Fun things to do with your kids this summer

10 fun things you can do with your kids this summer
that won’t break the bank

For a family with young children like mine, a big family vacation in the summer is not always an option. But just because your summer entertainment budget is small doesn’t mean you and your kids can’t have lots of fun this summer.

Here are ten ideas to get you started having lots of fun this summer, on a tight budget.

1) Water + Kids = Lots of Fun

Put everyone in bathing suits and turn on the sprinklers. Fill the plastic pool that has been in the garage all year. Get some cheap squirt guns at the dollar store and fill up some water balloons. Trust me, your kids won’t need any further instructions. Just keep enough towels around to dry off afterward.

2) Your child on paper

Get a large sheet of packing paper or use some leftover wallpaper. Any large sheet of paper will do. Have your child lie on their back on the paper and use a pen or pencil to draw the outline around it. Let your child paint features, clothing, etc. When the paint dries, cut out the shape and hang this life-size picture of your child.

3) Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk

Use the recipe found at http://www.kinderinfo.com/crafts/sidewalk-chalk.htm to make your own sidewalk chalk. Use it for the kids to turn the driveway into a work of art, or use it to play hopscotch.

4) Take me to the ball game

Do you have a baseball team in town? It doesn’t have to be a major league team. In fact, the tickets will be much cheaper if it isn’t. Take the kids to a little league game or even watch your high school team play.

5) Backyard camping trip

Don’t have time to take the kids on a camping trip this year? Just camp out in the backyard or even in your living room. Your children will enjoy it as much as going out to the woods, and it will give you a great opportunity to spend quality time with your children without being interrupted by TV, video games, etc. For more tips on how to make this a fun event, read the Backyard Camping Trip at http://www.kinderinfo.com/articles/backyard-camping-trip.htm

6) Take the kids to work

Have your kids been curious about what mom or dad does all day at work? Take them with you for a day or even a few hours before they have to go back to school. Of course, you may want to check with your employer first. If you don’t like the idea of ​​having a child in the office all day, ask if it would be okay to have someone bring your child for an hour or two. Involve your son while she visits you. Ask him to help you with some of your daily tasks.

7) Game Night/Movie Night

Find some of the board games that have been sitting in the closet for years and play for a few hours. You can even share some games that you enjoyed playing as a child.

Movie Night is another great way for the whole family to spend the night together. Rent a family movie, pop some popcorn, and have everyone watch the movie together.

8) Lemonade Stand

Encourage your children to open a lemonade stand. They will be busy all day making signs and of course lemonade, setting the table and selling the lemonade. This is also a good time to practice math by working with them to figure out the cost of each glass of lemonade and how much they need to sell to make a profit.

9) Treasure hunt

You can keep the kids busy for hours with a fun scavenger hunt. The idea is to create a series of clues that the children will have to follow to get a small prize at the end. You can draw the item where the next clue is hidden on a note card or give them a written clue. For example, “The following clue is hidden under a chair in the house.” Put another clue under one of the chairs saying that the next clue can be found hanging from a tree in the yard. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

10) End of Summer Party

Invite the kids your child has been playing with all summer to an end-of-summer party. You may want to invite their parents too, so they have a chance to get to know each other. This doesn’t have to be fancy, just ask everyone to come over and cook up some hotdogs in the backyard.