Low-Cost Summer Activities for Kids
The summertime is one of the best times of year to get out and be active without spending a lot of money. The weather is wonderful for being outdoors, and there are many free and low-cost educational activities sponsored with children in mind since many of them are out of school. Finding fun an inexpensive activities for you and your children to enjoy just requires a little creative thinking. Here are a few ideas:
Swimming
Who doesn’t love a chance to cool off in the hot summer months? Swimming gives you and your kids a chance to cool off and have some fun. You can head to a local beach or a lake to enjoy some fun in the sun. If you don’t live near either of these, you can always try a community pool, which will either be free or will charge a small admission. If you go to a community pool, you’ll likely be able to sign up for other activities, such as swimming lessons or water sports. Any of these are activities you can enjoy all summer long.
Camping
Camping is a traditional family activity that creates a lot of wonderful memories for many. It’s also very budget friendly! You can opt for deluxe accommodations in a cabin or RV at a state park, or you can keep it local by setting up a tent in your backyard or neighborhood park (if rules allow). You can go all out and buy fancy camping stoves or pre-made meals, or you can keep it simple and roast a few marshmallows over ghost stories. Camping is flexible enough to fit any budget, and the experience can be altered to suit your tastes.
Gardening
Plant a garden in your backyard to get some good exercise, learn about nutrition, and save on the family grocery budget. There are a lot of great lessons in gardening. You can use it to teach your kids about nature, sustainability, the importance of eating local, organic foods, and proper nutrition. Gardening can get your kids excited about eating healthier foods and about learning how to cook. Teaching them this valuable skill early can also help them make healthier and more eco-friendly choices when they’re older. If you don’t have a huge yard, or don’t have much of a green thumb, you can set up a square foot or container garden on your porch or balcony and just grow some herbs or a few easy-to-manage produce items.
Nature Walk
Look at the resources in your area: Do you have a wetland nearby? Is there dense forestland in a surrounding county? Does a river or creek run through town? Any of these could offer an excellent opportunity for a nature walk. Local preservation trusts or county officials will often offer these educational walks to teach kids and interested adults about the local ecosystem. Most are offered for free or for a nominal cost.
Museums
There are likely a variety of museums in your area, from art museums to science and natural history museums. Many of these will offer a day where the public can come for free or for a substantial discount. This may be once a week or once a month. Others will offer discounts for kids every day. If you have a lot of museums in your area, there might even be a group pass that will get you admission to all or several for a much lower rate. Take advantage of any opportunities like this in your area for great educational activities that you can enjoy all summer.
Summer is a great time to enjoy a wide variety of activities with your kids, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it. Take advantage of the beautiful weather and the kid-friendly activities promoted in your area for some low-budget entertainment.
What other budget-friendly activities do you enjoy with your kids in the summer? Tell us your ideas in the comments!
About the author:
Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for collegegrants.net. She has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished researching grants & scholarships for women.
