School is ending – are you ready?
One quick and easy way to keep the kids busy this summer on a budget is to sit down together and make a Family Bucket List. If you want to make it cute, pick up a little bucket at the dollar store. Cut up some pieces of paper and get everyone to think of ideas of what they want to do during the summer. If you only have certain dates for outings, get out the calendar and plan those out.
Doesn’t have to be expensive or far away – there are lots of choices at home, close to home and you can set distance and costs too.
A great idea is to look at discount sites like Groupon – can you find deals on things your family already enjoys to do. Pick them up now and save them for a special outing! Go through a coupon book as a family and look for activities you’d all enjoy doing together – rock wall climbing, archery – try something new at a discount. And when your family does chose an activity, check them out on facebook or other social media and see if they have promotions for certain days or times and mark those down.
Look around for free events going on in your neighbourhood or city – librairies, splash pads, community centres, museums, parks – they all offer free events during the summer and it can make a fun day out. You can look for fairs happening too, make it a daytrip. Or a trip to a local beach, picnic at the park, geocaching. Being a tourist in your own city can be a fun way to explore and find new treasures close to home.
You can add in family board game days, special crafts, water balloon fights, camping in the backyard or living room and more fun things that can be done at home too for free!
Getting the kids input is a great way to keep them entertained all summer long and you won’t run out of fun things to do. You can even set it up where the kids have to earn a pick from the bucket – chores, reading, quiet time etc.
What is in your family’s bucket list for this summer?