How to Plan Fun Family Activities On a Budget

With the tough economy, planning fun family activities on a budget can be difficult. Spending time with the kids is important for family development, but planning activities to keep the little ones busy is a sometimes difficult task. How do you keep the kids busy and not break the bank? Here is a simple plan to keep the kids busy, and stay within budget.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Local Sunday News Paper

1. 
   The Sunday Newspaper

   Get the local Sunday paper. In virtually every paper across the nation, you can find a local calender section. This is a virtual treasure trove of information for cheap and no cost family activities. For about a buck, you and the kids can pick out several activities that are happing around town.

2. Give children a spending budget, and let them plan a family activity. Give you kids a spending limit, such as $20, and let them search online, through the newspaper, and even seek out alternatives in the community. Kids will often think of creative ideas that cost little or no money.

3. 
   Home Depot

   Seek out low cost or no cost activities in retail stores. Many stores, such as Home Depot, Lowes, and Michael's have in-store children's activities for FREE. These activities are generally in the morning, and allow the kids an opportunity to build a bird house, storage box, race care, or other craft items. Retailers supply the materials, the education, and sometimes even free coffee for mom and dad. A Starbucks in my neighborhood has craft day every Saturday morning for kids.

4. 
   The Library

   Make a trip to the library. There are tons of activities going on at the library to keep kids busy, most of them are free. Checking out books is both fun and educational, and there are often things such as story time, sing-a-longs, and art shows for kids young and old. You can even check out movies for free.

5. 
   Redbox Movies

   Rent movies instead of going to the theater. Movie theaters are very expensive. A family of four can easily spend $30-$40 just for admission, not to mention the trip to the snack stand. Use an online service such as Blockbuster or Netflix. An unlimited subscription is about $20 a month, and you will always have a new movie to watch around the house. Another great place to rent movies is through RedBox. The kiosk's are popping up all over, and allow users to rent movies for a buck per day.

6. 
   Family Beach Day

   Go to the park or the beach. This is a timeless activity, and a whole fun filled day can be had for the cost of gas. Pack a lunch, prepare a BBQ, and stop by your local Wal-Mart for an inflatable beach ball and raft. Beach toys are cheap, and will generally last several trips.

7. 
   Movie Theater

   Seek out free days at movie theaters, museums, and zoos. Many movie theaters around the country have free movies for kids once or twice a month. Museums and zoos also have free and reduced cost days once or twice a month. Some may be tied into a community service activity, such as a park clean up day which will help your kids give back to the community and have fun in the process.

8. 
   Board games

   Plan a family board game night. This is a great activity, and for less than $20 you can buy a board game that will provide many years of fun activities. Games can often be purchased at thrift stores and yard sales for a few dollars, making this a nearly free activity.

Tips & Warnings

• Create a budget and stick to it!
• Spend a little time doing research
• Look for Free activities
• Bring your own food... snack bars can be expensive
• Factor in the cost of parking

[Mindee94]

on 8/25/2009 How fun and inventive. Thanks for the great ideas!

[kaytay]

on 3/9/2009 Great family fun activities while on a budget! 5*

[AmyRose]

on 2/27/2009 An excellent, well-detailed list. Very inspiring! 5* and a favorite.