In response to last week’s question about frugal summer activities for toddlers, today’s question is from Heather:
I seem to see lots of free and discounted activities for younger kids (parks, zoos, kids eat free nights, etc) but I would love to know about any creative and frugal ideas for OLDER kids — ages 8-13.
We try to take advantage of BOGO food coupons and discounted movies, but we’re past the swinging-in-the-park days. I can only afford 1 week of camp for each kid so any suggestions would be awesome!
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Michelle says
Check your local 4-H events. Most are free and low cost. Mine are attending cake decorating, how to prepare healthy meals and simple sewing classes, but there are tons to choose from and you will quickly fill your calendar. They teach important skills and have fun and it gets you kids around other kids. Strongly advise anyone to check them out.
Lori says
I have two boys ages 9 and 11 and I will be needing something fun for them to do this summer also. I work, but I am self-employed and usually take off one day a week. I wanted to do something fun with them on that one day. I was thinking of horseback riding, swimming, going to the library, going to the movies (free movie Wednesdays where I live), bowling, having their friends over, going to the mall, going out to eat, museums, looking for free things to do in the paper everyweek, etc.
karen r says
Another idea is visiting family. We do week-long visits to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It can provide a break for you, a way for family to re-connect, and your kids get a chance to feel like their the center of attention for a bit. Then reciprocate and give one of your neices or nephews the spotlight. Since your hometown will be new to them, it’ll be easier to keep them entertained and your own kids will enjoys the company.
Ashley C says
I haven’t read any of the other ideas posted, but I just added a geocaching app to my phone. I have three boys, ages 9, 5, and 3. I know they’ll love it. Geocaching is a cheap adventure. We’re planning some picnicking trips for the summer and will include geocaching.
karen r says
Oops! Forgot to mention my daughter’s favorite activity! She goes to the local comic book store once a week to play in trading card game tournaments. She plays Magic the Gathering, but plenty of her friends play Pokemon or Yu-gi-oh. Since our local shop has a lot of college age kids playing, I usually stay and just crochet and visit with the adults while she plays. They sometimes give new players a promotional deck to learn with, or you can buy your own. Start up costs to make a good deck can be a little high, but once you have one, tournaments are free once a week and last four to six hours. Between games she talks to all the players about music, books, sports, even art. As strange as it sounds, it’s been a really wonderful experience for her.
karen r says
Free ideas:
Visiting relatives for a week, especially if they have cousins of a similar age.
Library (checking out books and movies or taking free classes)
Free days at the local community pools
Backyard camping with a friend over
DVD party with friends on rainy days (everyone brings one from home or the library)
Cheap ideas:
Craft projects
Cooking projects
Gardening projects
Paying them to work on home repairs with a parent
Or: Give them a budget for a summer project (what yopu would spend on a week of camp in previous years. Let THEM figure out how to spend it. They’ll easily spend hours and hours with a notebook and a calculator trying to figure out how to get the most fun from every penny.
Jenny Culler says
A couple of years ago I found out that at some of the old historic forts people will live there for the summer & they would work it like it was in the time the forts were in use. They will even try to use the same language for that era and even have animals at times. Some of them are free to go to and it is an easy all day thing because they will let the kids try different things like when wewent they let the kids try to work a loom and we got to watch and interact with the people and animals there it was a blast and the kids didn’t want to leave even when it started pouring down rain they just ran in & out of the rain.
Assorted-Raisins says
Heather, I don’t know if you’re in a city or rural area, but here’s my suggestions:
*Museums: Many have free days or even free admission
*The Library: Summer reading groups and activities for older kids and teens a-plenty.
*Antiquing/Flea Markets: Cool because you never know what coolness you’ll find and you can bargain!
*Explore-a-town/neighborhood: Are there any quirky small towns or ethnic neighborhoods near you? It is a great way to learn about new cultures or discover the gems by you like good diners or dim sum.
*Nature Hikes/Nature Centers: Nature is God’s Creation, free, relaxing and beautiful in summer.
*Volunteering: Plenty of places need help…lend a hand
*Thrifting–again, same thrills as antiquing but more accessible, open daily near you.
*Historical Sites: Many towns have a historical society. Or explore your area’s history. Example: visiting the Amish towns.
Heather says
We do go out a few times and pick strawberries and blueberries through the summer. All of my boys enjoy doing that – riding the tractor out to the fields, getting blueberry or strawberry ice-cream when we are finished – and filling out freezer with good fruit to last through part of the winter. Plus homemade pies, cobblers, muffins and plenty of fruit to put on top of our cereal, waffles…… Yum!
Thanks for the other suggestions.
assorted_raisins says
Heather,
You’ve probably heard these ideas in previous posts but here’s my rundown. Are you in or near a large city? Many cities have free admission days for their museums. Here’s my list:
*Check out FREE Days for local museums by you or look for Museums w/ free admission
*Flea Markets/Antiquing…these are fun since you’ll never know what you’ll find. Plus it’s fun to bargain.
