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Summer Fun for the Kids!!
- Dear Kelly,
Fun, inexpensive summer entertainment...
Well, I home school three children. I support them with what I can earn as a single WAHM. So, "inexpensive" is one of two keys with our family. The other is, yep you guessed it, FUN!
You see, I chose to home school when public school wasn't working for my oldest, now 16. He was all about outdoors, sunshine and exercise. Great, yeah, but school work was not for him. I discovered that he loved the history channel when we visited friends who had cable (we don't do TV-only educational videos). So, I have been taking my children to every "free" historical and educational site I could get my hands on-or drive to by car .
When we were in Iowa, farm sitting, we had to make trips (2 hrs) into town. I looked at the "free" state map with places of interest highlighted, such as their bridges. We would go see the bridges (like in the movie Bridges of Madison County). I would read the children the information, THEN, they could play, run around, have the picnic lunch, etc.
We go to as many museums as possible. Many are free or low cost. The "big city" museums tend to be the expensive ones. I can hear it now, I am sure that many of you might think "how boring", I've had friends say the same thing. But, I can tell you, when your child (or you) have taken an interest in something particular, boredom no longer is a thought. (Incidentally, in our household, any time the word "boredom" comes up the response is "boredom is a choice" now it seems only visiting kids say this when they discover we don't have video games and before they've discovered what we do have-they end up crying when it's time to leave, last week a 14 yo girl drug her feet leaving.)
We all like birds, we've seen local bird exhibits. We keep binoculars-from the pawn shop [inexpensive]-in the car with bird books. The kids have been able to identify birds as we've driven down the road, when they see a new bird, they log it in the bird book: date, time, location. We prefer this to gameboy.
My DD 9 is interested in the Victorian Era. She loves looking at items and recreated rooms from this era. She makes up stories what it would be like if she lived then. She likes Indian "boats" as she said, then corrected herself "canoes" and how they are made.
My DS 10 likes rocks and bones, such as from wooly mammoths and whales and dinosaurs.
They all are interested in Lewis and Clark. We've been to many Lewis and Clark sites. We camp at night and read (fun) about Lewis and Clark by the campfire.
We always look for the "Dover" books at the local museums. The museums usually have books available that coincide with their exhibits. We can usually find a selection of "Dover Thrift" books for about $1. We find this simple and inexpensive. It's a book we get through (not too long) and not too big to keep in our car. Something we don't have a problem passing along due to the price.
The kids have enjoyed learning about Ben Franklin, and his "Poor Richards Almanak", and for "spooky" story time, they got a kick out of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Dover Thrift books. We are now working on Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Horror for "spook" time. (A book we picked up for free not a Dover.)
A HUGE hit with my children, especially my very tall, mature, historically educated 16 DS is......ARMY MEN!
We get the BIG pack of army men, cowboys, Indians, etc at the dollar store. The kids recreate battles. Like the civil and revolutionary war. Inexpensive, outdoors, and educational all rolled in one.
We live on an island, so the kids collect, scavenge, observe beach "things": urchins, starfish, clams, crabs, etc. Their fun, is also their education. We are not always at home, so at state parks, the kids check out the lakes and streams. There are many places, beaches, lakes and streams that one can access inexpensively...AGAIN, use that FREE state map.
Picnic, picnic, picnic. Bread, sliced meats (going to the deli to have them slice it, is often worth our time), and a pack of condiments (we always have ready). My kids have learned to really enjoy different mustards and are excited to have a new one in our picnic box. We use a foil picnic bag for cold items. It folds up when not in use, so that we don't have another bulky "clutter" item.
Perhaps my children sound like boring, mundane, kids who have long attention spans. I guarantee you, it is quite the opposite. Just like FlyLady's cleaning baby steps, that is what education and fun are for our family. We do baby steps. We read the signs at the state parks, we don't study an entire "unit". We do talk about things.
We talk in the car about things like the word picnic, it's French. We talk about the manner accompanied with picnic food, you can eat with your hands, verses in a restaurant, good manners say NEVER with your hands, even though society generally eats picnic style in restaurants all the time.
