Hellobee

Summer has officially arrived! After this brutal winter I am so excited to be finally enjoying the sunshine. I stopped babysitting last week so now I have the rest of the summer, until baby arrives, to spend with my two little ones. I want to enjoy our days but also enjoy them economically, especially in ways that I can still do after we have a newborn. So far these are some ideas I have about entertaining ourselves throughout these next few months.

1) Library – We live close to two libraries in our area. Juliet and I have been attending story time at one now for close to a year and she loves it. We have made some good friends from the class and now that summer is here Drakey is going to start tagging along too. Besides free books the library has puzzles, puppets, and even some educational computer games to try out. All the libraries in the area are doing free movies on Saturdays. I already got Drake and I tickets to see How To Train A Dragon! Cost- Free

2) Spray Park – I love our local spray park. It’s been a source of great fun for Drake since he was two and last year Juliet got her turn and loved it. The spray park is attached to a playground as well and there are benches and plenty of lawn space to picnic. There is even a little vendor shop with hot dogs and ice cream that Drake loves. We meet a lot of friends there too and make a day of it. Cost- Free or a few bucks if we don’t bring our own food or want a little ice cream treat.

3) Parks – I have a few staple parks I like to visit but I have been trying to find newer ones to visit as well. Many parks have playgrounds or even free activities and story times. Our county also sends a catalog with different classes and events they host that sometimes can have a fee. Cost – Free usually or $10-$20 depending on activities 

4) Petting Zoo – My friend told me about a local petting zoo that opened in the same town as my in laws. All the animals there are rescues and they do programs and pony rides to educate the public about rescue animals. During the week the farm is open to the public and it’s all free. Pony rides cost a few dollars. Cost- Free for the petting zoo; $5 per pony ride per child

5) Bounce House – On rainy days it’s sometimes nice to be able to get out of the house. There is a nearby bounce house that Drake loves and Juliet is finally starting to become big enough to play in it too. Cost- $8 per child usually for open bounce

6) Beach – We are lucky to live very close to so many of the NJ beaches. Depending on the days and times we can often go for free when it’s off duty times. Many of our family and friends also have beach badges we can borrow during the weekdays. If we do pay Juliet is free, so for Drake and me it’s less than $20. The beaches by us also host movies on the beach weekly, which is free. I’m hoping to take Drake to a few before the summer is over. Cost- Free

7) Boardwalk – NJ beaches are known for their boardwalks. Between rides, snacks,  games and aquariums at the one we frequent most, there is always something to do even if it’s just taking in the sites and walking around. Mr. Chocolate’s dad has given us ticket books since Drake was born so we never pay for rides thankfully, but they usually cost around $20-$30. My friend works at the aquarium so we often get in for free, otherwise its $10 for Drake and me. Since the boardwalks are close to Mr. Chocolate’s parents’ home, sometimes after we have dinner at their house we drive over. Most of the time it’s very low cost since the beaches don’t charge at night and we eat ahead of time. Cost – Depending on what we do can cost nothing to around $50 if we go into the aquarium and eat.  

8) Mall – Besides beaches, NJ is best known for its malls. I can easily drive to 5 within half an hour. Sometimes it’s just nice to be able to get out of the house and walk around and window shop. Depending on the mall they usually have some kind of kiddie place with those coin operated ride ons. The mall we frequent the most has a play area which Drake and Juliet adore, as well as carousel and train ride. We usually play in the play area, eat in the food court, and ride sometimes before we leave. Cost- Between meals and a ride usually around $25, though it can be free if we just walk around

9) Carnivals – Drake has been asking to go to a carnival since summer started. He loves the rides and Juliet can finally play alongside him. Most of the fairs we attend are free admission and then you buy tickets for rides. When we go we usually try to get a good amount because Drake can ride rides all night if we would let him. We usually eat ahead of though to save us a little money, but overall we expect to spend around $30-$50 in tickets and food. Cost – $30-$50 average 

10) Pool – I have a few friends with pools so playdates in the summer are always fun. I was worried once the baby arrived it might be hard to get out as much, so before the summer started I bought the kids an inflatable pool for our own yard. Neither of my kids can swim yet so the size of the pool didn’t matter so much to them. We tried it out a few times already and it’s a huge hit. It’s nice to be able to sit in the shade and watch them amuse themselves for hours. This is the one we have. Cost – Inflatable pools cost anywhere from around $10 and up depending on the kind you get.

11) Backyard amusement – Sometimes nothing beats just playing outside in your own yard. Before Juliet was born I wanted to make our yard a safe, fun place for Drake to play in case I was too tired to get around. We bought a playset our first year in the home right after Juliet was born and we brought out the water table that we got Drake when he turned one. Between that and chalk for drawing outside, balls to kick around the yard, and a stomp rocket Drake got for his birthday they really love playing outside daily. The playset was $900 installed and the water table was $40 when we bought it, but they can go for less I’ve seen. This is the stomp rocket we have Cost – Free for us now.

12) Walks around the neighborhood – I imagine when I have the baby in a stroller we can walk around the neighborhood as well “looking for animals” which is what Drake always loves doing. Cost – Free

Here are some more ideas for inexpensive or free summer activities with kids:

13) go camping in the backyard
14) bake cookies for neighbors
15) have a lemonade stand
16) go for a hike
17) make a pizza at home
18) make ice cream, popsicles or snow cones
19) go to museums & botanical gardens on free admission days
20) fly a kite
21) start a rock collection
22) collect shells at the beach
23) play card games or board games
24) scrapbook
25) learn a new sport or hobby as a family
26) make things out of cardboard
27) make a bird feeder
28) plant a garden
29) have a scavenger hunt
30) volunteer
31) visit a fire station
32) participate in a park nature program
33) visit a pet store
34) make your own bubbles
35) go to the dog park
36) feed ducks
37) have a tea party
38) go fishing
39) wash the car
40) visit the Disney store
41) free crafts at Michael’s stores
42) make paper planes
43) give your child an old digital camera to take photographs
44) have an ice block treasure hunt
45) have a water balloon fight
46) make a DIY slip and slide
47) create a backyard obstacle course
48) make mud pies
49) start a nature journal
50) have a yard sale

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Overall I think we will have lots of options to keep busy this summer. I really hope we can play and make the most of our days before the baby comes and restricts days outside the home. This is Juliet’s first summer as a toddler and I’m so excited for her to experience the same kind of fun Drake has been having for the last few years.

What inexpensive or free things do you do for fun in the summer?