*Nature Hikes/Nature Centers: The outdoors is free and beautiful in the summer. Why not explore the nature in your neck of the woods? Plus it’s relaxing.
*Explore-a-Neighborhood…are there any interesting ethnic neighborhoods or quirky small towns by you? Sometimes it’s really fun to explore a new town or a new culture…Example–Chinatown, and eating dim-sum, which is cheap. Small towns are cool too since they have neato diners or donut shops, for ex.
* The Library: Are you lucky enough to be by a good library? Libraries are full of activities for older kids/teens, e.g. summer reading programs.
*U-Pick Farms/Helping on a family farm/the Farmer’s Market
I love anything that teaches kids about good food. You can pick your own fresh food or volunteer to help on a family farm. Or hit up the local farmers’ market where you can talk to the farmers and discover local, handmade goods.
http://www.pickyourown.org/
*Volunteering. I read this elsewhere in the comments but volunteering is a great way to fill up the time and there are plenty of places that could use help.
Courtney says
Our state has free Fridays at different museums throughout the summer.
Kids may be too old for playing on swings, but our park has the splash pad that older kids use as well as a football/soccer field. There are kids playing pickup games all summer there.
As a kid I didn’t have a super structured summer (I only went to 1 week of church camp) and I loved it. I had time to read, my brothers and I built a fort, we played eternal games of monopoly, and we did puzzles. We were only allowed to go to friends homes once a week, so we couldn’t get into too much trouble.
Johanna says
Depending on where you live, several theatres in our town do free movies 2 days a week @10:00 during the summer. They are G & PG movies. What s a great FREEBIE!!! If your not sure just called your theatres and ask them if they do any free or discounted movies during the summer?
Kathye Shuman says
AMF bowling lanes has free bowling for kids under 15 all summer long. Register at their website https://freebowling.amf.com/free-registration.aspx and you get a voucher every week for two free games per child. They also have summer passes for adults for really really cheap (just look on the website). We did this a couple of years ago and loved it.
Danielle Hull says
Our local library offers freebies for the older kids with video game and movie times. Our local pool has a free swim day. I figure the closer to home, the cheaper it is!
Sarah says
A local minor league baseball team nearby is a fun and inexpensive outing!
hope64 says
Our local museum sponsors a Summer Science Hunt. Most activities are free. You visit a number of “science” sites throughout a 10 or 25 mile radius. For instance: a local dairy, the Regional Ag. Lab, the nature center, etc. You get a booklet to fill out. Once you have completed a certain number of activities you turn it in at the museum and you are automatically entered to win prizes. Some of the prizes are pretty neat! Museum admissions, science books, money to spend at the museum shop, etc.
Mindy says
My local bowling alley gives each kid 2 free games of bowling every day during the summer. It’s great for all ages
AmazonsRock says
My kids range in age from 2 months to almost 10. I plan on using this as my guide to fill their summer.
http://missbananapants.blogspot.com/p/100-rockin-summer-activities-for-kids.html?spref=fb
Jennifer says
Awesome link, thanks!
MH says
My own boys are 6.5, so a little younger than this set, but I’ve been doing some thinking about what I did at that age. My sister and I spent a lot of time in the summer with our grandparents or visiting our aunts and uncles. Our grandmother taught us to make pickles and jam and bake muffins with the berries we picked in her yard. We played a lot of Scrabble with her as well (bonus, word games build vocabulary). We’d have a running Scrabble tournament all summer, with the eventual loser having to buy the winner a new book of their choosing. I also did 4-H projects with her (and my mom) – weaving and learning to make a 9-patch quilt and sewing and basketmaking.
We always make a list at the beginning of the summer of all the things we want to do over the summer, and I really love the idea of kids learning a new skill from an older relative, neighbor or friend.
I’m clearly nostalgic remembering summertime fun! We would go and meet my dad for lunch (he worked in a town about 20 miles away) over the summer. We would go to the drive-in movie. We would sleep under the stars, or at least stay up late and lay on a blanket and stargaze. We would pop popcorn and make lemonade and call it a party. A neighbor girl and I created our own magazine. The possibilities seem endless to me!
Christal Beyer says
I have a couple of ideas to offer:
1. Bonfires in the backyard or at a forest preserve if they are permitted.
I received a fire pit for mother’s day a couple of years ago, and we so enjoy making smores out of them.
2. Splash pads. Here in Illinois we have a few parks with splash pads (water sprinklers) for the kids to run through. Free and a blast. I’ve seen kids up to age 14 having fun at these.
3. Vacation Bible school-different churches in the area do some great programs near my home, for not a whole lot of money at all.
4. kidsbowlfree.com, provides discounts on bowling for kids. You can also do what I did- call the bowling alley closest to you to see what day of the week they provide any specials on.
5. camping-make it a whole family affair at a new campground, or right in your back yard for extra fun.