We looked for badminton "on sale" and volleyball at a yardsale (we were specifically looking for this) so that we could have these in our yard for the kids to have their friends over. They all have lots of fun, and we don't have to pay for or travel to bowling alleys, ice rinks, or "the Mall" like many of our friends kids do.
Bottom Line: Our mottos:
"Embrace the opportunity."
What are you near? A presidential library? A park named after someone historically significant? Only have 30 minutes and your on your way somewhere, but the kids want out of the car?
"Avoid spending every dollar you can."
What's free? Can you avoid buying something? Do you have to pay to watch a video of Mt. St. Helens erupting at a tourist attraction when you can see it at the library or visitor center? We found that many museums and visitor centers have "movies" that they show throughout the day at no cost.
In Missouri, we learned about Harry S Truman, the Truman Dam, and Samuel Clemens without cost.
In South Carolina, this was a bit trickier, but the visitor's center was free and had fabulous information. We were able to walk the battery and local parks with monuments and informational boards. South Carolina is one example of a place we would choose (planning ahead) to spend a bit of money that we saved elsewhere to see more things.
OH, we also make it a habit to pick up postcards, .25 to .35 apiece. The kids have made a postcard collection. Many of these postcards are so informative. When we sit to eat, the kids write a note to a friend and put "1" fact that they learned, often coinciding with the postcard they chose.
"Keep it Simple."
Like with the postcard. Like what are you near. Don't go way out of your way. Like good bread (we change varieties: focaccia, olive, rosemary) meat, and mustard instead of a complicated picnic set up.
The simplicity allows us to enjoy time with each other and time to meet new people and value them instead of rudely rushing by people and life.
Thanks FlyLady and Crew. I've enjoyed you all.
New FlyBaby in Washington.
P.S. You might think we have a lot of money to travel since we've been several places. We don't. We did, however, take a 9 month journey across the states when my youngest son died. We did this on a budget of Less than $1,000 a month. That was for everything. Storage at home, phone cards, gas, insurance, food, camp fees, educational tools, clothing, oh and our dog (including his vet bills on the road $350 plus).
Have a great Summer!
- Dear Flylady,
We are growing a "sunflower house" for our 4-year-old daughter this summer. Our daughter, with our help, planted sunflower seeds purchased at the dollar store in a large circle that will grow into a hiding place and play area for her. We got the idea from The Sunflower House childrens' book we borrowed from the library last summer. When the sunflower house is done, we will save the seeds for next year.
Thank you for all that you do to inspire us.
Flybaby in Round Rock
- Hey flycrew!
I work for the tourism office in Sumner County, Tennessee, near Nashville. My idea for inexpensive summer fun for the whole family is to pretend you're on vacation in your own home town or county! Call or go online to the county tourism office or visitors bureau and request their free brochures and visitor guides. Sit down with the family and go over them just like you would if you'd never been there before...I'll bet you find things to do and see you didn't even know about! Historic sites, unique restaurants, off the beaten path shops, museums, parks, farm/agriculture tours, the list is endless! You can learn about local history while you're having fun. The majority of these places are free or very inexpensive, and if you pack a cooler full of snacks/lunch, you won't spend as much. You can expand this idea to include the surrounding counties for more variety. And all the time you'll be staying in your own comfy bed & breakfast!
Enjoy the summer, be safe and keep FLYing!
- Dear Flylady,
As a home-schooling mother of 7, I have spent YEARS learning how to keep children occupied in the summer. :-)
One of our favorite things is to go to the local you-pick-um orchards or fruit fields and pick blueberries, strawberries, etc. I then make jam from the fruit that we give out for Christmas gifts. It is always so rewarding for the kids to remember our day at the farm when we get out a jar of jam!
By the way, we live in a large city so this probably wouldn't thrill a lot of you that are blessed to live in the country. I was raised in a semi-rural area so I try to find ways for my children to experience some of the blessings that our Creator has given us. This is also an educational experience that they don't equate with regular school work!
