I’ve done it all. At various points throughout my sons’ lives I’ve been a stay-at-home mom, part-time worker, full-time worker and full-time grad student. No matter how much time I’ve had to spend with them, family ideas have included cheap fun family activities and low-cost or no-cost outings.
Libraries
We’ve checked out small mountains of books from the library, but we’ve found much more than books in our local library. We’ve also checked out videos, CDs and books on tape. My sons have also enjoyed the educational software installed on the library computers. (Their favorite is the Magic School Bus.)
Swimming Pools
My kids have taken swimming lessons through the local park and recreation department. In some towns, local high schools open their pools for community use during the evening or off hours.
Zoos
Activities for preschoolers often include visits to the zoo. We’ve been lucky enough to live in a town with a free zoo, but visiting a zoo can be kept to a reasonable expense if you take juice boxes and pack your own snack.
Nature Centers
Our city has free nature centers that are just wonderful. One of the three nature centers has a turtle pond. The others have local snakes and other animals in cages for viewing. The centers have lots of hands-on activities for kids, like pictures to color, puzzles to put together and puppets to animate for an impromptu puppet show. The messages posted about the environment are interesting even for adults.
Playgrounds
Because so many families around us rent their homes, our county installed a playground within a mile or two of every child. When Peter was a baby and Nick was 4 or 5, we explored every playground in our county. Some of the playgrounds had areas for babies, and one was specifically designed for older kids (5-12). When we lived in the Midwest, we enjoyed a community-built wooden playground.
Museums
Sometimes museums geared mainly for adults have a special room for children. For example, the Natural History Museum in Washington, DC, has a Discovery Room set aside for hands-on exploration by kids. Museums don’t have to be budget busters. For example, some museums offer free admission one day a month.
Bike Trails
When Peter was a toddler, my ex-husband or I pulled him behind our bikes in a Rhode Gear wagon. Now both Nick and Peter can ride bikes of their own. Some trails charge a fee, but most are free.
As my sons have grown, their interests have changed. Peter is now 8, and Nick is 12. These days we look for playgrounds with basketball hoops for Nick, and structures to climb on for Peter. But the need to find low-cost outlets for their energy and creativity has remained.
Christine Hartelt writes from the home she shares with her two sons in Wisconsin.