Looking for fun things to do with your kids without sacrificing your budget? Try these free activities for families!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
In a Nutshell:
There are plenty of ways to bust the boredom but not the budget! Classic options like visiting the library, checking out local events, and movie nights can be great free activities, but there are so many ways to level up on each! Try out reading aloud, scavenger hunts, and Movie Bingo for fresh new free activities for families!
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a working mom trying to pay off debt, we all want the same thing: free activities for families. Costly Children’s Museums, indoor playgrounds, and YMCA memberships abound but sometimes it’s hard to find something fun and free. As a single-income family, we’re committed to finding free activities to engage our children!
1. The Library
The Library is obviously the top place for year-round free activities for families. Kids’ sections usually have toys, coloring, puzzles, or scavenger hunts to provide entertainment. Did you know libraries have even more than books, movies, and games available? Many libraries also have free State Parks passes you can check out for a day! My library also offers free seeds, knitting looms sets, binoculars, and conversation starter cards.
Library Programs
Many libraries offer Kids Story Time, Teen Nights, or other special weekly programs. They may also offer reading programs with prizes! Get to know your local librarians and ask what free programs they have coming up and how to get involved.
2. Local Parks
Hopefully, your town has a good park with slides and swings for the kids. If it doesn’t, scout out nearby towns for fun parks or walking trails! If you’re lucky you might find a beach or splash pad. Even a soccer field or frisbee golf course can be fun with kids if you bring a ball, discs, or kites. If you want to make it an extra fun outing, try bringing a picnic along! If you live near a State Park, check to see if your local library offers free park passes for check-out.
3. Local Events
Facebook has made it so easy to find free activities for families. If you can’t find anything on the Events page, ask on a local mom’s group to see if anyone knows what’s happening for the weekend. Outside of social media, you can usually find upcoming events posted on the community bulletin boards at local gas stations, the library, or in the newspaper. This summer I’ve enjoyed bringing my kids to live music in the park, parades, Farmer’s Markets, and city-wide garage sales.
4. Church Groups
Whether you are religious or not, many churches host playdates for moms and children. The best way to find these is to ask around town or on a local moms’ Facebook group. Some bigger churches will offer midweek Bible Studies for moms with nursery care for small children. I’ve even come across a few large churches with free indoor playgrounds open to the public!
5. Gardening
Gardening may sound lame, but it can be an exciting activity for children and parents alike! Checking those sprouts and seeing the progress every day can be rewarding. It doesn’t matter if you garden flowers or vegetables or have a big plot or a small window box. If you are renting or don’t have room for a garden of your own, look into community gardens in town to see if you can get a spot to share. Maybe you’ll even meet new friends!
6. Game Night
Kids as young as 3 can learn Go Fish and Candy Land. Older kids might enjoy Jenga or Sequence. Use whatever games you have on hand or make up your own! Even if you only have a deck of cards, that’s enough to play a bunch of different games! You can set up a full-family board game or a tournament to find an ultimate household winner.
7. Cooking or Baking
Baking is another quintessential free family activity. You can find all kinds of kid-friendly recipes on Pinterest or in kids’ cookbooks. Cooking or baking can be a special activity for an upcoming holiday or it can be just including kids into cooking dinner with you. Passing on a love of food and competence in the kitchen is an experience they will treasure their whole life!
8. Movie Bingo
Watching a movie together is one of the top free activities for families. It’s fun and easy but it doesn’t include much interaction. To make it more fun, try out a Movie Bingo! Try this universal movie bingo printable or more specific bingo cards for Disney movies. Bingo cards turn any movie night into a game night too and keep the kids engaged in both the movie plot and the family around them.
9. Read Aloud
If your children have a decent attention span, a read-aloud time can be a great free activity! Pick a longer book and commit to reading a chapter or two a day out loud. While you do this the kids can color, eat snacks, or even help with quiet chores like laundry! When you finish the book, find a new one for free at the library!
10. Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts can be a fun way to entertain at all times of the year. Sometimes you can find scavenger hunts set up by libraries or other community programs. If not, they can be easy to make on your own! There’s a plethora of different printable scavenger hunts for rainy days, road trips, and nature walks here.
What activities have you found to bust the boredom but not the budget?
You Might Also Like: