Parents today struggle with trying to find cost effective ways to spend quality time with their children. Gone are the days of simply spending money getting into a theme park or even a movie theater. Many families are simply struggling to pay the bills so going to these places is oftentimes not realistic. However, there is a wealth of activities for the family to participate in right in their own neighborhood.
Blowing Bubbles in the Backyard
Blowing bubbles is a great activity for children that will keep them cool on a hot summer day and keep them entertained for long periods of time. The first step is to fill plastic cups with water and dishwashing soap. Each child can have their own plastic cup with water.
Give each child a plastic straw and have them gently dip one end of the straw in the soap and water mixture and softly blow on the other end. Depending on how they blow they can create one big bubble or lots of little ones. However, be attentive of the child while they are participating in this activity as they can easily suck the soap and water mixture straight from the straws.
Flying a Kite
Kite flying has always been something fun for all ages to partake in and is surprisingly cost effective. The materials needed for this project are a garbage bag, 2 sticks (any kind, one a little longer than the other, although sizes are optional), fishing reel (if owned. If not, fishing string tied to another stick will work), scissors, and masking tape.
Place the sticks in a cross shape and tape together with the masking tape. Tie the fishing string to the center of the cross and cover the knot with tape. Then cut the garbage bag to the dimensions of the sticks and poke holes through the ends of the cross with the garbage bag. Once the garbage bag has covered the ends of the cross, cover each end with tape to ensure the bag and sticks won’t separate in flight. Finally, tie the fishing string to the top and left and right sides of the kite and wait for the wind to blow.
Backyard Movie Night
Parents can recreate a drive thru right in their own back yard with a plain white bed sheet hung on a wall and a movie projector attached to a laptop or other movie player. Many local libraries will allow cardholders to check out the movie projectors as well as laptops or other movie players. The movie being watched can be either owned or rented and the family can munch on popcorn or other “movie” food while they sit on lawn chairs or on a blanket and watch the movie.
Quality time with the family should not have to cost a lot of money. Families can easily spend time together without breaking the bank and create memories that will be cherished for years to come. Children rarely remember the cost of each event but they will always remember spending time with their parents and how much fun they had.
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