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If you’ve heard the words “we’re bored” once too often, you know how tough can be to keep kids entertained. Family outings can get expensive. A trip to the zoo, festival, or theme park can easily set you back a hundred dollars or more. But fun times don’t have to cost so much. No matter what the season, with a bit of creativity it’s possible to have a great time for free.
Picnics are a favorite family activity. To keep the expense to a minimum, avoid areas where you’ll be tempted to spend money on extras such as boat rides, ice cream, or equipment rentals. Bring something to keep the kids occupied when they’re not eating, such as frisbees, balls, cards, or even board games. Take them on a nature hike through the woods. Bring a change of clothes and let them wade through a creek. Organize a scavenger hunt for items found in the area, or challenge them to see how many different types of tree leaves they can collect. Bring reference books for birds, shells, or plants and try to identify them. Lie down and watch the clouds. Fly a kite.
Camping can be a fun time, too. If you aren’t a big fan of wilderness adventures, try making camp in your own backyard. Keep it as realistic as possible, for the best effect. Pack up everything you’ll need and set a rule that nobody goes back into the house till the “trip” is over – except for bathroom breaks. Cook all of your food outdoors, either on a bonfire or a grill. If you don’t have a tent, make one by stringing blankets over a clothesline. Toast marshmallows and make smores. Tell ghost stories. Take your flashlights and go on a night hike through the yard or around the block. Spend the night in your tent, or in the comfort of your own beds.
Schools have field trips involving tours of factories and other points of interest. Why not have your own? A few quick phone calls will turn up many opportunities to arrange tours at area facilities. If a group is required, get together with a couple of other families. Tour the local candy or soft drink factory, a dam, or go behind the scenes where the newspaper is printed. You might be surprised at how many companies are happy to cooperate. With luck, you might even get free samples.
One day each spring, canoe liveries along a river near us hold a cleanup event. Canoe rental for the day is free, and all who participate need only collect a trash bag full of litter. There may be a similar event near you, with appropriate incentives. If not, consider organizing one yourself. Is there a park nearby that needs work? Ask area businesses to sponsor the event, offering free food and games in return for the work. Local kids will have a day of fun, businesses will gain publicity, the park will be a nicer place, and you’ll spread a wonderful message.
On rainy or cold days, the opportunities for low-cost outings seem few. You’ll need to be more creative. Libraries are a great place to spend some time, often hosting events such as movies or story hours. Instead of going to the local library branch, consider making a longer trip to a bigger library in a large city. Often taking up several floors, your family may be amazed at the materials that can be found there, sometimes including museum quality exhibits. Instead of just choosing some books and leaving, stick around for a while. Your family may be able to listen to music and other recorded material, browse stacks of magazines, or look up old newspapers on microfilm. For a few cents you can make a copy of the newspaper from the day you were born. Spend the rest of the weekend watching videos – libraries have free rentals!
Your family may resist the idea of outings that don’t cost anything, preferring a trip to the movies or museum. There seem to be so many well-advertised ways to spend your money, our society seems to have lost interest in simple, low cost activities. And it takes a lot more creativity to arrange free fun than a trip to the zoo. But once you start, you may be surprised at how many additional ideas your family might come up with. You might find that these trips are even more memorable, more educational, and better for bringing your family together than those that open your wallet.
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