Free Activities to do With Your Kids Before Summer Ends

15 Frugal & Free Activities to Do With Kids Before Summer Ends

Back-to-school sales are just around the corner. That means you have just a few more weeks to make some amazing memories. The pressure is on to get as much fun in as you can. You may worry about how all this fun is going to impact your budget. Well, it doesn't have to! There are tons of frugal and free activities that you can do with your kids. Here are 15 of them!

1. Go on a Nature Hike

Get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and spend some time in nature. Head out and check out local hiking trails, conservation areas, and nature centers. Take a camera to capture what you see. Don't forget the sunscreen and bring along a water bottle!

2. Head to The Beach

If you are lucky enough to live near a body of water, pack your beach towels and spend the day splashing in the surf. No, you don't need to live near an ocean for this. You can look around at parks and day-use recreation areas to find lakes, rivers, creeks, or streams that have designated swimming areas. Just use common sense precautions. Wear approved flotation devices and know that swimming in natural bodies of water is not the same as swimming in your local pool.

3. Have a Picnic Lunch

Who doesn't love a picnic lunch? It can be as fancy or low-key as you want. Go all out with a picnic basket and a car ride to a beautiful spot. Keep it as simple as possible with a blanket and peanut butter sandwiches in the backyard.

4. Go Stargazing

Wait until dark, and head somewhere with great nighttime visibility. Enjoy looking for constellations, scoping the sky for shooting stars, and trying to identify a planet or satellite. Your city may have an astronomy club that hosts free stargazing events for families. If you are lucky enough to live near a state or national park, there may be free or inexpensive night sky programs for you to enjoy.

5. Work on a DIY Craft

Forget those pricey arts and crafts kits. They are usually flimsy and limit creativity. Instead, challenge your kids and yourself to create something really cool out of items you find around your house. 

Have the kids collaborate to create something memorable together. If they are feeling competitive, make it an art contest.

6. Take a Bike Ride

How about some fresh air and exercise? Enjoy a beautiful summer day with a family bike ride. You'll burn off energy, get some exercise, and won't use an ounce of gas. Take a tour of the neighborhood, or ride your bikes to any one of the places or events listed here!

Too hot? Then wait until dusk for an evening ride, or get up early enough to go cycling as the sun rises.

7. Take Advantage of Everything Your Library Has to Offer

Your local library has so much to offer. Yes, it's a great resource for books, magazines, and DVDs. That's just the beginning! Take a deep dive into your library's offerings. You might find:

• Family passes to museums and other attractions
• Video games
• Board games
• Fishing poles
• Arts and crafts supplies
• Sports equipment
• Garden seeds
• Tools
• Internet hotspots
• Kindles & tablets
• Film projectors
• Binoculars & telescopes

Those are just some of the things your library might have. Don't forget about the book clubs, teen nights, classes, and other fun activities. We make the library an afternoon hangout so we can get out of the house and avoid running the AC. This helps us save on our utility bills!

8. Start a Late Summer Garden

It isn't too late to start a garden! Cabbage, radish, broccoli, day lilies, hibiscus, black eyed Susans, and hibiscus are just a few items that will grow this time of year. Some wildflowers will also bloom this time of year.

Then again, don't limit your kid's choices. Let them experiment and see what comes up and what doesn't. They can even create a "chaos garden". Take a small child's pool or other container and simply toss in a random assortment of seeds. Cover them up and see what happens! This is a great way to learn how plants cooperate and compete, and to use those leftover seeds from your spring garden.

9. Attend a Free Community Event

Follow your city, parks department, and other organizations on Facebook. Check out their events pages from time to time. You're sure to find free or extraordinarily inexpensive events in your town. The Johnston family regularly attends outdoor concerts, family fun nights, free movies, and exhibits.

10. Find Treasure Geocaching

If you've never tried geocaching, you are missing out on a fun family activity that hits all the right points. It's free. It gets the family out of the house. It involves a bit of a challenge, and finding a treasure.

How does it work? First, download a geocaching app. Then, check out a great tutorial. Once you have the basics down, get out there and find your first cache. I love this, because there are caches out there for people of all skill levels.

11. Spend a Day at The Museum

Take a few minutes to visit the websites of the museums in your area. Some of them may offer free family nights or reduced rates. Others may be free or inexpensive all of the time. There are a few museums in my area that only ask for a donation to check out the exhibits. 

It's worth checking out! Also look out for smaller more niche museums in your city. We love our city's big art museum, but also had a great time checking out some smaller museums. I had no idea that we had a classic car museum,  dental health museum, and a miniatures museum all within a 20 minute drive.

Do you receive food stamps or other benefits? Many museums participate in a museums for all program that offers free admission to families like yours. If you have a 4th grader, the Every Kid Outdoors offers a free pass to those kids and their families to access parks, historical sites, and other outdoor attractions.

12. Hold an Outdoor Movie Night

Drag a TV out onto the patio, set up blankets or folding chairs on the lawn, and screen a favorite movie. You could also hang sheet and borrow a projector from your local library. Po some popcorn and invite a few friends!

13. Explore a New Playground

Do you find yourselves at the same playground every week? Mix things up! Google playgrounds near me, and see what comes up. we tried this and found splash pads, a castle, an arboretum, fishing ponds, swimming holes, a BMX track, and an outdoor trampoline!

14. Go on a Scavenger Hunt

Make a list, give your kids a paper lunch sack, and send them out on a scavenger hunt! This is a great way to get them exploring nature as it exists in their own backyard and neighborhood. 

15. Have a Game Night

When was the last time you dug into the hall closet and pulled out a game for a fun family night at home? This is such a fun activity, and the cost is almost nothing. Even if you don't have games at home, you can find them for almost nothing at garage sales and thrift stores. Some nights, we forego the board games, and play cards instead. My kids can already beat me at Rummy and Phase 10!

Try a few of these activities before summer ends. You'll make great memories with your kids without breaking the bank!

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