Cheap Summer Fun Activities

The local library is one of the cheap summer fun activities. Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

Summer is officially here! If you have lost your job, you need to look at the bright side. You will be able to spend more time with your children doing cheap summer fun activities. You will save money by not having to pay for an in-home babysitter or daycare. You and your children will appreciate the memories you have together for the rest of your lives.

With summer here, surely you all want to go out in the warm weather and do fun things. You may be thinking you cannot afford to take your kids all over the place on a temporary low budget. Get that thought right out of your head. There are plenty of free and low cost things to do for summer.

You can pack a lunch at home and enjoy a picnic at a nearby park. You would have eaten the lunch at home anyways, why not eat outside and let the kids wear off some energy?

A low-cost item is to buy a state or county sticker. Cost is a one time fee of about $20.00 to $25.00 depending on the state you live in. You can enjoy plenty of items with this. Once you have a sticker you can get into many parks, hike on trails and the lakes for free playing on toys such as swing sets, teeter totters, etc., fishing and swimming. You will even get a discount if you camp at the state or County Park. All of these activities are excellent bonding together time.

Eat watermelon outside. Hook the sprinkler up outside on steamy hot days and let the kids run through it for a cheap summer fun and activity. Plus, the kids will easily clean up.

If you have a swing set, buy a little baby pool, you know the plastic type at Wal-Mart for $9.99. Put the swimming pool underneath the swing set slide and fill the pool. The kids will love sliding and splashing into the water for one of the cheap summer fun activities.

Join the library’s summer reading program. Once a week your children have to read a certain amount of minutes and keep record of it. Most libraries will give your children a little book to keep track of it. Parents initial the book. One activity should be done such as an art project, long bike ride, etc. Check books out weekly at the library with your kids for another earned point.

Each week have your child or children take their book to show the librarian their accomplishments. Our library even gives the children a free little prize each week. The final prize, if each week is done, is a gift certificate to a chain restaurant. Last year it was a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. The kids love getting weekly prizes, a free earned pizza and you love it as they are reading and keeping their brains working!

Two days ago our librarian gave us four free tickets to the Bristol Renaissance Fair in Illinois. A $9.50 value for each ticket and we live close by so that was an added benefit. The library has speakers, book clubs, kid’s summer craft times and story times. You cannot go wrong with the local library.

For more information on cheap summer fun activities please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.