Entertainment with the family can be fun and exciting for all, but it can get expensive. These 10 frugal, family fun activities will not only fit within your budget, they’ll reconnect you with your children!
1. Go for a nature walk. Make it a theme walk. See who can find the most squirrels or leaves with 4 points on them. This is a great way to make the walk purposeful and to teach younger ones to be observant.
2. Fun at family field day. Determine prizes ahead of time (they don’t need to cost money, either – maybe 3 days off from family chores!). Set up your game plan. Will you have a snowman-building contest? What about relay races or ring toss? Have a picnic at lunch. Even if it’s snowing, take precautions, but STILL get out there and get your family moving.
3. Visit a park in a neighboring city. Explore the area where you live. You might find that your neighborhood is very walkable, and that you quite enjoy finding out what’s around you.
4. Have an art show. Let everyone decide the type of art they’d like to create, then spend the morning working on it. Have a judging in the afternoon after lunch. The winner is proclaimed King or Queen of the castle for the next few days and is relinquished from all duties.
5. Hold a board game marathon. Even if your children are young, they still enjoy the concept of game playing. If you want to play more complex games (like Monopoly), rotate in the less advanced games for the little ones.
6. Have a wrestling roughhouse. Physical play is excellent for teaching children self-esteem and it helps adults release tensions that have built up at work during the week. The key is not to play too rough. When you sense your child is no longer enjoying the game, then it’s time to stop. The right type of roughhousing will give even your most timid children a chance to blossom, so give it a try!
7. Have a creative writing contest. Even if your children are too young to write, they won’t be too young to tell you what to write for them. Their imaginations will help spark your own creative juices. Exposure to creative activities like this teaches them to think outside the box when it comes to problem solving in other areas of life.
8. Hold a dance marathon. This is a great way to get children (and parents) moving. Have a Silliest Dance contest during your marathon. They’ll LOVE seeing you at your most awkward moment!
9. Have a boxcar derby race. Team up parents and kids to build their cars and race together, but be careful that the children are doing most of the building and the parents are simply supervising.
10. Make it a craft day. Pick up supplies and get crafting together. Take pictures of your day making your crafts and of the finished products all together. Don’t forget to take individual pictures, too. Do this once a week or once a month and on their birthday, present them with a scrapbook of your memories together. That’s a gift that will always stay with them.
While none of these activities will break your budget, every one of them will result in something far greater than any amount of money you would have spent going out: A family bond that lasts a lifetime.
Show your children how much they mean to you this weekend by spending time with them instead of spending money on them. It’s not easier, but it is more rewarding.
What activity does your family love that you could do this weekend to reconnect?
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