6. Desert night-once a week we walk down to the local Ice Cream shop for the kids cones.
7. Water gun fights. Invest in a few cool guns from Walgreens for an all-summer-long sport. Nice way to stay cool on the hot days!
8. Nature centers. Take field trips to different nature centers in your area to meet other kids and see some new reptiles. Even older kids like things that crawl.
9. Skittles Bingo. My library does this, and kids up to age 10 come to see who can win. (Do this at home with your kids and maybe some of their friends, and make it an event.) Plan ahead of time to see what “prizes your kids might like”-I use pocket change, candy, or little toys from the dollar store.
10. Board Game night. Pop some popcorn or another special treat that you only make during this time-it’ll be your hook to play.
11. Concerts in the Park. Bring some blankets and maybe glow in the dark necklaces from the dollar store. It’s fun!
12. Catch Lightning Bugs at night.
13. Local libraries. Many libraries host activities that are free to the whole public-even if you do not live in district.
14. Zoos and Museums- Many host free days during the summer.
Hope this helps!
Courtney says
My three kids are all in that age range and they cannot wait until summer break! We get a family pool pass {$100 for our family of five – a huge bargain, in my opinion!} They are all involved in sports through our local rec league, which is very affordable. My daughter is taking art classes at the community center. Beyond that, we keep busy with reading, taking care of our garden, cooking {we like to try out lots of cooking projects during the summer}, and oh yeah, chores!
Heather says
Loking for ideas for my 15 year old son. He applied for two helper positions at our local summer camps but they weren’t hiring anyone under 16. He is going to volunteer for one week at Vacation Bible School at our church. He will be attending Marching Band Camp two weeks and Boy Scouts Camp one week. We will be away one week at the shore and 2 weeks in California.
I am thinking along the volunteering line that many of you have suggested!
Andrea says
It sounds like his summer is already full! Wouldn’t he enjoy some time to just relax and hang out?
Jessie says
I think that it is important to keep not only our small children but also our teenagers busy. They are at an age when they are faced with many temptations. Also, while some children love to lounge and read books etc, others really benefit from being active and having structured activities.
Andrea says
I’m not suggesting that teens run wild or be left unsupervised in perilous situations.
Summer vacation only lasts about eight weeks. Many high school students, particularly those in honors classes, have assigned reading and projects over the summer. Overscheduling leaves them little time to complete those.
Leaving a couple of weeks free leaves time for an annual physical, dentist/eye doctor appointments, shopping for new clothing/shoes, helping a grandparent, getting ice cream, having a friend over to watch a movie, etc. Trying to squeeze those in around a jam-packed schedule causes more stress for everyone.
Mary Ann says
Heather,
My 15 year old son and 16 year old daughter love to do 750 piece or 1000 piece puzzles. They also love card games and the architectural lego sets, which are made for teenagers up to adults.
Heather says
My oldest son loves Lego sets but the 15 year old does not. He doesn’t like puzzles either. He does enjoy reading. But will spend his time playing video games on the computer if I don’t keep him busy.
We found out that our Local Food Bank and use all of our help at any point in the summer so I think I may take him and his 2 brothers over a few times to help stock shelves and sort food.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Laura McCormack says
Try Cub Scout day camps. They don’t pay, but are usually thrilled to have the older scouts to help out. My son (16) has run the bb gun range, and loved it! (They let him shoot between groups, so that’s part of it.)
Kelly says
My youngest 2 children are 14 & 15 yr. old boys. I’ve been trying to come up with a list of ideas for their summer. We’re limited on funds as my husband has been out of work. We are lucky to live in an area where the Zoo and various museums are free so we will be visiting a lot of those. I hope to come up with some kind of “Fun Friday” trip each week. I’m also checking into some volunteer opportunities for both of them. They have been coming up with their own lists of things to do–swim, friends over, board game day, set up a puzzle table, running game of Risk (14 yr. old’s favorite game!), make terrariums.
Another thing I’m doing here at home is what I’m calling Home Ec 101. They’ll be brushing up on & improving their housekeeping & cooking skills as well as learning some new ones. 🙂
kate says
miniature golf
go canoeing or tubing down a nearby river, or just spend time along the banks – 8-year-old boys are fascinated by every fish, guppy, insect, and other little creepy crawlies that they can find.
play outside. bonus points for using imagination and/or making a mess.
bike rides
make friends with someone who has a pool – if you don’t want to dump the kids with the other family all day, volunteer to supervise and/or provide lunch and snacks for everyone. when i was a kid, my parents had a pool. my sister, our friends and i would spend the morning riding our bikes all over creation, stop at someone’s house for lunch, and then when the day really got hot, we’d all head over to our house to swim until it was dinnertime or the sun went down. my mom had a ready supply of towels (they are hard to bike with!), ice pops, squirt guns, and suntan lotion, and we were set.
join a community theatre – some groups take the summer off, but many do a summer show, and frequently do kids shows because they are home from school this time of year. check soon – your local theatre is probably casting now for their summer show. if your kids aren’t interested in acting, support the theatre by attending a performance. depending on the theatre, there might be opportunities for the kids to get involved in some of the backstage work for a show.
does the school district offer any enrichment activities? the grade schools near me do a “summer rec” program which is half days of camp at the school and the kids play kickball and do crafts, one day the fire dept comes and hoses all the kids down. our local high school does a music camp for grades 7-12 – they form a little summer band that rehearses a few afternoons a week and then puts on a small concert at the end. there winds up being a lot of high schoolers there, so it’s a good opportunity for middle school musicians to play alongside some better players, and keeps the instruments from getting dusty all summer.
check out the community college – ours has a planetarium!
arts and crafts – painting, macrame, learn to knit or crochet, small woodworking projects.
explore an unfamiliar small town for cool shops and things to do. go antique-ing or flea market-ing for treasures.
look for nearby historical sites. or geological ones (caves or caverns?). museums? factories that do tours? i’ve been to a basket factory, a potato chip factory, the crayola factory, the harley davidson factory, an ice cream factory.
does the library run a book club for kids? if not, start one with their friends. or a movie club – make every thursday afternoon “movie day” at someone’s house.
have sleepovers
make your own ice cream
make rock candy
go to a pick-your-own farm. these provide several days worth of fun, because you spend the first day picking the food and the rest of the week eating, cooking, baking, canning and freezing. pick a bushel of peaches or apples and stock your freezer with pies – homemade peach pie in the middle of january is quite a treat. (double-crust fruit pies freeze really well unbaked and wrapped tightly in plastic and foil; just bake from frozen and keep an eye on it.)
have the kids learn to cook, and prepare a meal of their choosing for the family for dinner.
be a mother’s helper for an afternoon and take the neighbor’s toddler to the park to play with the “big kids.” his mother will thank you!
get friends together to play games – soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, bocce ball, or capture the flag outside on the nice days, board games inside if it’s raining.
Patty says
I think unstructured fiddling-around time is crucial for children, and summer is perfect for it. Leave them to their own devices once in a while and see what they come up with. And the siblings get to pick an “activity” (chore, errand, clean the cat box, mop the kitchen floor, etc) for the first one who says, “I’m bored.”
We are “staycation”-ing big time this summer. We are fortunate to have several lovely state parks within driving distance. I’m planning to load up kiddo, a cooler of snacks and bevs, bikes, swim gear, other toys and games, and spend the day at a state park every couple of weeks.
Our city’s parks/rec department sponsors weekly kids concerts at the park. People bring a picnic dinner, and the kids play on the climbing rocks until the show starts. They also do movies under the stars.
Several local churches do vacation bible schools for a week.
On a hot day, turn on the sprinkler in the front yard, put out a box of squirt guns and a cooler of popsicles and watch the neighbor kids flock to your yard.
Switch game night to game afternoon.
Lynn says
I had to laugh – saying “I’m bored” in my house growing up was a huge mistake on our parts. If you said that, my mother promptly gave you a list of things (chores) to fill your time – we always had things to do because we didn’t want to know what we would have to do if we uttered those words!!
Patty says
My mom, too, Lynn! Those words never crossed my lips … at least not twice!
shari says
As soon as those words are out of my kids mouths I say, “great, the bathroom needs cleaned.” boy my kids can run and find something to do fast!
Penny says
Print calendars for each summer month. After dinner tonight, bring it out and ask them what their goals are for the summer (maybe run a half marathon?), what they’d like to do more of, and what they’d rather not do but know they should. Start filling in the calendar now.
Add things that you need them to help out with, and search for free things (like volunteering and nature excursions), too. Maybe even paid things (like babysitting or lawn mowing).
jenn says
At that age i loved our local library’s summer reading program. Our Art Museum has a free day weekly and the exhibits change frequently. An Outdoor Activity that we loved was water balloon fights. But we didn’t use the special water balloons we just used whatever balloons were the cheapest. That is a whole afternoon event, filling the balloons, then using them. We did that once a month one summer and it was a blast.
Projects are cool as well, my grandma taught me more sewing techniques, we made bracelets, and its amazing how much i fell in love with art at that age.
If the zoo is getting boring, and I don’t know how possible this is for everyone, however, my Spanish Class took a field trip to the zoo. Maybe it would feel like too much of a school outing to have to go to the zoo after having researched the different animal names. And there are plenty of bilingual resources out there. But animals are a pretty basic place to start & its fun. but then again I am a nerd. Though I went to the zoo as a college student, i will definitely be taking my children in this age range. Just a thought.
Lea Stormhammer says
I love the volunteering ideas that are listed. I also love the library, summer-long-projects and geocaching ideas.
