Summer Fun for the Family on a Budget
Many families can no longer afford to take vacations during the summer as they once did simply due to a staggering economy. Perhaps they used to go to the ocean for a week or take the kids to a theme park. Unfortunately, the cost of staying in hotels, plus food and entrance tickets may be way beyond their means.
Then, just look at the price of gas! Every summer, just when it’s time to take a much-needed break the price goes up, sometimes almost double. If you are feeling bad because you can’t take the kids out of town this summer, you can find alternatives that are fun and which you can do right at home. Here are a few ideas that can be just as much fun but a whole lot cheaper.
Check Your Local Parks and Recreation Centers
Quite often the city/county parks and recreation centers will sponsor activities for youth all summer long. Sometimes they are sports related and other times they hold events such as concerts that are free of charge. Some local parks even have weekly events to look forward to such as arts and crafts or nature walks. Believe it or not, kids really do like to go to local events because they can bring their friends along with them. It’s much more fun for them if they have a friend than to be stuck with mom and dad for a week!
Can’t Go to the Carnival? Bring It to You!
Sometimes mom and dad just can’t afford that much anticipated trip to the kids’ favorite theme park, which is really disheartening. You work all year long and this is the one real activity that you know they expect. If you can’t take the kids to the carnival, bring the carnival to them! Many parents aren’t aware of the fact that there are carnival game rentals that are not too terribly expensive.
It’s a whole lot cheaper than spending a day at Disney World and best yet, the kids can invite all their friends to come to their backyard carnival. It is even possible to rent cotton candy machines, popcorn machines and bounce houses just like at a real carnival. Check out some of these cool carnival game rentals so you can get an idea as to just how much fun the kids will have.
Free Activities at Your Local Libraries
For families with smaller children, the local library is a wonderful resource during the summer. Most public libraries host a reading room for kids with a story teller that makes it fun to listen to popular books being read. Some libraries sponsor puppet shows and others have an assortment of ‘hands-on’ activities that are entertaining as well as educational.
So then, just because your budget is suffering doesn’t mean the family has to. There are a bunch of fun things to do with the family that won’t cost a fortune and may even offer more fun than standing in long lines at an amusement park or being stuck in the evenings with mom and dad. Start planning ahead and you’ll be surprised at just how much fun you can have this summer with the family, even on a limited budget.