Summertime, when the kids are home from school, can be a real challenge for parents. If you are fortunate enough to have a stay at home parent in your family, then you have probably skimped and sacrificed to make that possible. And the way things are right now, not many of us have a lot of extra money to spend on entertaining the kiddies (or anything else) right now. But keeping the kids cooped up in the house won’t last more than a week with most families.
Fortunately, there are some great low-cost and even free avenues for keeping the kids active and entertained this summer without breaking the bank.
The library has a number of programs for the kids that feature the quad-fecta (which may or may not be a real word) of summertime activities: free, entertaining, educational, and air-conditioned.
Public Parks offer occasional free programs for the kids. As I write this, my lovely wife and my sons are learning about reptiles at a local park. Even when there aren’t any organized programs going on, the park provides a good opportunity to let the kids run rampant for a while, until the summer heat catches up to them.
More and more movie theaters are showing free kids movies during the day throughout the summer. Cobb Theaters offer two choices three days a week at 10AM. The thought is that they’ll make their money on the $10 tubs of popcorn and $6 sodas. But a frugal parent can soak up some free entertainment without laying out the bucks for the snacks. Load the kids up with a big breakfast and you can get through the morning movie with nary a complaint.
One trip each week to the park, one to the movies, one to the library – before you know it you’ve filled half the week with wholesome activities that keep the children entertained and active without spending a dime.