But what about a job? Something like mowing lawns, walking dogs, weeding flowerbeds, light cleaning or babysitting. I even sat with an elderly neighbor a few hours a week so her husband could have a short break – she didn’t need complex medical care, just someone to help her stand up or sit down and heat up food or get drinks. We had a great time! My first “job” was as a 10-year-old weeding flower beds for a neighbor – making $10/wk. Not much – but it was spending money for the ice cream truck and pool admission!
Our city sponsors low-cost ($25 or less per week – usually free but advance registration is required) “camps” during the summer for kids through age 12 through our park service. Typically its play at the playground all day and bring a bag lunch but occasionally they have something like movie day or basketball skills or time at the city pool or something like that. I would also keep an eye out for free demonstrations/lessons at hardware/craft/etc. stores. Even things like decorative wall painting or jewelry making might be something fun to try even if you never do it again!
Hope that’s helpful!
Lea
Jodi says
Great idea! Michael’s and AC Moore do craft activities once or twice a week, and any adult activities, a teen could do.
Donna says
Last year, we did a Frugal Field Day. It was a blast! But the things we did could be fun for any day of the week or do one activity weekly on like Fridays. http://momsfrugal.blogspot.com/2011/07/frugal-field-day.html
This year, I’ve got some science books from the library with TONS of experiments and we will try some of those.
Do a garden! Nothing like work and the rewards that it brings to motivate children 🙂
Another thing my kids have enjoyed is Paper Toys. The PH has several links to some really neat ones: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/frugal-living/frugal-gifts/paper-toys
Julie Parker says
Our 13 year old loves to play basketball, so we found a used goal for $60.00 and it has been well worth it. He’s out there everyday rain, sun or snow. He’s getting exercise and we don’t have to go out and spend money to do a lot of things. We also enjoy going to state parks to fish or swim for a minimal charge.
Nicole says
I have 5 kids ages 11 months to 10 years. I have a list of things (about 40) that I wrote out last year and each day one of the older 4 children get to pick what we are going to do for that day. I had a baby in the middle of summer last year and it was WAY hotter in CO than I had expected so I sort of didn’t follow through as well as I had hoped. My oldest daughter already asked if we were going to do it again this year.
Some of the activities cost money and some are free activities. Everyone gets a turn each week and one day I get to pick. Some of the activities take an hour and some take more. If you are interested I can email you my list.
Jennifer says
Yes, please!
momofknt at yahoo dot com
Thanks!
Stacy says
The usual for me was the pool and there are plenty of good ideas above. I would also suggest looking for some community service activities. Day camps for younger kids often have older kids around to help with crafts. For something you could do together, look for a Habitat for Humanity project in your area and sign up for a few days doing that.
Carrie says
I have 5 boys, ages 3, 6, 11, 12, and 15. I try to keep the costs down over the summer for the activites. When my husband and I separated, I wrote a list (yes, I’m that obsessive) of things we could do:
1. local amusement parks (discounted tickets, pack food)
2. state parks (pack food, small entrance fee)
3. local fairs/festivals
4. local swimming pool
5. hiking
6. vacation bible school (my older kids are too old for this now)
7. fireworks (we can watch from our living room as we live by a golf course)
8. library programs (better for the little kids)
9. company picnics (discounted tickets to amusement park, free food)
10. swimming/cook-outs at brother’s house
11. visit ex-inlaws (yes I know it’s weird, but we get along great still)
12. garage sales (having them and going to them)
13. sitting around backyard fire pit roasting marshmellows
14. and this year…we are going camping for a week at a campsite that has rv rentals (packing food and bikes)
marney says
Animals shelters and nature centers are very busy during the summer and always need volunteers. Kids this age probably would not be able to work directly with the animals, but they can stuff envelopes, collect newspapers and towels for the cages, and help with fundraising activities. Kids love to help animals, I’ve never met one that didn’t!
jk says
I have an older child and a young preschooler so some activities are not meant for one or the other. However, you just have to teach them to compromise and enjoy what you can. We plan on swim lessons every day, $1 summer movies, kids bowl free at AMF, VBS for one week and singing camp for my older child. Otherwise, I just like to sit back and enjoy my children even if we’re stuck at home and just build memories at home.
Jodi says
Now that my kids are older, I love to play UpWords with them! Now they even beat me! (It’s like Scrabble, but I like it better, because you can build up on the words) I love to do that at home.
Glory says
My kids like swimming, hiking, fishing. They especially like geocaching, which is a bit like a treasure hunt with a GPS.
We also go to local events such as concerts in the park, bike races, fairs, etc. Our rec department offers some very reasonable classes as well so we sign our children up for some activities and they get to learn something new.
Whitney says
I was going to suggest VBS, either as attending or as a volunteer. That was always a highlight of my summer growing up. It’s only a week, but it does take up more time than that with planning, etc.
Our local Boys and Girls Club offers very low-cost programs all year long. I’d bet they’d have lots of option for older kids.
