The summer days are going by fast. Like super fast.
I feel like I blink and the weekend is gone. It’s back to work and back to missing my kids.
We’ve been keeping busy though.
And trying to stay in budget while we’re out in about. Isn’t crazy that average American family spends about $100 per month on fast food?
To be honest, for the last few months we might have spent more than $100. Which is terrible because I know how much we save when I meal plan and stick to our food budget!
Anyway, I pinpointed why we were spending so much on fast food during the weekend. It was really simple-we weren’t eating or snacking right before we left the house, or packing any snacks to eat once we got hungry.
It’s so easy to grab a lunch box, an ice pack and a few snacks. This weekend we were in a hurry so I grabbed some Danimals smoothies and packed them up for the kids while we spent an afternoon house hunting and playing at a new park.
Along with trying to keep out of the fast food lanes, we’re trying to find free or cheap things to do together.
Free things to do with your kids this summer
- Free movies- check your local theater for their list of free summer movies
- Spray parks
- Free or cheap swimming pools
- BINGO night–grab a BINGO set & fill a bag with prizes. Your kids will love it!
- Explore new parks
- Movie night at home
- S’mores night
- Play hide n’ seek
- Plan a family game night
- Go for a walk or bike ride together
- Cook dinner together
- Volunteer as a family
Don’t forget to throw these smoothies in a lunchbox with an ice pack to keep them cold! You can even try making frozen treats out of them – I saw that here.
These smoothies are so easy to take along pretty much anywhere we go. I even had a few this weekend! My kids love ’em and they’re quick and yummy snacks.
Which free, kid friendly activities did I miss? Let me know in the comments.
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First of all, your children are precious! I have two little ones myself and finding fun summer activities is super easy when you have all the money in the world, but for those that don’t, finding free activities can be a challenge. Thanks for sharing these ideas! Definitely going to give them a try before summer is over!
Thank you Kimberly!
We love doing the free movies at one of the outdoor malls here in our city. The one thing I hate we haven’t done (and it’s not too late) is go biking together. I think this week I will air up our bikes for a ride this weekend!
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Hi Candy! We haven’t tried the outdoor movies yet. It’s so HOT here in Texas!
My kids are asking for a new adventure. I may try to find a splash pad in our town. Great idea, thanks for sharing.
Summer’s done here in our country but I’m so happy to know that we were able to do some of your suggestions. Enjoy summer with your kids! It’s the best season to have fun with them
It’s amazing how much money one can save by not eating out! I love packing snacks. Also smores night is a fabulous idea!
We love Danimals and they make the perfect grab and go snack! I love all the free things to do- with three kids, it’s difficult to spend less when the simplest of outings costs a lot because we have to purchase so many tickets. Thanks for the tips!
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Thanks so much for sharing these ideas! By the way, we discovered these smoothies at Costco about a month ago and my son loved them and we have been buying them ever since. I feel just like you about how quickly summer is going by. The other day I was telling my husband I couldn’t believe it is already August… more than half of the year is gone! It feels crazy sometimes. But then when you look back, you feel like you have done a lot… which is probably why we feel time goes by so fast! 🙂
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Those danimals smoothies are so awesome and the kids love them! I can’t believe we’re all gearing up for the school year, it feels like summer just started and now we’re starting school. Time flies, indeed!
Lots of great ideas to make summer even more fun without spending a ton of money. This list is especially helpful if you live in a small town that might not have as many activities available as larger cities.
The free pools are the BEST. They are the gifts that keep on giving as after a long day at the pool, the kids are beyond tired and night times are amazingly quiet. I can’t believe the summer is coming to an end so quickly.
Ayana
Volunteer with the family is an awesome idea! Not only you are spending time together, but also teaching the kids the gift of giving, brilliant!
Those are great things to do with your kids. I definitely should have been doing some of that with my daughter, but I haven’t been able to just yet. Have had other things I had to do. But hopefully in the next week.
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We love to have smores nights outdoors! Its always fun to get together with family and friends and make a snack!
Those are all great ideas to do with your children. My favorite is building forts with blankets inside the home or if your lucky enough to have a lot of cardboard boxes – make a fort outside with them. Thanks for sharing!
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One thing we’ve been taking advantage of this summer is BBQing. Less eating out saves us so much more money, and everyone loves it so its awesome. We love building forts, playing hide n seek and all those fun free games during the summer months!
We are always on the hunt for free things to do, and we always bring a great snack to appease them when they get hangry! Danimals is a big hit in our house!
These are such great ideas! Fun but free/cheap is what I’m all about haha. Kids remember these things as special memories, they don’t care what they cost!
We did them all except s’mores night, and that’s only because I don’t eat sugar. Great list! The last one on my list is a water sponge fight. It’s gotten too chilly to do it now!
my kids used to love those smooties. they are older but they will drink them if I buy them, not not infront of friends!!
I love the idea of volunteering together! A good way to teach your kids young the importance of giving back.
What a great list of free stuff to do with the kiddos. I am all about doing things that don’t cost me any money!
We just got a spray park in our town and I am so excited to take our youngest sibling out for a day of fun! I love how all the kids get to play and it doesn’t cost anything extra!
Haha!! I also have a huge list of summer, fall, winter, spring freebies! it can be so costly to entertain a family these days. I find a good list nearby helps me just browse through for some fun that maybe we haven’t tried in a year and the old favorites are always a great go to! I love summer outdoor free concerts and freebie movies for all ages! I’m a grandmother, so really, it’s just the atmosphere I’m looking for and enjoy all the laughter and giggles around us is an added bonus!
We are enjoying all the free movies in our neighborhood. There is one at least once a week and it’s a great way to have a little FREE excitement!
So many great ideas to get together and enjoy summer break from school with the whole family! Wonderful resource for families!
I’m guilty of never taking a picnic when we go on days put so having to buy food and snacks which can be expensive. This Summer I have started making sure I at least take drink and snacks on a day out so that even if I have to buy lunch it is less than having to buy everything!
Your kids are super cute! I love your list of free things to do. I so look for things like this during the summer. Sometimes free is best! My kids so love Daniamals.
My son loves Danimals! They pack well in a diaper bag, too!
Great Tips! These are all fun things to do with the Kiddos!