Three Fun and Frugal Summer Activities for Families
Assummertime quickly approaches, we await long lazy days and warm quietnights. Summer heat means spending time outside, soaking in the raysof the sun, and taking family vacations. While summer is a time forfun and relaxation, all too often our warm spirits are blemished with(ever present) money woes. With the kids out of school and full ofenergy, parents have to tip the budget a little to allow for more”fun money” spending. However, while summertime inevitablymeans more spending, it doesn’t have to mean completely breaking thebank. These five activities are entertaining and inexpensive optionsfor summertime fun for the whole family.
1.Have a Sprinkler Day:This is sure to be a huge hit with your kids. One week change yourwatering schedule, so that your lawn misses a few days of nourishment(don’t miss so much, of course, that you kill the grass). After a dayor two of not watering, plan with your kids to have a sprinkler day.Everyone can get on their bathing suits and run around through thesprinklers for a while. Your kids will love playing outside andgetting messy. You can set up different stations with differentactivities to do throughout the yard. Some fun and easy options arewater jump rope or sprinkler tag. Parents can also use thisopportunity to teach their kids about water conservation and reducingutility costs. Surely, your kids are going to want to play in thesprinklers longer than the lawn needs watering. Take this opportunityto teach your kids about wasting water and the importance waterconservation has on our environment. With older children, you canalso use this as an opportunity to teach about the monetary costs ofwater use. Sprinkler days can be loads of fun at virtually no cost atall. Just be sure to wear sunscreen.
2.Go to the Local Library:During the summertime it can be easy for kids to forget about theirreading. Anything remotely related to school or schoolwork is usuallylooked down on by kids who are crazy with summertime fun. One greatactivity to do with your kids during a quiet summer day is going toyour local library. Many libraries offer events to encourage a summerreading program. Take your kids to the library so that they cansearch around the stacks and sift through mountains of books on anysubject. Spend the day there and encourage your kids to pick a bookand start reading. Many libraries may also have storytelling hours.Kids can sit and listen as someone brings their favorite stories tolife. In these programs, kids can interact with the storyteller,asking questions about the book and helping to illustrate the story.Trips to the local library are free and provide a great opportunityfor summer learning and enrichment.
3.Have a Backyard Campout:One of the most costly aspects of summertime, is the family summervacation. While trips to Disneyland and the beach are always fun anddefinitely a must at some point of your kid’s childhood, a hugeblowout vacation like those can demolish a summer budget. One greatvacation alternative for a summer family on a budget is a backyardcampout. Pitch a tent in your backyard and cook some camping foodoutside. To make the “staycation” even more fun, try tomake it as authentic as possible. Use camping dishes, cook on a smallcamping grill, sleep in sleeping bags, tell ghost stories, roastmarshmallows, and sleep under the stars. While backyard camping mayseem a little lame, kids tend to really enjoy the weirdness of itall. This gives your kids a chance to really use their wonderfulimaginations. Go on adventures in the “woods” and play nearthe “river”. Just let your kids do the imaginative partsand see how far a pretend camping trip can take you.
Summeris a fabulous time of the year. You get to spend more time with yourkids and do things that just don’t seem possible during the otherseasons. The summer heat inspires fun and imagination. Don’t letbudgets and money get in the way of summer activities. Try any ofthese three fun and frugal activities with your kids during thesummer and see how much fun you can have without spending money. Ofcourse, there are numerous other frugal activities that you can doduring the summertime. Be creative and have a good time.
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MarianaAshleyis a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about bestonline colleges.She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed tomariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.