Also, I’ve been seeing some talk on blogs and pinterest about a do it yourself summer camp for kids, friends, and/or cousins. It’s much cheaper and more doable than a traditional sleep away camp and can be customized for anything your children are interested in. Lego camp? Craft camp? Garden camp? Sure! Just a little work, imagination and you’ve got a fun time ready to go.
Chanda says
Projects! Kids that age love to have a goal to work towards, especially if mom and dad offer their support. Sew a quilt, bake bread, plan a garage sale, teach a lesson to younger siblings/neighbors, volunteer at VBS, make mom’s menu and do the shopping, build a bird house, paint a sculpture, geocache, plan stops for the family vacation, etc.
Mrs. Mordecai says
One more thought: when I was that age, I spent hours upon hours coloring a very intricate paper doll book—which I just found out is still available!
http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Elizabeth-I-Paper-Dolls-Color/dp/088388013X
Mrs. Mordecai says
A lot of libraries have summer reading programs. What about museums in your area? We have a great science museum here. How about hikes and picnics (letting your kids pack the picnic would provide extra amusement).
I think kids that age are old enough to provide a lot of their own amusement. Perhaps let them choose a summer project to work on—let them build something in the backyard, or plant a garden, or host a family science fair.
You might also give them responsibilities around the house they would enjoy—like letting them plan and cook dinner once a week.
Jen says
My son, 13, is going to church camp, mission camp, drama camp and basketball camp for under $500 total (2 are overnight, 2 are day camps). Check into churches around the area doing their own little sports and drama camps–I’ve seen them for $25-75 per week in this area. I’m also fortunate enough to be able to afford a swimming pool pass for the family, which he will enjoy doing with his cousin close in age. And I’m sure he will spend plenty of time helping Grandma at her house and hanging out with school friends, as well has having some much needed down time. Our local library also has a free teen program in summer, where he gets prizes for # of pages read, as well as book discussion groups and other teen activities.
Siobhan @moneydearest says
My sister just took a cake decorating class at AC Moore. It was like $20 for a few weeks worth of classes. I think you can find a bunch of different classes like that around.
Christie says
If you have a hand-held GPS (not the car GPS), you can send them Geocaching. geocaching.com is free to use and participate (but a GPS device is about $150-$200 upfront- we’ve had ours for 6 years now, and it’s still working just fine.) We live in a small college town, and there are hundreds of geocaches hidden within 10 miles of our house. We also look for caches when we’re travelling.
Lauren says
This was going to be my suggestion! This is so fun for everyone in the family.
Brooke says
That’s a tough age to find entertainment for because they don’t want to seem like little kids. Going to pool, make a day of it, pack a lunch and invite friends. Organize a movie marathon, have each kid bring a movie of a certain theme. Set up a Frisbee golf course or have a backyard sports tournament.
Frugal Jen | Frugal, Freebies and Deals says
Vacation Bible Schools are great for the 8-10 yrs olds- cheap and even free. And if they are older they could volunteer at them.
Also check groupon and other deal sites for local summer camps. I have seen a few week long ones in my area for $100 or less.
Angie D says
Kids Bowl Free –just pay for shoe rental
Junior Golf–our city has 8 weekly lessons for $10!
Movie theaters–one of our theaters offers free summer movies.
“Wipeout” obstacle course with water, mud and sand in the back yard!
Melanie says
Visit the library! Most have a young adult summer reading program in addition to their children’s program, and even if your kids aren’t readers, libraries make an effort to offer lots of programming for various age groups because they know they’re out of school and looking for something to do! In the summer our library has offered the following for ages 10 and up: Wii, henna, yoga, origami, drawing, kite-making, storytelling, and more! All free to the public (although some classes charge a nominal materials fee).
Tari says
Agreed on the volunteerism! My work has a youth volunteer corps that has weekly projects in the summer. They get to know kids and see the impact their efforts have in the community. I’d check if you have one in your area. Our link is above. 🙂 I think we charge a $10 membership fee and then everything else is just arranging your schedule to drop them off at the volunteer sites for projects that work out for your family.
Cindy says
Bowling is lots of fun, and where we live you can sign up for summer special where you can play 2 games a day and only pay for the shoes!
Anne says
Got a frisbee? Fishing Pole? Sleep outside in the backyard.
Carol O. says
Gardening, volunteering and babysitting (CHEAPLY) for friends or family members to give young mothers/single parents a BREAK is a HUGE blessing. Also, growing plants for resale or donating to friends and family can be fun. It really depends on what their true heart-passions are. If they love fishing, then thye need time to do that. If they love making things, they need to find time to do that. If they can teach a skill of their own to other kids, they can offer classes for cheap or free to keep OTHER people’s kids entertained in the summer. 🙂 Learn a new instrument?
Maria says
Free bowling
Discounted movies
Swimteam at your local community center/pool. (Here it’s $80 for two months/5 days a week. That’s cheap!)
