Did you know that there are dozens of fun things you can do with your family in the summertime without spending a dime?
Even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, it’s important to have family fun when the weather is hot. Not only will this aid the development of your children’s brains, but it will also strengthen family bonds and increase happiness.
If you want to find out about the top budget-friendly summer vacation ideas, read on and we’ll tell you what’s important to know.
Watch the Stars Without Spending a Dime
If you live outside of the city, it won’t cost you a penny to lay in your yard and watch the stars on a clear night. Make sure to lay down plenty of blankets and pillows so that you and your children stay warm and comfortable. And don’t forget to bring snacks such as popcorn and cookies.
If you live in an urban area where there’s lots of light pollution, consider making plans to visit and stay the night with family or friends who live in a rural area. If you bring along sleeping bags and a tent, you can even stay the night under the stars if you wish.
This is an ideal summer vacation to take if you’re in the process of getting out of debt. Once you’ve taken the right steps to get on better financial footing, you can start spending more money on your family adventures.
Organize Relay Race in Your Yard
This activity requires a bit of creativity on your part. It involves getting supplies together around your house that you can use to create an “outdoor Olympics” course for your children to participate in.
Search for things such as empty clothing hampers, pool noodles, hula hoops, and rope, and make your yard into an exciting obstacle course.
Consider inviting other children in your neighborhood to participate, and don’t forget to find a prize for the winner. There’s no need to spend money to do this if you offer a homemade reward such as a plate of cookies or a special cape.
Set Up a Blind Taste Test
Find out which of your children is best at identifying their favorite foods amidst a large selection of strange and unexpected concoctions. This is one of the top cheap activities for those who have many interesting ingredients around their houses.
To play this game, get ingredients and foods from your refrigerator that have contrasting flavors and smells, place each item neatly on a small dish, and bring them to a table in your backyard.
Blindfold your family members and challenge them to identify each of the secret items. Be sure to offer a reward to the winner and runner-up.
Build and Fly a Kite
Do you live in a windy area? If so, you should consider going on a kite flying adventure with your family. Even though it’s easy to buy a kite at a nearby store, it’s more fun and budget-friendly if you choose to build your own kite.
It’s easy to build a kite. Start by getting the materials together. You’ll need a plastic bag, string, two straight sticks, scissors, and a short ribbon.
Cut the plastic bag into a diamond frame that’s about half a meter wide, cross the sticks on top of the plastic frame, and fasten them at the frame’s edges. Add a ribbon at the base as a balance and tie the end of a spool of string to the kite’s frame. Then all you need to do is wait for a gust of wind.
Go on a Hike in Nature
Even if you live in the city, it’s possible to find a place in nature to go on a hike. Consider taking your family on a stroll through a nearby park that has a stream nearby and plenty of trees.
Take the opportunity to have meaningful family time together by having a conversation with your children about money management. Experts say that by the time children reach eight years old, it’s important to start offering them a weekly allowance while teaching them how to save money.
These are great kinds of conversations to have while you’re out hiking together.
Create a Waterpark in Your Backyard
If it’s a particularly hot day, why not turn on all of the sprinklers in your backyard and invite your children to run through them? This age-old activity is bound to entertain your children for hours on end.
At the same time, nothing beats going to a real water park. Since it can cost quite a bit of money to do this with your family, create a savings goal to set yourself on track to have money to spend to take this exciting trip.
Identify how much money you’ll need, set a date you want to save it, and make a plan for earning the money.
Make Vanilla Ice Cream from Scratch
There’s no need to buy ice cream from the supermarket when it is so easy and inexpensive to make homemade ice cream. Start by getting the necessary ingredients. You’ll need things like cream, sugar, sea salt, ice, and vanilla extract.
Combine the sugar, cream, and vanilla in a plastic bag, and seal it. Add the ice and salt to a larger plastic bag, and then place the smaller plastic bag inside of the larger bag. Shake these bags vigorously until the ice cream has solidified.
Create a Travel Inspiration Board
You’ll learn a lot about your children’s hopes and dreams by helping them to make travel inspiration boards. The first thing you need to do is get the right materials together. You’ll need several large pieces of tagboard, glue, scissors, and a pile of old magazines.
Set a piece of tagboard in front of each family member and invite them to look through your magazines to find pictures that represent their travel dreams. Use the scissors to cut them from the magazine and the glue to apply them to your travel inspiration boards.
Once you know where your children dream of traveling to, you can use this as inspiration to start planning and preparing for an amazing family getaway.
Don’t rush yourself in organizing this vacation. Maybe it will take you a year or two to save the money you need. But the family vacation of your dreams will eventually be within reach if you follow the top expert tips for saving money on your next family vacation.
Plant a Garden
This is an ideal family activity to organize late in the spring or early in the summer. Not only is it fun to plant a garden, but your children will have the chance to learn about growing their own fruits and vegetables. You’ll also save yourself money once it’s time to harvest the plants that you’ve grown.
The first step to planting a garden is finding the right plot. To do this, look for a space in your backyard that gets plenty of sunlight. Remove the grass or weeds, till the soil underneath, and remove the rocks.
Find out what kinds of plants grow in your area and get ahold of seeds for these plants. This is an ideal activity if you’re looking for a way to spend meaningful family time with your children.
Make a Lemonade Stand
Do you live in a busy neighborhood? If so, then encourage your children to make a lemonade stand. Not only will your children get the chance to make a bit of money, but it will also offer them the chance to socialize with their neighbors.
Design a Time Capsule
This is a fun activity that you’re children will likely forget they’ve taken part in until you remind them when they’re much older. The idea behind a time capsule is to choose personal memorabilia and personal photos to bury under a tree in your yard. It’s also a good idea to help your children write notes to their future selves.
After waiting ten years or more, you can dig up the buried time capsule with your children, who will be fully grown.
Summer Family Fun on a Budget: Easier Than You Might Think
If you’re on a budget yet still want to have family fun in the summer, there are many great things to do. Consider organizing an obstacle course in your backyard. You can also go for a hike in nature or spend a night in your yard watching the stars.
If you’re interested in learning about helpful budgeting tips or if you want to find out how to get an easy loan, we’re here to help you. Consider signing up for our newsletter and submit a loan request today.