You are such a wonderful inspiration. I went out of town for a few days without a computer and I told my children that I didn't know how I was going to make it without Flylady for 4 days!!!! ;-)
Hugs to you all,
Valiantly fluttering in Alabama
- My children, ages 4 and 6, do not need entertaining at home during the summer. Their schedule is so packed during the school year that when it all stops for the summer they are more than happy to just hang out in the backyard. They have their daily to do lists, and after that is done they love to just go out and play.
However, we do have a problem with entertainment during car travel. They HATE to car travel. One thing that has really worked for us is Viewmasters. Their Viewmasters always keep them entertained for at least 2 to 3 hours straight. Each child has a Viewmaster and a carrying case for their Viewmaster reels. Santa and the Easter Bunny give them new Viewmaster reels, which are very inexpensive, and I also find reels a garage sales. We have given them as birthday gifts (a Viewmaster and 4 sets of reels is a nice $20 gift), and the moms all love them for car travel.
For airplane travel, my trick is to take a lot of the stuff my kids get as birthday party favors, put it all in a bag and save it for airplane trips. On the plane the children have all new things and I don't care if they lose them. They have had horse races with plastic horses, drawn pictures for each other in little notebooks, examined their surroundings with magnifying glasses, applied body glitter all over themselves, etc. I also carry on the plane a set of puppets made from tongue depressors, some pencils, a set of Crayola stampers and a set of 3 cups to use for shell games on the fold-down trays. With a lot of imagination supplied by mom, my girls and I have a wonderful time playing on plane trips--even flying to Europe as young as 1 year old.
- Since our teachers were on strike at the beginning of the school year and our kids are in school until July 16th, several other mothers and I have decided to make the short 7 week summer vacation extra special for our kids.
We have planned to spend each Tuesday and Thursday together doing fun activities. Our plans currently include visiting the local beach, nature trail, and kangaroo-petting farm. We have also planned to make visits to the local zoo, aquarium and science center. But, the activity that we are all looking forward to the most is the one-hour train excursion on an old steam engine train. Our local park & recreation department also has a free children’s music in the park concert each week.
Also of note, we have found that by going as a group of 15 or more we can usually get group discounts. Most importantly, we have found the internet a very useful source of information for us in finding activities in our area, especially since many of us in the group are relatively new to the area.
Mom of 4 north of Seattle
- Our family just got back from a vacation to the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Since we had about an 8 hour or so drive from PA we were a little concerned how to keep our 20 month happy in the car seat. I packed a small toy backpack with some smaller toys in it for the car ride. She hadn't been playing with these for awhile so when she saw them they were new again to her! There were also some small books that she could hold and "read" herself. It was fun to hear her laughing over her Kitten Book! We also took along her favorite CD - Silly Songs with Larry from Veggie Tales. She asks for it everytime we are in the car. those few things really helped out a lot for the long drive.
And by doing things for 15 minutes at a time before vacation - my house was ready for company when we hosted my husband's dept summer bbq in our backyard just a few days before we left! That week I mananged to pack, clean, and shop for a small party and vacation! A year ago, that would have made me sick to my stomach and out of commission. Thanks Fly Lady! I do things 15 minutes at a time now!
FLYbaby in PA
- We signed up for our local library's summer programs. Because we live close to 2 different libraries, we're able to take advantage of both. We have Tu/Th mornings with crafts, snacks and of course time to take out new books! Best of all.... the cost... FREE!
- There is a lot of summer fun to be had with just a
little planning, and you do not need to spend $50.00
per person for theme park tickets.
1. Head to the Beach, Lake or Park nearest to you, if
it has water all the more better. Pack water,
fruit/vegies and sandwiches. What to do, swim with the
kids, play ball/Frisbee go for a walk have a scavenger
hunt.
2. Need to stay close to home, art day, use sidewalk
chalk and draw pictures, have a picnic in the
backyard. A water balloon fight is always fun, make an
obstacle course in the backyard. Have the kids plant
vegatables and flower gardens.
3. The library offers books, videos & it is free (good
rainy day outing), some offer reading programs and
story times. Check to see what your library is
offering.
4. Check you local paper for community activities,
many towns/cities have a music night with free
concerts.