Hiking/playing at your local park
Rollerblading and bike riding
Gardening
Reading
Andrea says
I agree. I had my own garden at that age and went to the library every two weeks. We had swimming lessons instead of swimteam.
Jill says
I nannied for a family in college that did not allow their 11 yr old daughter to watch tv, so I had to get creative in the summertime to entertain her on a budget. On Sunday nights I would search the Internet/local paper for volunteer activities or free programs offered by businesses and churches that we could do together. I also had a rotation of items that stayed on the list weekly such as the art museum or the botanical gardens. The weekly list helped keep her focused and I wasn’t always trying to come up with activities.
shari says
Volunteer! Or,
Have them ask around the neighborhood to see if anyone wants them to mow grass. They can make a few bucks to do other activities.
Kelly S says
If you have one in your area, community colleges often offer a “college for kids” program. These aren’t free, but they can be cheap and can teach some great skills. The other day we received a flyer about one in the mail and my husband and I were reading through all the awesome offerings, wishing we were in that age group! I think most of them were geared toward 9 to 12 year-olds.
Kelly S says
You might check out summer activities at a church, if that’s something you’re interested in. Churches often have Vacation Bible School, camps, field trips, classes, and other special activities during the summer. While parents can sometimes abuse these activities as “free babysitting,” I think there can be a lot of benefit to them too – children learn values and have a fun time and can be around other kids… and the churches will probably be thrilled to have more young people participating in the activities they have worked hard to plan! (I work at a church, so I speak from experience with that last part. 🙂
Llama Momma says
I have ten year old twin boys and a five year old, and was just thinking I need to do some planning!
We don’t do any camps or classes–my older boys really appreciate having a “break” from structured activities.
We splurge on a family membership to someplace new–we’re fortunate to be within driving distance of a big city with lots of cool museums.
My kids favorite thing right now is just hanging out with their friends. I try to make my home comfortable and welcoming. Sometimes just saying, “Hey! What to invite a friend or two over?” is the funnest thing you can do. Host a water balloon fight, give the kids a video camera to make a movie, or just make a big bowl of popcorn for them to munch on while they hang out and listen to music.
My boys also love camping.
I’m thinking of trying geocaching with them this summer, but I’m not sure where to start. I’ll be checking back on this thread to see what other people do all summer long! 🙂
shawn'l says
go to http://www.geocaching.com they have free listings of caches. You’ll need set up an acct with an email address. Then you can input your zip code or address and find caches nearby. I found some in my own neighborhood (though we live in a very outdoorsy area and on the edge of town). good luck!
Jennifer says
Thanks for the water balloon idea. We are in Phoenix, so it’s HOT!
Melissa says
Focus On The Family Clubhouse magazine website has creative activities for the kids http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/
R.E.I. Company publishes a free adventure journal http://www.rei.com/family-adventure
What about teaching them about having a servants heart by having them serve an elderly neighbor or a friend with small children. They can do yard work or wash windows for the elderly, and play with the little tots to give the mother a chance to get other things done around the house.
Jeannine says
My advice is to refer to the post just below your about gardening. Children like to garden. Start them young and watch them become avid gardeners.
Tracey says
Take the kids swimming at the lake or river. I have one kid that loves to go fishing. Fishing poles can be bought for a fairly reasonable price and you can dig worms for bait. Also going to a different park each week where they can explore and hike was something my kids enjoyed doing. When we did this we would always bring a frisbee or football to throw when we were done hiking.
Jessie says
I remember at that age really enjoying visiting nursing homes! We would talk to, sing fun songs with, and sometimes even read short books to the residents! They loved it, and so did me and my brothers! We also would volunteer at the humane society! We would wash and walk the dogs! Get your kids involved in summer reading programs and go hiking or bicycling on trails. Another fun idea is to create a cooking, sewing, or handy man camp! Teach them a skill that you know and make it fun! You can even make out a schedule for a few days just like a normal camp! Or get another family involved and have your kids attend their “camp” and theirs attend your family’s. Most importantly, make sure to use the opportunities you have to spend quality time with your kids! 🙂
Tina says
My daughter is 12 and I found that if we have a plan for our week ,like Monday a hike Tuesday we do baking Wednesday swimming at friends and so on it gives us something to look forward to and gives us some structure . Oh and redbox movie day with popcorn ext is nice too .
shawn'l says
I second this idea. A mild form of structure/knowing what to expect is very helpful in the unstructured time of summer. And it helps with planning for you and the kids as everyone knows which days they can hang with friends, stay home with family, bring a friend, go shopping, etc. This is what I do with my 4 kids ages 5 – 15.
Samantha says
Here are some ideas I found on Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/samthedull/crafts-kids/
http://pinterest.com/samthedull/free-printables/
Jennifer says
Awesome! Thanks!
Jaclyn says
We still have young children, but have discovered ALL sorts of free city water splash parks and even a park with a HUGE climbing wall.
I know of a family in our church with 10-14 year old children and they volunteer at the church. They fold papers, do yard work, clean bathrooms, etc.
