Free Family Fun

I used to think, to have fun it had to involve money being spent. ie. going to the movies, a dinner date, zoo, water park etc. Living on a strict budget, these days, has not left much room for extra spending on these types of things. But we have discovered there is still plenty of fun to be had. I am sure many of you have done these things, but wanted to share some of my experiences and hoping you will share some of yours in the comments.

Summer is a great time for free family fun...

• splash pads- Splash pads seem to be popping up all over these days. There are two that we have tried. There is a new one in Oxford thats free for residents and a small fee for non-residents. Adults are free! We have family in Oxford, so we've been able to get in free and the kids have really enjoyed it......once they got over the freezing water :) We have also ventured to Partridge Creek Mall. They have jets that shoot water from the ground and a kids play area right next to each other. The kids LOVE it there.


• beaches- We have been to several beaches this summer. While it takes some work to pack everything needed for three young kids, it provides great free entertainment. I've also had to get over having sand in EVERYTHING from the van to between every toe, but worth it for free family fun.


• bike rides- If you have bikes and don't mind the exercise, this is one of our favorites. The kids sit in the trailer and enjoy the scenery and we get exercise all at the same time. We usually try to stop at a park or maybe splurge for an ice cream cone on our ride to give the kids something to do. Their favorite stop is at this little Pioneer town, in our town that has four goats that will eat anything that you stick through the fence.


• local parks - try a different one each week. There are lots of parks around from community ones to school playgrounds.


• library events- I feel this is a severely untapped resource. There are many fun things that libraries have to offer. Story time, craft times, special events, and if nothing else, an outing to bring new books and sometimes movies home. We love the movie section. They have a decent new release section (for being a library and not a movie store) and they're free. Go to the library during the day and then plan a special family movie night for the evening. Have the kids draw and cut out movie tickets for each person, pop some popcorn, turn the lights down, snuggle on the couch and enjoy the show.


• parks and rec events - This summer our parks and rec department has been hosting movies in the park, family swim nights, a kite day, and many other free events just for family fun. Check out your local parks and rec. There may be fun at your fingertips just waiting for you.


• game nights- when the weather isn't permitting for outside activities, game nights are always fun. We like board games, relay races, duck duck goose (the girls will even play with just the two of them), and then there are always made up games. M will make things up for us to do. Spin around three times, jump up and down, and then lay down. Be creative!!! It can even be as simple as pulling out a few toys that haven't been played with in a while.


• things in your community - Before kids, I didn't give much thought to things going on in our community. But now I look for things all the time. A few weeks back there was a community open house. They brought in a bounce house, had a farmer's market, petting zoo, and fire trucks on display. The kids loved it. In out little town, there are also concerts in the park and a few yearly events that take place, sidewalk sales, peach festival and victorian days that offer free entertainment for families.


• When you just can't seem to find anything to do, go to the "family fun" website...familyfun.com We get the Family Fun magazine which is FULL of great fun and free or almost free activities to do with your family. When we went to visit Chris's family recently, we had a three hour ride each way, so I spent the trip going through each magazine and tearing out pages of ideas I would use. It's two fold: I get a few pages of fun and then toss (or recycle) the rest of the magazine, decluttering my desk at the same time.


• Camp out- one we have not done yet, but am looking forward too. We have been searching craigslist and garage sales for a cheap used tent, so the kids can "camp" in the backyard with daddy. Flashlight games, star gazing, making smores...the ideas are endless.
  

Other not quite free, but worth the cost (in my opinion)

Zoo- I listed it up there as an expense, but if you can budget $70 for a zoo pass, you can take your family year round for that price including parking. So while its not completely free, it is a great value for a family. It was going to cost us $50 just to go once, with parking and admission for 5 of us. Now we can go anytime we want. If the kids get tired and we have only been there an hour, that's okay we can come another day or ten other days for that matter :)

Park with Dinner - It's Friday night and dinner isn't made and your feeling like getting out. Grab dinner and head to a park. One of our favorites is Rochester park. There are two different play structures, ducks to feed, rivers to splash in, and trails to walk on. The kids have loved it. They get to meet other kids, play, and make family memories all at the same time. Of course packing dinner is always a more ecomical option, but there are just days where makingn dinner just doesn't happen :) We have done both this summer.

When the weather is not good a trip to a local fast food play place is fun. Sometimes, we eat before we go, and then I will just buy the kids a drink when we get there.

So there you have it......... some of my ideas........what are your family favorite free activities?

Four Generations

This past weekend, we visited Chris's grandparents. We were surrouded by lakes, and we were able to take advantage of some great time on the water. The kids had their first wave-runner, paddle-boat, and pontoon boat rides.

More importantly, I loved seeing four generations of family together. Our kids are so blessed to have three sets of great grandparents still living. Here are a few shots of the kids with their great grandparents. These first two are from P's b-day.

My dad's parents My mom's mom

Chris's mom's parents

And a few other shots of the water fun. Chris's Uncle John took us out on his pontoon boat. His dog, Gunner came along too. P loved laying on, smacking, petting, and getting kisses from the puppy.

E wasn't sure at first but with a little convincing, she enjoyed the ride.

M loved it from the start and wanted to go faster the whole time.

Vacation 2010

Week before last we spent a week in Port Austin with my family. My parents generously rented a cabin for them, their kids, and their grand kids; 13 of us to be exact; 7 adults and 6 kids under six. We had a blast. My brother went back to work for a few days, but the rest of us were there for the week. We spent our days walking on the beach, playing in the water, eating ice cream, going for bike rides, laughing, playing board games and the Wii, and just enjoying each others company. This was our first year doing this and after this week, I am sure we will make this a tradition in the years ahead. I feel so honored and privileged that we could spend a week with my siblings and parents and enjoy every second of it. The kids loved being together. Eva and my niece Sydney (who are 6 months apart) did EVERYTHING together, from going potty to playing in the sand. It was adorable to watch.

The Whole Gang

Our Family

We ventured in to Pigeon for the farmer's festival one morning...We fed animals, went for a train ride, decorated cupcakes, took pony rides, and the girls got their nails painted all for free. It was a great time.

Beach fun....We had a private section of beach out in front of our cabin. Hours were spent on the beach and many treasures were found and built.

Cousins

Our beautiful Eva

Where it all began...Thanks mom and dad for an incredible time. You are truly a blessing.

My parents and all the kids....morning snuggles with Nana

A daddy and his kids

Our clothes line looked like this most of the time

Going out for a before bed walk on the beach in our jammies

and getting ready to ride. Three bike trailers to hold six kids. :)

I have hundreds more pictures...but you get the idea.
Hope your family is making many beautiful memories this summer too.