50 Things

I was going to post this a couple weeks ago but it got erased before I could save it :( So I worked on it again today so I could pull it up whenever I get that "Uggggh, what can I do with you children!" feeling. So here it is my "50 Fun Things to do With Your Kids This Summer on a Budget".

1. Play at the pool (our community center has an awesome water park for super cheap)
2. Create your own water fun in the backyard with squirt guns, water balloons, slip n’ slide, running through the sprinklers, etc.
3. Check out the summer reading program at your local library
4. Go to the library for story time
5. Check out the summer reading program at Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/index.asp
(check out their story times too!)
6. check out amc’s summer movie camp. They have $1.00 movies every wednesday
http://www.amctheatres.com/smc/
or check out Regal Cinema
http://www.regmovies.com/
7. Check out your local bowling alley. They may have free bowling for kids all summer.
8. Check out local inflatable party center like Pump It Up or Boomerangs. Many of them have open bounce times.
9. Check out local museums. Most have a certain day of the week that they have discounted/no admission.
10. Go to the zoo (check out discounted admission days)
11. Go to the park. Map out all your local parks and make it to every one this summer.
12. Go on a bug hunt – bring along bug catchers.
13. Go on a nature hike. Bring Ziploc baggies for them to collect their favorite leaves, flowers, rocks, etc.
14. Check out your nearest nature center
15. Go to the beach or lake
16. Play in the sand
17. Play with sidewalk chalk
18. Blow bubbles
19. Fly a kite
20. Pack a picnic lunch
21. Go kayaking together
22. Find some new trails and go on a bike ride
23. Pick up some terra cotta pots to paint
24. Plant some flowers together. Planting seeds are best so they can water it every day and watch it grow 
25. Put on puppet shows (even make your own sock puppets)
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10674
26. Build a fort using cardboard boxes or blankets
27. Build Lego’s together
28. Play board games/card games
29. Play hide & seek, tag, freeze tag
30. Teach your child a new sport: soccer, football, basketball, hockey, etc.
31. Rollerblade together
32. Paint or draw together
33. Pick up some $1.00 coloring books
34. Write stories together (if your child is too young to write then ask them to make up a story for you to write – it will be fun to keep and read a few years from now )
35. Play games on the computer. Some good sites for kids:
http://pbskids.org/
http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/index.asp?origref=
http://www.nickjr.com/
http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/index.asp
Also check out:
http://krisabel.ctv.ca/blog/_archives/2008/3/10/3571527.html
36. Play with Play-Doh together or make your own.
37. Pick up a new workbook
38. Kids love to take pictures. Pick up a kids digital camera at Target or I’ve seen them at TJ Max for as little as $10.
39. Build paper airplanes
40. Fingerpaint
41. Bake cookies together
42. Make home-made popsicles
43. Let your kids cook with you (pick up a kids cook book)
44. Write letters (draw pictures) to family (Cole likes to make books about what he wants to do the next time he visits Oma and Papa)
45. Turn on some music and dance or play freeze dance
46. Rent a DVD together, get out the sleeping bags and pop popcorn for a movie night
47. Camp out in your backyard. Study some constellations beforehand then look for them.
48. Visit a Planetarium, Aquarium or Arboretum (most have a lot of kid activities)
49. Let them have a bubblebath
50. One word: Flashlights