7 Inexpensive Summer Activities for Kids

As summer approaches one of the biggest things on most parents minds is how to occupy the kids home from school without breaking the bank.  Here are 7 Inexpensive Kids Summer Activities that will help you to keep them occupied and your wallet in check this year.  Check these out and grab your calendar to plan ahead for fun times for the whole family that will leave your kids excited for next years adventures.

7 Inexpensive Kids Summer Activities

• Head to the community pool:  If you are lucky enough to live in a small community or city that has a public pool this is one of the best ways to spend your summer months with the kids.  Pack a quick lunch, towels and some magazines to occupy yourself while you lounge poolside and head out with the kids for an afternoon swim.
• Go to local church events:  If you live close to local churches holding summer Vacation Bible School events, this is a great free activity they can do for a few hours each day throughout the summer.  If you aren’t religious this may not be top on your list but could still be a fun place for the kids to meet other neighborhood kids, have fun with games, snacks and group activities.
• Let them wash your car:  It may not seem like much but a few buckets, a water hose and some soap and you can occupy a group of kids for a few hours outside washing your cars, their bicycles and perhaps even making a few bucks washing the neighbors cars as well.
• Let their creative juices flow:  Whether it be toilet paper tube and egg carton crafts like found in this fun Craft A Day Book or simple construction paper cards, airplanes or paper chains setting up a craft day is a great and inexpensive way to occupy kids of all ages.  Gather a few simple supplies like crayons, paints, markers, glue, colored paper and embellishments and let them create to their hearts content.
• Write a book:  Gather notebooks, pens, pencils and imaginations and challenge your kids to create their own adventure story.  Write a chapter a day or create all at once and share with the whole family.  Not only is this a great way to encourage their minds and imaginations to be active, but it also helps them maintain what they learned at school last year.
• Create a band:  Download a few of their favorite popular songs to an MP3 player, give them a few boxes, bottles and canisters to create “instruments” with and encourage them to make their own “summer band”.  Bonus points if they already own real instruments and can make an actual band come together to play local venues.
• Make ice cream:  Don’t use machines or special freezer products.  Grab some large plastic storage bags, rock salt and ice and put the kids to work shaking and tossing around the bags until the mix you’ve put in a separate bag inside has turned into their favorite cool summer treat.

No matter what your kids preferences are, there are sure to be a few things on this list of 7 inexpensive summer activities for kids that will fit your needs.  Remember that one of the biggest problems is boredom so keep changing what you do each day so they never know what to expect.  Some of the best childhood memories are made when you drop everything and grab the kids for a last minute hike and picnic, building of a fort, or watching a movie under the stars projected on your garage door.

What are some of your favorite summer activities?