This is a guest post by Trisha Wagner of DestroyDebt.com
With summer just around the corner many parents are wondering how they will keep their family entertained through the long days to come. This might be especially challenging if your family is experiencing a financial hardship or trying to cut costs to survive the current state of the economy. The good news for parents out there is there are plenty of ways to entertain your family without paying a huge price tag in the process. All it takes is some imagination and creative thought to put together some fun family activities without breaking the bank.
· Board games- A classic way to entertain the family on both the cold days of winter or the hot days of summer. Gathering around the table for a game of checkers, dominoes or even playing with a deck of cards is a great and inexpensive way to get connected with your family while allowing time to discuss each others interests and day to day activities.
· Movie night- Going out the movie theaters can quickly get expensive for a family, especially if you plan on enjoying drinks and snacks while there. A great way to save money on movie rentals is to check out your local library where you may be able to get free or very cheap movies for the family to enjoy. Take turns picking which movie to watch, pop some popcorn and gather around the TV for a fun night at home.
· Learn about local events- Many people are unaware of the many local activities that go on within their own communities that are fun for the whole family and inexpensive to enjoy. Go online, check community boards or ask other parents to get ideas where to have fun close to home.
· Volunteer- A great way for your family to spend time together while contributing to the community is to get involved in volunteer programs. There are always groups that are in need of help and getting your family involved is a great way to give back to the community and recognize how blessed your family is to have each other.
· Store sponsored events- A.C. Moore Kids’ Crafts, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Toys “R” Us and Barnes and Nobles are a few stores that offer store sponsored events that can entertain your kids on the cheap.
· Get back to nature- After months of being couped up inside the house both you and your kids will benefit by getting out in the fresh air. Consider a weekend camping at a local park, biking, hiking, swimming and summer sports as a way to burn off excess energy while spending valuable time together as a family.
These are just a few of the many activities that you can get your kids involved in that will not cost a lot of money and will also encourage family connections. In a time when money is the subject of so much attention you may find it a welcome relief to forget about how materialistic our society has become and get back to the basics when it comes to family fun.
Trisha Wagner is a freelance writer for DestroyDebt.com, a debt community featuring debt forums. Trisha writes regularly on the topics of getting out of debt and personal finance.
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Scrabble has always been popular with my family. Up until last Christmas, I almost always came in last (smart family). But this time I actually WON! Aside from Scrabble we also enjoy Balderdash, Scategories, and Trivial Pursuit.
As far as movies go, I suggest Red Box if you have one in your area. I just learned you get a free rental every Monday with a special code. Here’s a website that tracks all the codes.
http://www.insideredbox.com/redbox-codes/
We purchase memberships to four cultural venues each year: science museum, art museum, botanic gardens and the zoo. We don’t purchase them all at once, as we have staggered the annual memberships. The memberships are purchased with money from our weekly entertainment allotment (example: if you don’t use your whole allotment, carry it over and add it to next week’s and you have enough for the membership). We enjoy picnics – even in the car – so we pack our lunches. This is a weekly outing that all of us enjoy. I know it sounds like a lot of money, but if you go to one of these venues even twice a year, you’ve already paid more than a membership.
Great post. Definitely keep an eye open locally, particularly around holidays and during the summer. You’d be amazed the stuff you can do for free, or very cheaply.