PART 2 of 4
Thanks to Savvy Spending for passing along these great ideas,
11) Visit your local police or fire station: Call ahead and see if you can take your kids to see their local “heros”. Bring a plate of cookies as a thank you to these men and women who serve your community.
12) Wash outside: Do you have a small kiddy pool? Let it warm up in the sun all day and then give your kids an outdoor bath! Add bubbles and wash cloths and see who can get the soapiest before rinsing off!
13) Set up an obstacle course: You can do this inside on a rainy day or outside anytime. Get your kids moving by creating obstacles for them to hop, skip, run, jump, crawl through. You can use things like hula-hoops, small chairs, brooms, trampolines, balloons, etc. to create the course. Time the kids to see who can do it the fastest give everyone a Popsicle as a treat when they’re done.
14) Do some volunteer work: Ask an elderly neighbor if they need any summer chores done- like washing windows, picking weeds, etc. They may not see this as fun, but I bet they’ll feel good when they are done and you explain the importance of helping others. Give each of your kids a small award (money, extra video game time, ice cream treat) to thank them.
15) Write and act out a play: My sisters and I used to do this all the time. You can have older kids write their own, or read a childhood favorite story for kids to reenact, like Rumpelstiltskin. Make props and costumes with things you have at home. My sisters and I used to do this with friends and invite our parents to come watch our performance. We would even serve treats: little boxes of raisins!
16) Call your local Parks and Rec department: Or visit their website. Find out if they have a summer concert series, free family events, free swimming passes to use the pool, etc. Most cities offer so many fun and free family activities year round!
17) Sell some old toys and have Christmas in July: Take old toys and clothes to a thrift store or have a garage sale. Then, with the money you make, buy gifts for each other and have Christmas in July! You could even make cookies, sing Christmas carols, and read the story of Christ’s birth!
18) Go to the beach: You may have a drive a little ways, but this can be a great free family activity. What kids don’t enjoy the beach!?! Pack lunches and snacks and enjoy making memories!
19) Go to the Sprinkler park: We are so fortunate to have about 4 of these within 10 miles of us. They are becoming more popular, so look online and see if there is a new one near you! They are almost always free and are so much fun. If you don’t have one near you, create your own! You can water your grass and flowers while your kids cool off!
20) Go to the zoo or petting farm: Look for discounted tickets in entertainment books or call and see if they have discounted rates on certain days. If you have a friend with a membership, can you go with them on certain days when they can bring a guest? We don’t have a membership to the zoo, but we usually splurge for this a few times a year because the kids love it. Again, pack a lunch/dinner to avoid the high prices at the snack bars.
Readers Update***Please do not bring a plate of homemade food to any fire station/police station. I work for our local fire department and due to health risks, we are not allowed to accept home cooked food; if we do accept it to be courtesy it gets tossed out as we are not allowed to eat it. If you would like to bring something, it must be store bought, pre-packaged food. We also appreciate home made cards and pictures which are posted at the station.
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Part 1~ ideas 1-10 here
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