It’s hot. Not just hot, hot and humid. Just look at this forecast. Add 4 kids home from school for the summer and one mom working from home and it’s a recipe for disaster. But instead of melting I decided to come up with a list of things we could do this week to keep us all busy (and hopefully exhaust the kids so I can work in the evenings)
Frugal and Fun Ways to Beat the Heat
- Take in a free or cheap movie. Some movie chains and local theaters offer $1 or free movies for kids.
- Go swimming: Might be free or cheap depending on your location. Our pool is included in our gym membership which isn’t cheap, but it’s already paid for so we may as well use it to full advantage!
- Play board games: I let each kid have a turn picking to avoid competition tears.
- Go bowling: Several chains are offering kids bowling programs where kids bowl free (adults pay and you pay for shoe rental and concessions).
- Head to Ikea. Have a local Ikea, head over and take a break in the cool air, drop the little ones (who are potty trained) off at Smalland and indulge in some AC, dreaming, overspending on little things (those $3 items add up fast!), and $1 ice cream cones.
- Library Fun: Go to the library for the free AC, wifi (in some cases), and plethora of books. Many libraries also offer free classes, camps, and storytimes. For older kids there may be science or chess among other things. Most libraries offer summer reading programs as an incentive for readers of all ages.
- Starbucks: For the cost of a cup of coffee and a treat for the kids I can buy an hour or so of internet browsing, AC, and they can read Marvel comics on the iPad.
- Dollar Store Finds: Give each child a dollar and head to the dollar store or Target’s Dollar spot. Everyone will find something fun to bring home and you won’t be out a ton of dough.
- Park Time: Head to your local parks for some outdoor fun. Look for shady parks, parks near a creek, or even a spray park (with water features to cool off). Many of our local parks host community days, and events during July-there must have been a dozen places to watch fireworks spread out over the last 10 days.
- Backyard Cool off: Set up a baby pool or slip and slide in the shade, and sip on icy cold lemonade, homemade popsicles and chilled summer fruits like berries. You can even set up a picnic in the shade or a backyard camping experience.
- Hibernate: During the cooler parts of the day spend some time outside, and use the middle of the day (from 10-4) to stay indoors and nap, color, have a little screen time and play games.
- Great Build: One of our favorite ways to entertain the kids is to get out all their Legos, lincoln logs, playmobil or similar toys and have a giant build-a-thon. The only rule is you have to use everything.
- Free Museum Days: Many museums offer free or discounted days throughout the summer for members of groups, banks, or the general public. Consider visiting a museum that has a reciprocal membership as well for free entry.
- Hardware Store: Kids of a certain age love the hardware store. Some little ones around 3 or 4 are always fans of power tools, the tractors and the ceiling fans are quite entertaining for toddlers. My kids love to ride in the truck cart at Lowe’s, admire the plants and pick out paint samples.
What are some ways you have fun without spending a ton during the summer?
Want even more ideas? Check out these post with 40 free&frugal ideas summer activities, and 50 cheap things to do when your kids are home from school.
MomAdvice has a Pinterest board dedicated to 100 Days of Summer with ideas for every age. All her ideas are budget-friendly and she’ll be sharing more crafts, activities, and menus all summer long on her blog.
Kelly
As I head into summer planning mode — I really appreciate some of these ideas! -Deirdre
There are some great suggestions in this list! My recommendation is to go for the free activities and the ones that wear the kids out quickly. Going to a local park or swimming hole provides a world of fun and before long, the little ones will have trouble keeping their eyes open for the ride home. This also helps free up some personal time once you get back so you can enjoy your latest book or try out a new recipe while there is a little down time. Thanks for the advice!
Home Remedies MD says
I think a good one is taking the kids to the beach to catch some sun and play in the sand
If you’re local for sure! It’s a daytrip for us but can be worth it!
When I was a kid, my mom took me to the library all the time. There was a children’s section (and later, a “young adults” section) with tons of books — and obviously, it was free. Plus, it instilled a love of reading that probably helped lead me to becoming a full-time writer today.
That’s wonderful! I need to make a weekly trip happen, my kids devour books so fast!
Anonymous says
I live by the river and heading down there is simply nice. Plus, taking advantage of local concerts in the parks or from colleges is a great way to gain culture.
We have a creek in our neighborhood-we may have to make a visit to it this week! Concerts are another great idea! Some local parks have concerts including kids music. Can’t beat free entertainment in the evenings.
We have a joint membership to our local Science Center and zoo so on the uber-hot (or rainy/cold) days we pack up and head out the the Science center and on the perfect days we head over to the zoo. Great tips!
That’s awesome that your local museum/zoo partnered up that way. I wish more attractions would think like that-after all the people who live in the area are the ones that use them the most.
Make our own popsicles. Layering cranberry juice, orange juice and vanilla yogurt. The waiting is hard. The boys bedroom is the only one in the house with A/C so I send them upstairs with a king sheet and have them build an indoor tent. Lego sorting. Not as constructive as building but they can spend an hour or more “finding the lego guys.” We went from 2 cones to “like sixty!” according to my 6 year old. Then clone play took us through the afternoon. I’m going to try your build a thon idea. Maybe in the basement?
YUM! Sounds like a tasty recipe. Tents inside can be so fun! Yes, if you have a basement it can be a great place to cool off-my sister and I used to be able to roller skate in ours! So fun.
Love the list, especially Ikea! I was just thinking of heading there tomorrow afternoon to pick up more lock bottles and maybe look around. Never thought of dropping the kids off in playland and enjoying the air conditioning. Hmm, would they object if I brought the laptop in and sat in the eating area and wrote while the kids?
LOL-I would SO do that.
I think you mentioned all the ideas I had. So far for us the kiddie pool has been a life saver. We’ve had it three days and we’ve used it everyday. Also the kids have been loving dress up time.
My kids are too big for a kiddie pool anymore but the sprinkler is still a great option-they love it!
you covered a lot of great ideas here. we do a lot of cleaning the outside of the house with sponges and the sprinkler, too.
Ooh good thinking! I have a window that needs cleaning. 😉
Our son is two and LOVES the hardware store. The biggest challenges are keeping up with him (he runs) and keeping him from pulling down anything dangerous or making a mess. But he loves it and it tires him out!
I remember those days! It goes fast-enjoy it while you can, before you know it the hardware store won’t hold nearly the same interest for him!
Robin says
Backyard camping/ fort building- if you don’t have a tent give the kids a sheet and some brooms, chairs, whatever. Pour lemonade into ice molds and stick in toothpicks for impromptu popsicles to stay cool.
Forts! I loved making forts as a kid. So need to do that with my kiddos again-it’s been awhile.