Amy says
How about starting the summer out with a group rummage sale? Older kids would enjoy doing something like this with their friends and then they would have some spending money for the summer. The bonus is a less cluttered room/home!
Megan says
No offense, but I cannot imagine a 16 year old liking chuck e cheese.
patty says
I’m in my 30s, and I enjoy it (but only with my kids)… I agree — unless they can bring a friend.
april says
my 15 year old still likes it…it’s fun to play games and be silly every now and then(me and hubby love going too)
Wendy says
I agree with you. When my kids were small we only went once and that was because a cousin had his birthday party there. There were so many kids running around and one threw up on a climbing structure. I felt like we all needed to be disinfected once we left. Yuck!
Chrissy says
I was thinking the same thing. My 10 year old even thinks he’s too old for Chuck E. Cheese. And I didn’t think bounce places would let kids that old in to bounce with the little kids.
Andrea says
Some do. My 18 y.o. Asked just recently if we could go!
Lori says
I think it depends on the maturity level of the child. I have an 11 year old boy that still loves going. If the child acts like he is 30 when he is 16, then no he probably wouldn’t want to go.
Jamie Yonash says
My older kids get sick of the zoo, but in the summer our local zoo has Wet n’ Wild Wednesday’s and they have a couple of fire trucks in the zoo that blast you with their water hoses. The zoo also sets up sprinklers all over the place! It turns a “boring” outing into something really fun! It is especially nice if you have a zoo membership…you can go every week for no additional cost!
Kayla says
Water parks are great. Season passes usually aren’t too expensive and the kids can put their allowances toward that fee if they are enthusiastic about going.
Su says
Well, for a rainy day treat…a bouncy place or even Chuck E Cheese’s…it’s a one time/summer treat. My daughter is 16 and all her friends still enjoy those places. Deep down, they’re still kids! Shhh….don’t tell them we know.
Also, I’ve found the zoo, museums, etc are more enjoyable when the older one can bring a friend.
Melissa French says
The kids bowl free program is good if you have a local bowling alley that participates. Also check your local tourism office for free events happening locally. We’ve gone to several unusual events just because they are free and now our family wouldn’t miss them because we enjoy them so much! Where we live we have Tuesday night open air concerts and Thursdays are free jazz concerts in the park- we take a picnic and eat together then our older boys usually play a pick up game of basketball on the nearby courts.
Our kids (17,15,11,5) enjoy the pool. Sometimes we plan water wars with the neighborhood kids. (Google water games and you will get lots of ideas for different events). Other times we pull our fire pit to our front driveway and light a fire and roast hot dogs and smores- usually many of the neighbors see us, bring something from their house, an we end up having a neighborhood picnic. Kinda like Stone Soup!!! LOL Great way to get to know your neighbors!!!
The kids all love to camp out in the front yard and usually again we end up with other kids from the neighborhood staying too! Spotlight tag at night is another favorite.
Jen says
My kids are participating in local church vacation bible schools. They are from 9 am until noon or so, and are free. Also, we plan on going once a week to the library, walking around the mall, and having picnics at local parks.
Jane @ Live Rich and Free says
I run a summer program for teenagers – we travel abroad for a month, and it’s expensive. BUT some parents never think to ask for aid – just ask.
If you find a camp or travel program you or your child is really interested in, ASK if they have financial aid. The worst they can say is no. I had no idea as a kid that I could even ask for something like that. We take at least one student every year completely for free (and the trip originally costs around $6,000).
The earlier you ask the better, but it’s not too late. Just be a person, offer to help… you never know what will pay off. Good luck!
Jiya says
I second the recommendation on financial aid for camp. I’m organizing summer camp for our local cub scout troop and there are lots of opportunities for “camperships” for scouts, both at the cub and boy scout level. Other camps may have financial aid too.
april says
.
Kimberly says
Sometimes movie theaters do special days with movies for a cheap price. A theater in my area of NC does this. Sometimes the movies are current, sometimes they are older. But it would be a cheap, cool place for the summer.
Heather says
Library.
Jessica says
Bike rides, organize sports events with some of their friends and other parents. Set up a baseball, soccer or football game with their friends, and ask parents to help with drinks and food. If you know other stay at home moms, swap days. If one of the moms has a pool, see if she will let the kids hang out their one day a week and you take her kids another day and plan something.
Brandy says
That age is tough! I hadn’t thought of that here in toddler/preschool land! I remember at that age still enjoying the zoo. I also really enjoyed hanging out at the library, just browsing books and enjoying the quiet (though, I was a nerd:) ) Maybe letting them start a little garden to tend to?
Wendy says
Depending on the weather where you live, pick-your-own berry places can be awesome. You get local produce, you generally pay less for your fruit than you would at the grocery store, it tastes better, and it’s something you can do with kids of any age (well, three and up maybe) so it’s something you can do even if you have both older and younger kids in the family.