Free Activities to Do With Your Kids
Sometimes it seems like nothing is free these days. Everything your kids want to do requires payment of some sort and after a long summer of these activities, you’ll be more than ready to take on some free activities! Here are 10 fun things to do with your children that won’t cost you a penny.
1. Take a nature walk. This is a great way to spend some quality time with your kids. You don’t even have to be near a national park for this one, there is nature to be found everywhere. Get kids more involved by having them collect leaves, draw pictures of bugs and make rubbings of interesting rocks or leaves to put into a nature book (a regular notebook works fine).
2. Camp out… in the backyard. There’s no reason to pay high campground fees or even gas to get there. Just pitch a tent in your own backyard, have a picnic out there (roast marshmallows if permitted) and enjoy a fun sleepout!
3. Take in a street play. If you live in a larger town or city, chances are there are some free plays put on in the park on occasion. The local paper probably has a list of these. Mark them on your calendar so you won’t forget.
4. Check out free classes. Your local community center probably has some free classes or other activities that you will be able to enjoy with your kids. Check out their brochure and find out what is available to you.
5. Learn a new skill. Decide with your kids what you’d like to learn. Whether it’s origami or Asian cooking, look it up on the internet or get a book out of the library and learn together. This is a fun way to pick up some new skills with your kids, everything from sign language to carpentry and bookbinding can be learned this way.
6. Build a fort. Remember those days spent hammering bits and pieces together to make the perfect fort? Kids these days often miss out on this quintessential childhood experience, but they certainly don’t have to. Collect all the odds and ends you have laying around, find a decent spot and build your own fort.
7. Volunteer. There is nothing better than spending some time volunteering at a soup kitchen or retirement home to open kids’ eyes to the world around them. It’s a great way to start some interesting conversations with your children, as well.
8. Roll in the grass. If you don’t have a lawn of your own, head to the local park and show your kids the joys of rolling faster and faster down a slope of grass and then collapsing in a giggling heap at the bottom. Do some cloud watching while the grass tickles the back of your neck.
9. Go for a bike ride. An excellent way to see the neighborhood is to simply hop on your bikes. Be sure to choose routes that are appropriate for your children’s ages and abilities. Family bike rides can be as simple as going around the block, or as complicated as heading to the next town, or even taking a weekend trip.
10. Have a potluck. Invite a couple of other families to the local park and enjoy shared food while the kids have a blast on the playground. You might even want to set up a few simple activities like sack races, etc.
Having fun with your kids doesn’t mean you have to spend money. Some of the best activities out there are completely free and both you and your kids will discover that money isn’t necessary to have a great time together.
