can see how much they can improve their time throughout the summer!
Volunteer at a pet shelter
One thing that’s sure to put a smile on a puppy’s face is someone coming to play or take them for a walk. Most pet shelters thrive on volunteers and would love to have someone come play with the dogs or take them for walks a couple hours a week!
Scavenger hunts
Make a list of landmarks around town and challenge the kids to travel to each one (walking, bike or vehicle), take a selfie at the place and write down one thing they learned at that location. Talk about a great way to get exercise, enjoy the sun and even learn a couple things about their hometown!
Neighborhood ball game
Go check out the baseball/softball fields around town and see how many kids you can round up for a friendly game of ball. You never know, many friendships begin on a ball diamond!
Photo project
Everybody takes pictures these days. Give your kids an old cell phone or camera and challenge them to take pictures of places around town. Then they can test your knowledge by showing you the pictures to see if you can come up with where they were taken at!
That’s the start of my list. I know that there are a ton of other summer activities that could keep kids busy for a few hours so if you’ve got some ideas that haven’t made it to my list quite yet, please share them in the comments below!