How do you entertain your kids when you're low on cash?

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Permalink Reply by Tracey Morin on July 22, 2009 at 8:25pm

I go to the library in town and they have free passes to the aqarium or childrens museums..check your local library out. I also do the beach a lot its free, we pack a lunch and go to the town park for the day they also have a splash pad, The town has free movie night on the beach you bring your own blanket and food. We go to appliance stores and ask for empty boxes and create our own houses by painting and decorating them. We bike ride around town then instead of dairy queen I had bought the huge bag of icepops from walmart( cheaper) and we enjoy them on the front steps then collect lightning bugs. Youth and family always has a fund for those who can't afford summer kids trips they cover my older children to go on a day trip they had planned in the summer and my kids pay back by helping them out at a function, I volunteer to be a chaperone and they tell me to bring my kids..thats always free.Volunteering brings in a lot of opprotunities for my kids to do things for free. Work family day on the green in town and they get free food and can do whatevers offered.
I have three kids ages 17, 13 and 2!!! big age difference and a lot of work to keep them happy during the summer..

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Permalink Reply by Christy on July 23, 2009 at 3:50am

I find that kids really do not care about the money stuff. I share custody with my older two, and half the week, they are with their Dad/Grandma...going to amusement parks, the zoo, vacations, movies, and they come back here on the weekends and I feel badly that I just can not provide all that. But, my eight year old asked that can we please just stay home and spend time together...he was tired of all that runnin' around. Go figure! Kids just want your time and attention....color with them, bake cookies, play board games, plant flower seeds, play in the sprinkler....take a long walk in the woods with you and the kids and the dog (if you have one).

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Permalink Reply by Christy on July 23, 2009 at 3:51am

Great ideas, Mom!!! I think I will borrow a few!!

Tracey Morin said:

I go to the library in town and they have free passes to the aqarium or childrens museums..check your local library out. I also do the beach a lot its free, we pack a lunch and go to the town park for the day they also have a splash pad, The town has free movie night on the beach you bring your own blanket and food. We go to appliance stores and ask for empty boxes and create our own houses by painting and decorating them. We bike ride around town then instead of dairy queen I had bought the huge bag of icepops from walmart( cheaper) and we enjoy them on the front steps then collect lightning bugs. Youth and family always has a fund for those who can't afford summer kids trips they cover my older children to go on a day trip they had planned in the summer and my kids pay back by helping them out at a function, I volunteer to be a chaperone and they tell me to bring my kids..thats always free.Volunteering brings in a lot of opprotunities for my kids to do things for free. Work family day on the green in town and they get free food and can do whatevers offered.
I have three kids ages 17, 13 and 2!!! big age difference and a lot of work to keep them happy during the summer..

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Permalink Reply by Renegade Mom on July 23, 2009 at 9:06am

Wow, these are great! We're starting a new feature, Free Fun Friday, which will be cheap things to do with kids. I'll probably use some of your suggestions, if you don't mind, and link over to y'all.

Thank you! And keep 'em coming!

~RM2

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Permalink Reply by Tharmati on July 23, 2009 at 10:21pm

construction paper, paint, glue-make crafts

library- free reading sessions


baking things together!!

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Permalink Reply by Gayle Greene on July 23, 2009 at 10:46pm

I have both kids 2 days a week. One of those days we take advantage of our local animal shelter which has a "kids' far," with sheep, goats, horses, roosters and a peacock! No admission cost and we get to give the dogs and cats inside some love. We also go to the library for story hour and/or activities. Also, we have a neighborhood coffee house where they feature childfriendly music acts 3 days a week...ticket price is $5 per kid and adults are free.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Allen on July 24, 2009 at 6:26am

My kids love to draw and I am constantly going to the dollar store for the paper tables of LARGE paper so that they can use thier art board. When we moved, my children lost their play room and now they have an area in our garage that is carpeted (Since the garage is too small to park a mini van in) All of their toys are accessible out there, and they have their art table and chairs - It is a great little place!

