5 Things To Do With Your Kids and Spend Less Money
Great Ideas for Spring Break Activities
In this economy, the frugal Katy parent is constantly on the lookout for ways to save bucks. The good news is that there are plenty of fun activities to do with your kids that don’t cost much, or even any, money.  Here are five of them – enjoy these bonding and memory-making ideas with your kids without putting a hurt on your checkbook.
1. Have an experience with nature. Every member of the family can enjoy some aspect of getting out into nature, you will find. It is refreshing to the soul and body to leave stress, technology, and the hustle of home behind for a couple of hours and just enjoy the breeze through the trees, sound of the birds, and warmth of the sunshine on your skin. It costs absolutely nothing to take the kids to park, and next to nothing to drive to the nearest State Park. The experiences and memories for your family, though, will be priceless.
2. Take a road trip. Remember when you were a kid, and the best part of any road trip you took with your family was the anticipation? That fact hasn’t changed for today’s kids, and to take even a day trip a couple of hours away is exciting and rewarding for the family. It’s as much fun to a kid to have restroom stops and buy snacks as it is to actually get there. Once, when we had just moved to Texas, we took a day road trip just to explore this area we now called home. The trip itself was the destination. We picked wildflowers, ate ice cream in a quaint neighboring town, and stopped at Whataburger for our dinner. The kids still talk about that road trip, and the only cost was gas and food.
3. Go camping as a family. If you already have most of the necessary equipment, this is the lowest cost mini-vacation you can get. Even though you might not be too excited about the thought of packing enough necessities for your entire family to “survive†a day or two in the wilderness, you will be glad once you are there that you did the work. That’s the only investment in camping – the labor. The memories you will take away from the experience will be forever imprinted on your kids’ hearts. Pretty good return, huh?.
4. Do a project together. Kids love to put things together, make things by hand, and experience new things. Why not do it together? The bonding that comes from creating something together is powerful and so fun. Dads, put a model airplane together with your son. Moms, scrapbook a family album with your daughter. Better yet, parents –plant a small garden and nurture something living with your kids. The appreciation your kids will gain for you and your time investment will last forever.
5. Go on a treasure hunt together. This is one of our favorites – go to yard sales or thrift stores together on a “treasure hunt.â€Â Choose what you are on the hunt for, like books, collectibles, or games, and get excited with your kids when they find their $1 treasure. It’s a lot of fun, and just costs a dollar.
These are just a few simple ideas to encourage quality time spent with your kids, without breaking the budget. Do you have other easy ideas for doing something fun in Katy with your kids on the cheap? Tell us, we’d love to learn more about this.
