Family fun during the warm summer months doesn't have to be expensive. Here's a list of some simple activities to keep your family (and your checkbook!) happy.
- Attend outdoor concerts in local parks. Take a blanket or lawn chairs. Pack a lunch or dinner.
- Check the What's Happening section of local newspapers for inexpensive or free family fun activities.
- Take a stay-at-home vacations (write for tourist brochures -- plan each day like you would a vacation that you went away on -- get up early, pack a lunch, take in as many sites as you can).
- Perform a family service project (pick up litter, volunteer at a soup kitchen, plant trees).
- Volunteer at a zoo or nature center.
- Do a casual unit study (pick a subject -- i.e., ducks -- learn about it at library, take field trips, draw pictures, take photos, watch movies related to the subject, do crafts, write creative stories).
- Call local manufacturing plants. Many will give your family or small group a free tour, plus any complimentary samples make great souvenirs.
- Summer reading programs at local libraries offer great motivation for reading, and sometimes fun incentives such as coupons for local attractions, etc.
- Buying an annual family pass to a local tourist or educational attraction (zoo, aquarium, whatever) pays for itself quickly -- you can go back to the same place whenever you want a family outing (and then you don't feel rushed to "see it all" in one day when you know you'll be back again soon). Many have reciprocating privileges at zoos and/or museums all over the country. For example, we purchased a pass to the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon which has reciprocating privileges at both the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington and the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. All three zoos are within a two hour drive from our house, so we can take our pick of three zoos to attend throughout the year. For variety, we usually buy a pass to a different park or attraction each year.
- Discover the joy of Nature Walks. Take along hand-held magnifying glasses and/or binoculars (a future article in Simple Times will give further details about Nature Walks).
- Bird watching.
- Camping.
- Beach combing.
- Bike riding.
- Fishing
- Hiking.
- Blowing bubbles.
- Organize some group activities: Family Olympics (with several other families), Kids' Backyard Sleepover, Progressive Dinner, Stargazing Night, Recycled Craft Party.
- Pack a lunch and some balls, etc. -- take to park, play games.
- Have a "meet the neighbors" picnic. Invite everyone to bring a potluck dish to share, and drinks and utensils for themselves.
Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Two Dozen Ideas for Frugal Family Summer Fun in Debt-Free Family is owned by . Permission to republish Two Dozen Ideas for Frugal Family Summer Fun in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
