Does the prospect of entertaining your kids during the summer break send you into a panic? If you’re stuck for ideas, here’s a list of ways you can inspire family fun – without breaking your budget.
Animals – If your children are ‘animal crazy,’ then animal-based activities like visiting a pet store, pond-dipping for creatures or even pet sitting for a neighbor are a real winner.
Back yard – Don’t think of your back yard as fencing in your creativity, think of it as another room of your house! Use your yard for all the activities that would be too messy indoors (like water balloons, mural painting and crazy sports) and just go for it. Best of all, you can invite the whole neighborhood to share the wackiness in a safe area.
Cameras – Don’t forget to record all your adventures! Today’s point-and-shoot digital cameras enable even young children to learn photography. Send children on a ‘photo scavenger hunt’ or let them create their very own scrapbooking project.
Directions – You may want to take the ‘wing it’ approach to anything new, but if you’re not quite sure what you’re doing, researching some guidelines may mean the difference between an activity being a success or a complete failure.
Event listings – Keep your ears – and eyes – open for what’s happening in your area by scanning local radio, newspapers and magazines. If you find discount coupons, that’s even better. (Visit the ourEvents Calendar on this site for great summer calendar of events, and our print and save coupons for fun around the city!)
Factory tours – Is there anywhere around you that offers tours for free or nominal cost? Food factories, fire and police stations and even working farms are fantastic ways to do something different and learn something new. Check whether you need to book tours ahead of time and whether they’re age-appropriate.
Gardening – Getting your children to plant and nurture easy-to-grow flowers and vegetables is a great summer-long project because they’ll be able to see the end result.
History – Have you ever explored your town’s heritage? Get out and do some detective work. Local tourist information centres, City Hall and even a cemetery can help you learn about what made your town and region what it is today.
Inquiry – Let your curiosity be a starting point. Ask yourself: 'What am I interested in? What is something that I’ve never had the chance to try?' They can lead to some surprising possibilities.
Join the fun – Don’t just let your kids have all the fun while you sit back and watch – join in! You deserve to make some summer memories, too, so give yourself permission to do all those activities you remember from your own childhood.
Kitchen – Let your kids occasionally take over the kitchen (with supervision, of course) to do some crazy science experiments, bake some treats or even learn how to make jam or salsa.
Libraries – Don’t forget to keep your kids’ brains sharp by reading! Use your library to research a new topic. Most libraries also run summer reading programs or special activities.
Museums – Take a field trip to view the exhibits in your local art gallery or museum; then encourage your children to make their own art based on what they’ve seen.
New places – Where haven’t you been yet? Even if you live in a small town, there are nooks and crannies to explore and investigate.
Outdoors – Even though summer days are long, they fly by, so make the most of them. Learn a new game or plan an overnight camping trip. Spend as much time as possible outside because before you know it, you’ll be back to your Fall routine.
Pinterest – Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) is a gold mine for ideas! You’ll find hundreds of “pins” for craft ideas, activities and recipes so if you hear, “Mom… I’m bored!” then this is the resource to quickly come up with something fresh.
Quiet moments – Resist the temptation to constantly entertain your children. Sometimes, letting them find their own fun is the best lesson they can learn. Kids are so busy during the school year that the hot, sultry weather is a perfect excuse for some good old-fashioned R & R.
Road trips – A short car trip can break up the monotony of summer days. Pick a route and see what points of interest you can find along the way.
Snacks – You can never have too many of these! Have a steady supply of healthy snacks so you can just ‘grab and go’ to keep your family fuelled up.
Trails – Even if you don’t consider yourselves an outdoor family, exploring local walking or biking trails is a great way to be active. If you do venture farther afield, make sure you take safety precautions – and a map.
University – Check whether your local community college or university runs any special summer programs. Even taking a tour around the buildings can be an interesting thing to do.
Volunteering – Put your vacation time to good use by participating in a good cause. Even if it’s just for one afternoon, volunteering makes you feel terrific and gives you a different perspective.
Water – Summer and water are a natural combination. How many activities involving water can you think of? But don’t underestimate the fun of running through a back yard sprinkler.
X-pectations – When school gets out, hold a family meeting to plan what your summer goals are. Learning about what everyone wants out of their vacation will make the most of precious family time.
Yard sales – Summer is prime yard sale season and regular ‘tours’ of your neighborhood yard sales can be a fun activity in itself. Give your kids a set amount of money to spend and see what creative items they can purchase. Yard sales are great sources for finding board games, craft materials and sports equipment for a nominal cost.
Zzzz’s – After you use all these energetic ideas, you and your kids will be worn out but hopefully, you can look back and say what a memorable vacation you had!
Carla is a freelance writer from Calgary. She is always on the lookout for frugal fun, no matter what time of year it is.
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