30 May

20 Cheap Summer Activities that Kids Love

Summer vacation for many of us means that it is time to find ways to entertain the kids in our family. We don’t want our children to stay home all day being bored and getting themselves into trouble. However, we also don’t want to spend a lot of money making sure that the kids are entertained. Luckily there are actually a lot of free and cheap summer activities that kids love to do.

20 of the best cheap summer kids’ activities are:

1. Water fights. How many kids do you know that don’t love a good water fight? Water guns and water balloons are among the best cheap toys to entertain kids this summer. Make it more fun by organizing games and neighborhood battles. Make sure to save money on water costs by monitoring kids as they fill up for the fights otherwise they’ll just leave the hose on.

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2. Go to the pool. Swimming is another great water activity for kids. It’s good exercise for you as well which could mean that you can reduce your gym costs while enjoying time with the kids this summer!

3. Library events. Your local library probably has some sort of events for kids this summer. Find out what they are and see if they’re something that your kids will enjoy. At the very least you can check out some free books to entertain the kids with reading time.

4. Penny arcades. A lot of towns have penny arcades or other places where it’s really cheap to play games. See if you can find one that is close to you and make a day trip adventure out of it.

5. Outdoor movies and plays. Summer is a time when outdoor movie screens pop up in parks and theatre groups head outdoors for free evening performances. What a great way to enjoy the summer air!

6. Window shopping at the mall. If you’ve got kids who are older then they may like hanging out at the mall. This can be cheap if you limit the amount of money that they’re allowed to spend and take a book to read so that you don’t do any impulse shopping while you wait.

7. Bug hunting. If you’ve got little ones then going out in search of cool bugs is a great way to entertain them. June bugs, fireflies, ladybugs and moths are favorites because kids can catch them.

8. Learn something together. Is there something that everyone in the family could learn together? A new language, a type of cooking or how to play a musical instrument are great family learning experiences. You can get books and learn together on your own for cheap or find an affordable local class to take.

9. Camping. This is definitely a favorite summer activity for families. Check the local camps to find a good camp that is free or cheap. Pile everyone in the car and spend a couple of days camping under the stars.

10. Free days at museums. Museums frequently offer free days or reduced admission days to families during the summer. Check children’s museums, aquariums and planetariums for kid-friendly experiences.

11. Cheap arts and crafts. Kids love to do creative arts and crafts at home. Get big chunky chalk for them to write on the sidewalk with. Hang huge pieces of paper for finger painting. Teach them how to make friendship bracelets. A lot of great hours can be spent being creative together. One great idea is to redesign your living room for the summer to make a reading corner, a drawing center, a costume corner and so on so that the kids always have easy access to these things.

12. Summer festivals. There are probably many different summer festivals within easy driving distance of your home. Music festivals, art festivals and food festivals are all a great place to take the kids. Keep your shopping to a minimum and just enjoy the experience and this can be affordable.

13. U-Pick Farms. You can go to a local farm to pick fresh produce that is in season. You usually get to eat all that you can for free while you are there. Then you take the rest home with you. You get groceries and you have a great experience.

14. Cook together. Kids often spend summer days complaining that they’re bored and hungry. Kill two birds with one stone by cooking cheap recipes together. Let the kids pick what they want to make and help with the shopping.

15. Photograph everything. Kids love to take pictures. Get a cheap digital camera and make a plan to take at least one photograph every day. At the end of each week, choose some of your favorites and print them out for a scrapbook or collage.

16. Factory tours. If there are any factories in your area then you can probably go on a cheap factory tour. The kids will have fun learning about how different products are made and you may get to take product samples home with you.

17. Have people over. House guests, barbecues and summer parties are all fun for the kids. Keep it lowkey and potluck to reduce costs. You may even consider hosting summer travelers who have kids to let your kids meet new people while you earn some extra money.

18. Go to yard sales and flea markets. Kids can find a lot of fun toys for very little money at these places. You can find gifts and costumes to use the rest of the year.

19. Start a business together. Is there something that your family could do together to create a small business with no or low start-up costs? An ebay business selling homemade candles, a lemonade stand on the corner or a small baking business can all be done with kids.

20. Summer camp. Are you thinking that summer camp is really expensive? There are actually quite a few summer camps that are cheap or even free. Most camps offer scholarships or you could ask a local community member to consider sponsoring your child.

The summer is going to fly by faster than you can imagine. Make the most of it by enjoying lots of free and cheap activities with your kids!