Free Things To Do For Families

This post was originally published in March 2010. I had actually forgotten about it and when I came across it I thought it seemed timely – a good reminder for me ~Nicki

Need something to do with your family? Try some of these ideas for warm weather. Great for quality time and great for your budget because they all cost little or nothing.

1. Go for a walk after supper every night.
2. Or a family bike ride.
3. Make a kite together – and then go fly it.
4. Go for a scavenger hunt. (4 stones, 6 leaves, 3 pine cones, etc.)
5. Make a hopscotch with sidewalk chalk.
6. Teach your kids to play 4 Square.
7. See if you can figure out double-dutch jump rope. You’ll need 3 people for that. Need a goofy rhyme? Here’s one: Cinderella, dressed in yellow, went upstairs to kiss her fellow, made a mistake, kissed a snake, how many doctors will it take? 1,2,3 … etc. <– A real gem from my childhood
8. Go for a hike. Find trails in your area.
9. Make a daisy chain necklace – or a dandelion one if you haven’t mowed your lawn recently.
10. Play catch. Baseball, softball, football … you get the idea. Throw something to someone and have them catch it
11. Teach your kids how to throw a Frisbee. I am still really bad at this.
12. Then, teach them Frisbee Golf. (also called disk golf) Very fun and you can play it in your yard! <– This suggestion from Twitter by @moneycrush
13. Go to the beach. Almost anywhere you go you can find a free beach – whether it be a pond, lake or the ocean.
14. Go outside and read together. Under a tree if it’s hot outside, in the sun if it’s early Spring.
15. Go for a picnic.
16. Climb a tree. OK, maybe not the adults. I used to spend hours climbing trees as a kid. It never once occurred to me that it could be dangerous.
17. Plant a flower garden. This will require some money but can be done very inexpensively. Also, watch Freecycle for people giving away plants or bulbs.
18. Plant a vegetable garden. Let your kids pick out a specific thing to grow and allow them to tend those plants for the entire season.
19. Go kayaking or boating. For this to be free, you need to know someone that owns these things. Otherwise, many places will also rent them.
20. Play a game! Again, for this to be free you need to own the games. Classics like Uno and Rummy can be fun for a wide range of ages. Another idea – make up some fun “family rules” for a traditional game.
21. Star gaze. Bundle up in warm clothes and lay on blankets in your yard. If you live in a city or a bright area, drive a few miles out of town and lay in a field.
22. Have a camp fire. Be sure to get a burn permit if your town requires one (I think that most do) and build a fire pit in your backyard. Make a ring out of sturdy rocks and be sure it’s in a safe place. Don’t forget to make s’mores. I could sit for hours around a camp fire …
23. Or better yet – have a camp out in your back yard. Set up a tent and drag sleeping bags, flashlights and all that stuff outside.
24. Cuddle up in the corner of your favorite bookstore or attend story hour there.
25. Browse the library together.
26. Go for a car ride and sight-see.
27. Build something together. Many families have scrap supplies from home repair or remodeling. See if you can come up with enough supplies to make a bird house or a step stool.
28. Make a movie together. If you own a video camera this is a really fun thing to do. My husband and I did this when we were dating. We made a movie giving a walking tour.
29. Go tubing down a river. Of course, be sure your kids are good swimmers and wearing life jackets. When I was a kid I remember getting the giant tubes from the local tire store. They would loan them to us for the day – great fun.

What can you add? Do you have any great ideas for free, fun things to do with your family?

Why I do what I do ~ Chloe was eating some oyster crackers today. She hadn’t eaten them in a long time and had forgotten what they taste like. After eating one she said, “You know what these taste like Mom – sausage.”

photo credit: eyeliam

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Tagged as: Family Life, Frugal Living, Parenting, Saving Money