Fun Things to do With Your Kids Without Spending Much Money

how to entertain kids

For a lot of families, summer is coming to an end and the kids will be heading back to school soon. It’s usually the time of summer when kids start to get bored, so finding fun things to do with your kids is important. If you’re in need of some end of summer entertainment for the kids, but are also concerned about saving money for the upcoming school year, try one of the following frugal ideas.

Take a Short Road Trip

Let’s face it, for a family of four, it’s not cheap to purchase airfare when taking a vacation. Instead of traveling far away, take a road trip and explore some of the fun local things to do within your own state. Gas prices are at reasonable levels, so it won’t cost you as much to fill up your car as it did last year. Cheap summer vacations are possible if you are willing to stay local and be creative.

If your family enjoys camping, find a new spot that you haven’t explored yet. Or if camping is not your idea of fun, visit other points of interest close to you. Growing up in Iowa, we had the Field of Dreams movie site to visit — the perfect trip for the sports loving kid. Check your state’s official tourism website to see a list of all the different attractions you can check out.

If you are going to be in the car for more than an hour or two, make sure you have some road trip games for kids. These will help keep them from getting restless before you arrive at your destination. Below are a couple of my favorites:

License Plates: As a kid, I would try to spot as many different states license plates as possible. You can also use the letters in multiple license plates and try spelling out words.
I-Spy: This might be one of the most popular games to play. One person would look around and pick something out, a cow for example, and the rest of the people in the car would try and guess by asking clues like, “Does it moo?”

Head to the Pool

Whether you live in a big city or a small town, there is most likely a public pool. Pack up the car with your towels and flotation devices and take the kids for a day of swimming. Most public pools charge anywhere from $2 to $5 for the day. With the temperatures getting so hot across most of the United States this summer, this is the perfect way to cool off and allow your kids to have a fun, inexpensive afternoon.

Teach Your Kids About Money

You can use the summertime to not only have fun with your kids, but also allow them to learn. Have them invite over a couple of friends and they can set up a lemonade stand. This will begin to teach them about the value of a dollar.

Let them use some of their own money to buy supplies. By not just handing them “free” money it will allow them to gain a better sense of how a business works. Once all is complete, have them place their money into an online savings account where they can watch it grow with interest.

Go to a Museum

Another fun thing for kids is to take them to a museum if you have one close to you. These are fun and educational for your kids. Plus, if you are a Bank of America customer, you can get into 150 different museums for free on the first full weekend of each month, just by showing your credit or debit card.

If your kids are starting to get restless and you are struggling for new exciting ideas on how to entertain kids, give one of these ideas a try. Not only will they have fun, but they will also learn something.