Cheap Summertime Activities for the Kids: What to Do for Little or No Money

Summertime is upon us and moms everywhere are gearing up for entertaining the kids for the next two months without totally losing their minds. Don't panic yet, let me help you solve those summertime blues when the kids are bored, and in need of safe and fun summertime activities that don't cost you a fortune. These summertime activites will also keep your kids from zoning out in front of the TV or video game system all summer. It's not too late to get yourself geared up and prepared for a summer full of family fun.

Sure, you can splurge on a season pass to the local amusement park, but even that is going to get old after a while and then what? Summer camps can be risky, too. More than once I've signed my kids up for what appeared to be a week of sure summer fun, but ended up being a total flop. Save your money and take advantage of these easy, inexpensive, and sometimes free, summertime activities and beat the summer time boredom blues. On a budget? No problem, most of these ideas are free or very low cost activities. For less than the price of one week of camp you can fund a whole summer of activity.

Go to your local craft store, and buy a clear medium sized plastic container with a lid. Then fill it up with a variety of kid friendly craft supplies. Last summer our craft supplies provided literally hours and hours of entertainment for my youngest three kids. Our container held various colors of felt, scissors, glue, pompoms, watercolor paint, pipe cleaners, and modeling clay. School's not even out yet, and my kids are already talking about what they want to add to the box for this summer. To my surprise my older kids really loved the paint by number sets. Who knew those were still popular? Also some of your local craft stores will offer craft classes for kids for a very nominal fee.

Another great summertime activity for your kids is planting a container garden. Last summer each child picked a different vegetable to plant in a container on our back porch. They were responsible for watering and grooming their own plant. They were so excited when we were actually able to eat what they grew. My son who grew tomatoes was even willing to eat one because he grew it.