When it comes to having fun it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Check out these frugal and fun ideas that provide loads of entertainment:
Plant a Garden
Gardening provides fantastic opportunities for your children, your family, and your health. Kids love getting dirty and gardening together is a great way to teach kids how their food gets to their plate and to expand their taste for fruits and veggies. As an added bonus, you will know your veggies are pesticide free and safe for the family when you grow them at home.
Attend Local Free Events
Communities across the country come together to plan festivals, fairs, and special events. Many towns plan weekly movie nights or plays in local parks. Take a look at your local newspaper to find great opportunities to reconnect with your community and to get some free entertainment.
Play Games
While it may not sound frugal to go out and buy new board games, the replay value on board games far outstrips the initial costs. Cooperative board games, such as Pandemic, Forbidden Island, and Flash Point, get families to work towards a common purpose. Other games like 7 Wonders and Carcassonne save counting points until the end of the game which allows players to hone a strategy and only find out if it worked at the end. Pick games that downplay winning and encourage trying new ideas and experimenting with reaching goals.
Visit the Local Library
Remember spending hours in the children’s section of the local library as a kid? Not only do libraries encourage kids to open their minds to new worlds and ideas, but they provide a great space for kids to explore. Most libraries host Teddy Bear picnics or weekly story hours, so get your kids to these local treasures. Swing by your local library to let the kids pick out some books and find out what events are coming up next.
Have a Scavenger Hunt
Kids love to explore but unless you want the kids exploring the neighbor’s yard and down the street, you need to keep their exploring closer to home. A backyard scavenger hunt can be a fantastic way to keep the kids occupied. Get up a little early and plant clues around the house and yard that indicate what the kids need to find. Use riddles and hints to get the kids thinking and exploring.
Create a Walking Tour
Too many people live their entire lives in a town without fully knowing the history and local sites. Teach the kids more about your locale by creating a town walking tour. You’ll have a chance to talk to your kids about the history and legends of your hometown while engaging in a healthy activity.
Stage a Photo Shoot
Kids typically love taking center stage. Channel your inner photographer and have your children play models in a silly photo shoot. Kids can dress up in their favorite costumes, or even create their own, and you can take pictures, encouraging them to have fun and to get silly.
With over 20 years of experience in the nanny world as an award-winning nanny, agency director, and parenting author, Michelle LaRowe is considered a leading industry expert. A mom herself, she loves to educate parents and nannies on the importance of quality in-home childcare.
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