When I was a kid, summer break meant riding bikes with my friends, playing outside, reading, and finding other ways to keep myself entertained. Times have changed, and now, most kids don’t spend much time outdoors or on their own.
Without those activities, summer can be a long stretch of boredom and endless electronic usage, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many free or low-cost ways to keep your kids entertained.
Home Depot Kids’ Workshops
Home Depot offers free kids’ workshops. For instance, for May, they offer a workshop for kids to do an art project for moms for Mother’s Day. These workshops fill up quickly, so you’ll want to register well in advance.
Michael’s Classes for Kids
Michael’s craft store offers many classes for kids. Most of the courses are offered in a two-hour window and take about 30 minutes to complete. The cost for classes ranges from $3 to the cost of supplies. You can see the list of classes on the website; offerings vary based on your location.
Library Programs
Many libraries have extensive summer programs. Our local library has some type of activity from plays to science activities to crafts every Friday. They also have a summer reading program that my kids take advantage of. In addition, in the evenings, they have chess and game nights. You may be surprised by all your library has to offer.
Summer Reading Program
Don’t let your kids fall victim to the summer slide; join your local library’s summer reading program. Depending on the program and your children’s ages, they will need to read either a certain number of pages or a certain number of minutes per day. Then, they usually get prizes for completing their goal.
At our library in Chicago, the top 50 readers were treated to a pizza and bowling party. My son was always one of the top readers, and knowing that this outing was the reward kept him motivated. At our library now in Arizona, kids get a free book halfway through the reading program. So, as I said, prizes can vary based on the library.
Library Passes to Museums
Did you know that most libraries have free passes to local museums? This is a great way to see a museum that may be out of your range financially, and most libraries offer several museums you can visit with the pass.
Kids Bowl Free
Register at Kids Bowl Free, and your children can bowl two games for free every day at local participating bowling centers. FYI, you still have to rent the kids’ bowling shoes, so this is not exactly free, but it can be a good way to bowl at a reasonable cost.
Kids Skate Free
Select areas also offer Kids Skate Free where you can get two free passes weekly to go skating. (You may need to pay to rent your skates.) Areas for this are a bit more limited; in my state, only one rink offers this program. However, you can ask your local skating rink to consider joining.
Summer Movies
Harkins offers summer movie passes for $5 each. For that price, you and your kids can see 10 movies this summer. You pick a day of the week that you’d like to go, and every week on that day, you can watch the movie. It equates to 50 cents a movie, which is a fantastic deal. We do this every summer, and the kids really look forward to it.
There are many different theaters throughout the country that offer discounted movies ranging from less than $1 to up to $4. This is a great source for a complete list.
Outdoor Movies
Many cities offer free, outdoor movies. Just bring your snacks, blankets, and lawn chairs and enjoy a movie while enjoying the great outdoors. Kids love this type of activity because it’s novel and new.
Camp (campground or backyard)
If you’re a camping family, having a family campout is a great way to have summer fun. You could go to a local campground just to get away from it all for the weekend. Kids will enjoy the experience, including making S’mores by the fire.
If you don’t have the time or the inclination to go camping, your kids can still have this experience. Just pitch a tent in the backyard, and they can sleep out there (assuming they’re old enough), but don’t be surprised if they make their way back into the house at some point during the night. Still, they’ll likely enjoy and remember the experience.
Hike
Summertime is the perfect time to go exploring and take a hike together. You’ll get exercise, and you’ll get to enjoy the time in nature. Just don’t forget to bring lots of water!
Splash Pad or Pool
What better way is there to refresh than to go to the local splash pad or pool? Many public pools offer a summer pass, reducing your overall cost if you frequent the pool often.
Sign Up for Macaroni Kids Email
I’ve only learned of this recently, and what a fabulous program! Sign up giving your location, and every week, you’ll get an email listing things to do in your area. You’ll learn about summer camps, story times, teen gaming times, read to a dog and many more. In our area, for each day, I found two to eight activities listed as well as how much they cost. I’m planning to use this extensively this summer.
Free Concerts
If you live near a university, they may offer free concerts. At my former university during the summer, one night a week there was a free concert, and hundreds of people turned out. The music was usually very good, and it was an enjoyable, free way to spend an evening.
Tour a Factory
If you live near a major city, you may be able to tour a factory in your area. My kids love doing this whenever we’re on vacation, and this summer a Crayola factory is opening near us, so they want to go. Factory tours range from free to up to $20 per person, so you’ll need to check first. Factory Tours USA can help you find tours in your area.
Give the Kids Cooking Lessons
Do your kids know how to cook at least simple dishes? If they don’t, and if they are old enough, it may be time for cooking lessons. Once or twice a week, let the kids help you with meal prep so they can start learning to cook. As they get more experienced, you can hand over one meal a week for them to cook on their own. Not only will you be teaching them an essential skill that they’ll need in adulthood, but you’ll also be working yourself out of a job one night a week, which most parents won’t complain about!
Conclusions
Summer is fast-approaching, and if you’re wondering what to do with the kids, this list should get you started. Remember, also, not to pack the schedule too tightly. Kids need down time and time to be bored and learn to entertain themselves in addition to the fun activities you plan with them.
