Top 10 Inexpensive Summer Fun Ideas for the Kids

Schools out for the summer!

Hard to believe that having the summer off for a kid can lead to a fortune spent for a parent but truth be known, kids get the summer off, parents still have to work. We have a few suggestions that will take a load off the wallet and be maximum fun for the kids.

• In a word – ChalkBig
  • bulky wonderfully colorful side walk chalk, need I say more?
• Whats more fun than a big box?
  • Let kids brainstorm creative things to do with it — you’ll be surprised at how many things you can create with cardboard boxes.
• Go to the beach/lake, collect shells or rocks
  • You may not have access to a sandy beach but chances are you’re within driving distance of a lake. Whatever bodies of water you have nearby, the shores are likely to hold wonderful treasures, great shells, fabulous knobby rocks and mysterious things that may require a bit of sleuthing discovering what it is that you have found.
• Go on a picnic
  • Planning the picnic is almost as fun as having the picnic. Does your town have concerts in the park? Plan your picnic around an evening of music under the stars.
• Plant a garden, if you don’t have any land, plant a container garden
  • You don’t need land to teach kids how to grow things, all you need is sunlight, water, dirt, a container and seeds.
• Visit the zoo
  • Take your kids on a safari and discover the many varieties of animals that nature has created. Today’s zoo’s are a built as habitats for the animals within, it’s just like being in another country. Can you count all of the ants in an ant hill?
• Visit the museum
  • Museums offer all sorts of things for kids during the summer months. Go online and find the schedule for the museums in your area.
• Make something out of Popsicle sticks
  • What can’t you make out of popsicle sticks? Need ideas, visit Pinterest , there are tons of ideas and instructions too!
• Pitch a tent in the backyard
  • Camping out in the backyard is a time honored tradition of American childhood. Don’t forget to roast hot dogs and marshmallows if you have a fire pit (or on the grill). Fun for the kids and the grownups
• Participate in a workshop.
  • Home Depot has free workshops for kids ages 5 to 12 on the first Saturday of every month between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Kids make a craft they can keep. Kids can build a wooden project at Lowe’s free kids clinics on weekends.

Keeping the kids occupied and engaged during their summer break doesn’t have to be budget busting. We’ve listed just a few things that kids will find engaging, parents will enjoy and family memories will be made. What other ideas can you come up with?