It is a simple fact: children are bored quite easily, especially if they are on a break from school, like in the summer or around the holidays. Too often, trying to entertain them can cost a lot of money, so finding things to do that cost less will save your budget as well as provide meaningful family time. After all, this is the time of their little young lives that they need you to be there more than ever. You’ll also be creating lasting memories that you and your children will cherish for years to come. Below is a list of free or low cost activities that you can do with your children to have a good time, especially during those long school breaks.
A Day at the Park
Most likely you have a few parks withing your neighborhood, so make a list of all of the parks that are withing a reasonable amount of driving distance and plan to visit one each week. Your children will love the adventure of discovering a new place each week and their interest will be kept high. During your visit to the park you can plan to have the children play on the jungle gym, have a picnic, or just play some games. You can also bring a camera with you to take meaningful pictures and have the kids help you put together a book about the parks.
The Local Library
The library is probably the best place to go if you are trying to stick to a budget, because it is FREE! Upon obtaining a library card, you and your children can check out as many books as you’d like, plus they have a movie section, perfect for those family movie nights. Movie rentals are also free. Especially when your children are younger, they will have so much fun picking out different books and discovering what the library is all about.
Play Restaurant
Every moment of every day can be a learning experience for children, this is especially true at dinner time. A great way to involve your children in dinner preparation is to have them help you plan and prepare the menu. The menu should include the main dish, sides, desserts, and drinks. When dinner approaches help the children prepare to be waiters and waitresses. They can ask for guests orders, which they will think is really fun, and they can help prepare the food. This can eventually turn into a game, a game that has some great learning value.
Go On A Nature Walk
There is so much to discover when out in nature, and your children will certainly discover those little things that we often overlook. A great way to spend an afternoon is to take your children on a nature walk, letting your kids collect leaves and other specimen to take home and analyze. If taking these items home is a little wary for you, bring along a camera to take pictures of the items, then pull up the pictures at home for the kids to look at. This is a great way for kids to learn to identify what is in nature and what surrounds them each and every day.
Family Fun Night
Most of us have games and movies that may be stashed away, so why not get them out and make it a family night? The agenda could be as follows: play a couple of games, make a snack, then watch a movie. Make sure to involve the kids in the planning and preparation of it all, like choosing the games, what snack to make, and what movie to watch. They will love that you all are spending time together as a family, and memories will be made.
Water Fun
During those hot summer months, what could be more soothing than a big giant water balloon smashed into your back. Or maybe enjoying the cool sensation of running through the sprinklers is more up your ally, either way, your kids will love seeing you act like a big kid and joining in the fun. There are so many water activities that you can do, just use your imagination. Your grass needs to be watered anyway during this time of year, why not help it out a little bit by having a little fun? So, grab your bathing suits and plenty of water gear and head on out to the back yard!
Gardening
Children love to help and feel like they are doing a good job, so try to involve them in the gardening this planting season. You may think that the kids will just get in the way of your plan, but actually, they can be a big help. Have them help you pull weeds, or teach them how to plant a seed, and make sure that you designate a plant that is all theirs to take care of. Children feel a great sense of satisfaction when they have something of their that they know they have to take care of.
With all of these great ideas, your bound to have a great time with the children. Why not take advantage of this unique time that you get to spend together to bond as a family? You definitely won’t regret the time spent, and may even find that you are enjoying the activities just as much as the kids. The best way to make the most of a break is to prepare and plan ahead of time, then jump right in, full force. Make it a goal to make this break the most memorable of them all.
