Summer Fun on a Budget

Summer can be a challenge for parents, especially if there are young children who rely on mom or dad to find things for them to do. With tight budgets and long, lazy summer days, finding fun things to do on a budget is the goal.

Looking locally is the key to having fun without spending much money.

*Many cities have community pools, some of them are even free to go to. In many cases there may be a toddler pool where the water is shallow enough for babies and toddlers.

*Small towns and villages may have a playground program. These programs provide supervision for things such as crafts, games, and at some of them lunch may be provided free.

*There are some movie theatres that offer free family movies in the summer. They are usually offered on weekday mornings. You can look the names of most theatres up on line, and there should be listed a promotion or special they are running.

*Picnics are a great way to get everyone out doors, and they can be as simple as sandwiches, or as elaborate as your imagination can allow.

*Biking is a wonderful family activity that can include young children. There are many styles of seats and pull alongs available, one for almost any budget.

*One favorite of almost every parent, is the little back yard wading pool. These can be made even more fun with things like water balls, squirt guns, and buckets. You could even put a small slide with into the water, creating a pool slide.

*There are many nature trails that are free to walk. Some even offer tour guides. This would be even more fun if there is a picnic brought along.

*Many Historical sites offer free tours during the summer. Festivities sometimes include reinactments, and stories that would be great learning experiences.

*Instigate a family reunion. This is a great way for all of you to meet extended family and may inspire a desire to know family heritage.

*While travelling, play games such as the "ABC" game. You can play with teams, or individuals.

You begin by finding a word that strats with the letter "A", and move on through the alphabet. The object is to be first through the entire alphabet. When we play, we don't insist on a "Q" word, and make an exception for "X" being used anywhere in a word instead of just the first letter.

Doing as much as you can as a family will make wonderful memories for your children, and for you.

Keeping a journal, or a scrapbook can help keep those memories alive, and also inspire ideas of other things you could do together.

Whatever you do as a family, the main thing is to have fun and build your relationships.

That can be done on any budget.

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