5. Lastly - go for a walk, have a list of things to
find, a leaf, shell, twig, bug whatever.
SW FL flybaby
Mom to five
- Dear Flylady,
When my girls were young, they loved to "paint" the swingset and the deck. They got 2-3 inch paintbrushes that were just the right size to hold and a bucket of water. They painted the wooden swingset and deck over and over that summer - almost daily. We sat in our folding chairs and read magazines and books, they would come and "paint" out bare feet, too, to cool us off. The girls were ages 3-6 at that time.
Lots of fun for them, and no cost except the paintbrushes.
Hope you like this idea
- We bought passes to our local roller skating rink for $5 each. Each time we skate, the cost is only $2 and a great way to get some excercise and burn off some of that endless kiddo energy. Also, we found that if we go at 3, all the day cares leave and we have the place to ourselves.
- We Love summer! ...even here in hot, hot Texas. :)
Our top 10 FREE fun activities are as follows:
1.) rolling out of bed, getting dressed and walking to the park early (7 or
8)before the heat- even before breakfast. We can then come back, get
cleaned up, eat and plan our day in the air conditioning.
2.)watering the
flowers, then the children.
3.)ice! (my 2 and 4 year olds love this) just
scoop up a big bowl of ice, add measuring scoops, a cheap "salad spinner",
spoons etc. and take it outside - a science and math lesson that cools you
off.
4.) frozen juice pops (apple juice is our favorite)- found a mold set
at the dollar store - kids love to make and eat
5.)old sheet tent - use
clothes pins to attach to the fence
6.)muffin tin crayons and kool-aid
play-doh (check the web for recipes).
7.) library!
8.) blessin' the
house! - housework done incorrectly (by my children) definitely blesses the
family and me plus it can be a ton of fun
9.) have a fresh fruit and veggie
buffet for dinner - let the kids arrange on pretty platters (another math
lesson) and have Daddy brag on the cooks
10.) Have friends over to play -
the house is clean and there are popsicles in the freezer - why not?
Flybaby in Texas
- We enjoy our public libraries year-round, but the summer programs are especially impressive! My daughter signed up for their reading club. We enjoy a weekly outting to check out new books and other resources. Also, each week the library hosts various kid programs. Last week's speaker taught about his dog sledding hobby and even brought his dogs!
Another fun activity is exploring different neighborhood parks or other places we don't go to on a regular basis. We usual walk or bike to our destination. My daughter especially likes taking along a simple lunch picnic.
The key to inexpensive summer fun I believe is staying informed! More resources include colleges, local bookstores, Toys-R-Us, museums and more offering free activities!
Happy Summer! Flybaby in Grand Rapids, MI
- Dear Flylady and wonderful Flylady family,
I am a flybably for about 1 year now and I can't thank you enough for the changes in my home. Love my timer, flydusters, and sink strainer.
Anyway, yesterday for the first time I took my kids out in the afternoon after lunch. Since my husband is out of work I have to do things with them that doesn't cost a lot of $$. So yesterday since the house was presentable, (thanks to my routines) and dinner was thawing and I already knew what I was making and it only takes me about 30 min. (thanks to LeAnne) We went to the local park where there is a swing set, jungle gym and sprinkler. The kids had a ball playing with the other children I was able to talk to other Moms. The sprinkler was on and they loved it. I had a good time too watching them play and playing with them and I wasn't in a rush to get home because there was no need to rush everything was in order.
Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for the sprinkler to be on so the kids did not have towels or bathing suits but I didn't care. Told them go ahead have fun, so my car seats get a little wet SO WHAT, THEY WILL DRY!!
Learning to Play in NY
Flybaby D
- One of the most successful birthday parties I ever gave included a game called pop those bubbles. I purchased sheets of bubble packing paper from Container Store. Each child was given a small sheet of large bubbles. They were instructed to pop ALL the bubbles by jumping, squeezing, or sitting on them. When each child thought they were done, they would present the sheet to an adult who would simply run their hand across the surface. It was easy to tell if they were all popped. We would then hand them back and say nope there are still more until someone completed them all. I have never laughed so hard! I think the adults enjoyed it more than the kids. It doesn’t have to be for a party, any group of kids who need to burn some excess energy will do.
