Fun and Affordable Activities to Do With Your Kids
>> May 22, 2014
Summer is almost upon us and even though we
may be planning a couple week vacation of exciting activity for the family what
do we do for the rest of the summer? For stay at home moms or dads looking for fun things to do with kids or just for the occasional jaunt on the weekends here are
some ideas. Depending on where you live there are a lot of things to do and
places to go for family fun without costing a lot of money.
Parks – There are parks
practically everywhere all across the country. They vary from parks right in
your neighborhood to city parks and state parks, most have playground
equipment, jogging tracks, and picnic tables. Many include lakes for fishing or
swimming and most of the bigger parks like the state parks have hiking trails
to check out nature and local wildlife. The state parks do charge a small fee
for entrance but it is minimal and charged per car no matter how many
individuals you bring. When you take along a picnic lunch you can make a day of
it or if you are at a state park bring along a tent and spend a night or two.
Camping is really a great way to spend time with your family and enjoy each
others company in a laid back environment.
Many state parks are located near beautiful
sights and natural wonders. There are beautiful hills or mountains to climb and
cooling waters from natural water falls or ice cold springs to cool your toes
on a hot summer’s day. One of our family’s favorite activities is fishing and
the state parks in our area are all surrounded by lakes and in some areas they
are even next to the ocean. There are many great hotels near Natural Bridges State Beach in California that you can
stay at. For families who find themselves on a tight budget
these state parks are perfect and have so much to offer.
Festivals – In many parts of
the country festivals are an annual event for one reason or another. Whether it
is a local fruit or vegetable harvest or a holiday celebration or even a
collection of artwork from local artists festivals can be a lot of fun. There
you can walk through booth after booth to look at new and interesting things.
There are usually all kinds of yummy treats and local specialties to snack on
while you are walking around and tons of people to meet and greet.
Zoos – The zoo in our
city has one free day a week for families. Most zoos offer more activities than
just walking through and looking at the animals. They have exhibits that
children and adults can actually interact with some of the animals. For
instance most zoos now have petting zoos for the younger children with farm
animals or some of the more domesticated wild animals. They also have experts
who answer questions about the different animals and sometimes even let the
children handle some of the more unique creatures. At our local zoo they have a
water park and a lake with paddle boats which offers children and adults a
place to cool off in the hot summer heat. They even have a small train that
runs around the lake and zoo which the children really enjoy.
Museums – If you happen to
live in or close to a large city you can make a day of visiting the museums.
Most of the museums offer family days and are free one day a week or perhaps
have a minimal entrance fee. The science museums offer many hands on or
interactive exhibits for kids and adults alike. Many cities now have children’s
museums which allow the kids to take part in all kinds of scenarios. Our local
children’s museum has an exhibit that allows the children to see what it is
like to be a weatherperson or broadcaster. It also has a pretend grocery store
where the children can shop and check themselves out at cash registers. There
are tons of things to do at children’s museums and because almost everything is
interactive parents do not have to worry about the kids touching things. They
also offer one day a week that is free to the public. Museums and planetariums
are a great way to spend the day with the family and the bonus is that they are
educational as well!
Outdoor
Theaters and Concerts
– This is an activity that also depends on where you live. Most of the large
cities have these theaters but some small town do as well. This is a laid back
way to spend an evening with your family. If you can not afford the seats you
can bring along a blanket or two and a picnic dinner or even some lawn chairs.
The concerts are beautiful and the kids can either sit and listen or play
nearby. These theaters cater to families and offer good family entertainment.
It is a wonderful way to spend a summer evening or afternoon.
Sporting
Events
– If you live in a small town no doubt there are still football, baseball, and
basketball games you can attend at least on the high school level. If you live
in a big city or close to one that has major league games many times they offer
a free day for families or at least some really discounted seats. Even if you
are not particularly a sports fan if you have never been to a big league game
you will most likely enjoy the atmosphere and the immensity of the experience.
The sights and sounds of the big league are unique and children and adults as
well will be fascinated by the experience.
Amusement
Parks
–If you look online sometimes you can get discounts or package deals to some of
the larger amusement parks. Amusement parks are a lot of fun for kids and
usually have rides that range from the very young to adult in intensity. Very
often they have indoor activities as well and water rides to keep everyone from
overheating in the summers but do not forget your sun screen because you will
be spending a lot of time outside.
Swimming
Parks
– Here is another place you will not want to forget the sunscreen! The water
parks near us always have special offers either in the form of coupons or
certain days where they discount. This is a great way to spend a summer’s day
with the kids and some parks even let you bring in your own ice chests and
food. Most do require you to rent their inner tubes but it really depends on
the park. Check out the parks near you and see what their policies are and pick
the one that best meets the needs of your family. We enjoy the park that lets
us bring in our own food and beverages because that can get really pricey.
Historical
Monuments or Battleships – Get on the internet and check out the local
historical sights or some that may be within an hour or two of your home. The
battleships are really fun for the kids to see; many times they offer tours of
the ships as well. There are submarines as well sometimes that you can walk
through. Our family did and we were overcome with the small spaces that our
military live in on these submarines! There are all kinds of historical places
of interest across the country including some old forts and early settlements
that have the original schools and homes. They show us how the early American
settlers lived and it can make a big impression on the children to see how hard
it was before all of our modern technologies and innovations.
Arboretums,
Nature Centers, Botanical Gardens –We live not too far away from an
arboretum that was once privately owned but donated to the city. These gardens
are expansive and beautiful and wonderful places to take a nature walk with the
family. Now depending on where you live this can be really exciting for a
child. If they have grown up in the city and have not seen many expansive
gardens then it will be a big treat. Nature centers are another place that city
children can see and sometimes interact with the local wildlife.
Even if you live in the country there are larger wildlife ranches or parks
where you can see even larger animals. Most of them require you to drive
through.
Bird
Sanctuaries
– Wild bird sanctuaries are a great place to go to check out the birds in your
area of the country. Most of these places have caretakers and experts that take
you on tours. They even have classes for children such as interesting facts
about owls and they let you experience an owl up close and personal. Many offer
nature walks and point out the different species and allow you to take photos
as well.
I hope there are some ideas here to help
you plan your next family day out. So many times we go on our two or three week
vacations and then we end up spending the rest of the summer around the house. There
are ways to have fun that do not take a lot of money or a lot of travel time.
Do a little checking and see what you can find nearby to do with your family.
Always
curious, Ashley Hardway is constantly learning and passionate about sharing
what she learns with others. Based in the Houston, Texas office of Morningside
Nannies, she loves to help families grow stronger, help their environments and
communities, and keep moving forward! Check out @NannyLady on Twitter to connect and find out more.
1 komentar:
it sure will be fun time visiting all these places.
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