Having Fun Cheap!!!

Now that summer is upon us here in Canada and the kids will be out of school in a week for their vacation, it is time to think about how to entertain the wee ones for the summer.  It is so easy to fall into the money trap, especially with

all the options out there such as amusement parks and high priced play equiptment.  I am a stay at home Mom and while we get by fine financially, we don't have alot of excess money to throw around for entertainment.  I find sometimes we have to be creative to keep the kids busy and not break the bank. 

First of all I like to keep most activities outside and somewhat active if possible, so to start any good day we slather on the sunscreen, then out we go.  We usually start in the morning by filling the kiddie pool so the water can sit in the sun for awhile and get warm that is an everyday favorite and keeps them busy for hours.  On rainy days we take egg cartons, play dough, straws and construction paper and makeboats for them to float in the water.  Washing the bikes is another favorite,I fill a pail of water with some dish soap and cloths and let them go wild.  My children usually end up washing more than the bikes and they usually end up with a few toys swimming in the bucket but it is harmess and they are having fun.  Sometimes instead of washing bikes we take a dish of soap and water and make bubbles using what ever we can find to blow them another good time and my 19mth old LOVES to chase the bubbles. 

If we want to go out then a picnic lunch or dinner is a must.  we all have bikes and a great park with paths just for bikes and walkers, so we park a fair diastance from the park and take our lunch with us, we bike to the park and the kids have a play then we enjoy a nice meal before the bike ride back.  some times or treck is just down the road from our house and we pick a grassy spot to eat along the way.  The kids will surprize you they can make fun out of almost anything from collecting rocks and pinecones, to making rhymes and songs or my personal favorite homemade jokes. 

At night we go out and watch the stars, chase fire flies, or roast marshmellows (we fortunately live in a rural area where we can burn).  After a fun filled day of activities they sleep like babies, and eat very well. 

I almost forgot the best one, yard sales!  Kids love toys and toys cost money so instead in the summer the girls save their allowance and we go to yard sales on weekends.  Not every weekend but when we wake up on a beautiful Saturday morning and we have no other plans for the day, the kids love to go treasure hunting.  Kids, especially young ones, don't mind if a toy isn't brand new (it's amazing how many just like new you will find though) and most importantly they are way cheaper slightly used than in the store.  I sometimes help out with the cost, if there is something just out of their budget.   When we get over run with toys of our own we make a trip to the goodwill store and make a donation.  The kids then get the chance to give back to others.  Once a year we do our own yard sale to and I let the kids keep the money they raise by selling some of the toys they have grown out of.  This way you won't get bogged down with piles of toys all over.

The main thing is not to sit on your kids and entertain them every minute but if you bring an activity to the table every so often it will spark their imaginations and they feel like they have got something great.  Best of all everyone is happy and you didn't break the bank to do it.  Remember kids love to spend time using their imaginations and with you.   So help them along with some neat ideas and sit back and enjoy watching them grow.  

Hopefully some of these ideas will spark some new ideas and if so be sure to share!!!!  I am always looking for new ideas and I am sure I'm not alone.