Flying in Austin
- Dear "Crew,"
This is our second or third summer to take "Field Trips." My DSs (11 and 8) know that we will be home most of the week, but on Thursday we take a field trip. Last year we went to a small Cotton Museum in a nearby town. We also went to a Science Museum and to the Zoo. Other weeks it was as simple as swimming or a picnic or even shopping at WalMart.
If you want to spend money, of course, you can. But it is the rhythm of something to look forward to that seems to be most important, not the amount of money spent. And giving it a title like "Weekly Field Trip" or "Summer Field Trip" adds to the fun. On Thursday evenings, my boys love to tell Dad all about our "Field Trip."
We take pictures and I am creating a very small album so we can remember our summer field trips all year.
By the way, I cannot take credit for the idea. Thank you Sandy and Pam!
Texas FlyBaby
- Buy a delux scrabble game and have the whole family play. This is a good way to review spelling and math skills. Start slowly helping the children learn how to play. You don't have to play a complete game when you first start out. Set the timer for 15 minutes and put the game up for another day.
Lyn
school teacher, I know you guessed that!
- We usually spend most of our summer on the road, visiting friends & family, and touring, but not this summer.
My 10yo van is running down , with Gas prices at all time high's and DH traveling, the kids and I decided to spend more time at home this year.
After much debate, we decided to "join" a local swimming pool. It cost less than one of our "cheap week" tours would have, and the kids are doing great!
I'm getting my am routine under control and things are starting to look better around the house.
The promise of going swimming gets them moving on their daily chores without all the complaining and whining.
They get to see their friends more often, and are getting as much if not more exercise.
I get to sit in the shade and relax while I'm watching them or have fun playing with them in the pool.
This was definitely a good decision.
- Dear FlyLadies,
I have found Klutz Books to be a fun and an inexpensive way to entertain my children (I'm always entertained too.. lol). The books always come with everything you need. If you want to juggle there are bags or clothes to juggle with; if you want to paint then watercolors and a brush comes with the book; if you are going to learn to play the harmonica they provide one; along with details on how to order extra supplies/refills. The books always have directions and best of all remind the readers that perfectionism is not the goal and that there is no right or wrong way to do anything; fun is the ultimate goal.
If you google Klutz books you can see a listing of all they have to offer, but Amazon sells them at a considerable discount.
Thanks for all you do,
Baby-stepping in NM
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A breakfast picnic in the yard. On the hottest days of the summer, it is still decent to be outside first thing in the morning. Whenever I announce a picnic breakfast, the kids get dressed, teeth brushed, and beds made faster than ever. We'll bring some fresh fruit and dry cereal and eat outside on a blanket. This is easy to do on the spur of the moment and we always have a good time running around after the picnic and before it gets too hot.
- Dear Flylady and Friends
This summer my mission is to discover how many things I can do with my kids that are free. We started park hopping this spring with friends of ours. By the end of the summer we will have tried out most of the parks in the city and I have made a journal with details about each park. This way the kids don't get tired of going to the same park day after day. It is fun to discover what each park has to offer. Today the paddling pools open up, which is another adventure to explore. Each paddling pool has different people running so each is unique. We will try camping in our back yard and cooking on our bbq. There are many many hicking trails here to enjoy with a picnic at the end. There are also trips to the library and the museum on those colder stay inside days.
Thank you Flylady for giving me the tools that allow my kids and I to enjoy the summer rather than spending day after day cleaning house.
Flying in Saskatoon
- Once a week minimum a bunch of my girlfriends and I get together and choose a different park to go to with the kids for 3 or 4 hours. Sometimes we meet at the lake or at a friends house with a pool. We all bring the "main course" for our kids and then something to share, like drinks, fruit salad, etc. It is much cheaper than even one trip to a fast food resturant and it gives the kids a variety of children to play with in a different scene each time. Everyone enhjjoys it, from the babies all the way up to the adults!
Learning to get off the ground,
MI Flybaby
- Take the children to your local library for storytime. Most libraries
have a summer program for children as well.
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