Five Low Cost Summer Activities
Summer is here and it is time to be outside. But what can you do with your kids that isn’t going to cost you an arm and a leg and that you will enjoy, as well? Amusement parks are very expensive, as is taking the whole family out for a movie. My grandfather, who grew up during the Great Depression, used to tell me how his family used to have fun in the summer. Some of these ideas are still viable to this day. Here is a list of cost-cutting ideas that you can do with the whole family!
Go to the Park. Many communities have put aside reserves of land to let people hike and ride bikes in. Pack a couple of sandwiches, grab a kite or a ball and head out to your local park and let the kids enjoy the summer weather. You can play some pickup basketball, or baseball, walk by a stream or just grab a book from the local library and read under a tree. If you are lucky, you might be able to catch a free game of baseball or soccer. It isn’t major league, but the youth games and adult softball games are fun to watch, as well.
Visit a local attraction. Every summer I see days where they offer free tickets to a local aquarium or museum that your children might enjoy. Our community offers free concerts in the downtown every Thursday night. Look in your local paper to find out when these events are happening and plan on going. You can find a lot of these entertainment venues online at places like www.eventful.com . This site is dedicated to posting events in your area, such as: concerts, festivals, art showings, local sporting events, etc…
Educate yourself and join a group. There’s a phenomenon on the internet called www.meetup.com . This is a web site that people can go to and find a group of others with similar interests to their own. Do you like bicycle riding? There’s a group in your area that gets together and rides trails. Do you like to play cards but can never find enough people to have a game? There’s a group for that, too. Meetup.com is wonderful for almost anything you like to do. Can’t find what you are looking for? You can start your own group and find people to participate. What is best is that joining a group is almost always free to do! I belong to several of these groups dealing with social networking, blogging, and search engine optimization. See if you can find something that captures your interest!
Go camping in your backyard. It isn’t as glamorous as rushing off to Yellowstone, but the kids would love an adventure in your backyard. You can put up some tents if you have them, grab the sleeping bags, light a fire and cook some hot dogs and s’mores while telling ghost stories. It is a good opportunity to teach your children things like tying knots and building a campfire, too. Being away from the television and console games will also give you some time to talk with your children, as well.
Teach your children how to fish. Another option is to take your children fishing. Some lakes will rent a fishing pole and you can get a one day pass rather cheaply. There are also private lakes that will sell one day passes to you. Fishing is an enjoyable hobby that you can do year round and is another way of getting your children (and yourself) out from in front of the television. Also, it is a hobby that is comparitively inexpensive and can add a lifetime of enjoyment from just one summer activity.