The kids also like to just go to the park down the street, ride bikes on the bike path, or go to our pool in our neighborhood (which is free for community residents) They help the neighbors garden in their flower beds, water the flowers etc... It is the little thingsin life that make kids happy - They could care less about how much things cost and riding in the car for hours at a time can be the most boring thin in the world...(as Christy mentioned with her kids wanting to just stay at home)

The options are limitless - Sometimes just asking the kids what they want to do will get you further ahead than trying to figure it out on your own! LOL!

JEN ALLEN
www.wix-n-stix.com

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Permalink Reply by sage moonstone on July 24, 2009 at 8:55am

I have lots of boxes here in all sorts of sizes.. I give the kids some washable markers and the boxes and they come up with the coolest ideas! It keeps them entertained for hours!

Making play-dough is another fun one... My kids are almost 7 and just turned 5 and they played with paly-dough for SEVEN HOURS a few days ago!! I couldn't BELIEVE IT! :)

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Permalink Reply by Kristi Maloney on July 24, 2009 at 2:38pm

Hi Renegade Mom,

Have you heard of http://www.letterboxing.org/index.php" target="_blank">? Letterboxing is the act of going on a treasure hunt, via a "map" that you print from the letterboxing website, to find the "treasure", which is a log book that has been hidden by a "placer". Once you locate the log, you then stamp the log with your special rubber stamp and name, which documents that you have found the treasure! My friend's 10 year old daughter uses a stamp of a rose, and calls herself "Guns and Roses." You will also keep your own log, to document all of your amazing finds! What a wonderful thing to do with your kids of any age!
Letterboxes have been placed all over the country. I just heard of a woman who found a letterbox in Japan! Letterboxing is a form of excercise (some letter boxes are at the top of mountains!) and it also brings an exciting element to the same old, park or playground, knowing that there is a treasure to be found! We have done it with friends in the past, and I plan on picking it up again! We are heading to Maine for a vacation tomorrow, I am going to do a search before we head out!

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Ditty on July 24, 2009 at 4:18pm

Hey Moms,

My husband went back to school and we have been pinching pennies for awhile now.
My kids are 5, 4, and 2. So these are good for what the younger ones love to do around my house.

We love:

the beach
library
and getting together with all my mom buds for a friday in the park day. We go every friday to a different park in our town. You could spice up the idea and add games to play with ideas from www.familyfun.go.com or Kaboodle is another site that has fun stuff to plan and do with the kids in a park.

Stamp making happens a lot at my house.... Potato, apple, radish. you name it you can usually stamp with it.

Shaving cream cards are quick easy and different every time. Shaving cream, food coloring, and a straw. Sweep the food coloring through the shaving cream with the straw then place cardstock face down on the swirls of color. Then wipe off the shaving cream. Crazy cool tie dye effect results. have the kids put their hands in and do a hand stamped card for G-ma.

Contact paper and junk around the house.
place contact paper face up. We masking taped ours to the wall. Stick everything you can find around the house that would make a good collage. Feathers. cotton balls, beans, pasta, fabric left overs, paper, magazine clippings. No messy glue and you just let them go.

I have tons more but I get most of my ideas on the web. :)

Good luck!
Jen Ditty

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Permalink Reply by Dawn on July 24, 2009 at 5:31pm

Don't underestimate the power of a picnic, board games, a bike ride, the sprinkler on the front lawn, finger paints, and a great sleep over with s'mores.

Cook or bake together.

Your public library usually has free events throughout the summer.

Invite the kids' friends over for bagels in the morning instead of lunch or dinner when it's more expensive to feed a crowd.

Show a DVD and have some popcorn on a rainy day instead of going to the movies The Sandlot, Goonies and ET entertain kids now as much as they did when we were kids.

If you are desperate, let them put on their "wheelies" and take them to a Super Target! ;) Just pretend your not their Mom.

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Permalink Reply by emely chariza mejia on July 24, 2009 at 8:17pm

i go to the park, bike ride, the mall, the zoo its free one day a week ... kite flying, craft, reading, boardgames , i play xbox with him some time , watch movies at home>> we also make up games.. we play phone... one person the person next to them anything they want in there ear n that person has to tell the next person the same thing ... at the end when what u had said gets back to u it always change it... n its funny please some itmes they say funny things ..

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