Amusement parks, pool passes, retreats, summer camp, and travel…sometimes summer plans can be a little overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to keep a little one entertained on those long, hot days. I’ve been challenged this summer to rethink our plans on our new “one income” budget. Would we love to take our girl to Sesame Place, Dutch Wonderland, the Crayola Factory, and Hershey Park (all local to where we live)? Yes. Can we afford to spend $180 (or more) on two adult tickets, plus gas and food at each place? Not even close.

But summer on a budget
doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.

My girl is, thankfully, young enough that she would rather spend the day playing with bubbles, coloring and playing with her cousin than being dragged around a theme park. Here are some fun, free summer activities we’ll be adding to our calendar this year:

Splash
My kiddo loves to play in water - whether it’s in a bucket, a hose, at a park, or just in a big cooking pot on her grandma’s front porch. So many free community parks also now have splash pads and wading pools, and I know she’ll love when we get the sprinkler out to water the flowers. It doesn’t cost us anything, she loves it, and by the end of the day she takes a great nap because she’s worn out!

Build Forts
This one isn’t just for boys! Or kids, actually {grin}. On those days when it’s too hot to go outside, ignore any plans to have a clean living room and pile the sofa cushions on the floor. Drag chairs in from the dining room, drape sheets, fluff blankets, and let the fun begin! It’s a challenge in our house to see who can build the better fort, and our girl loves to sit in them with her baby dolls, books, and watch a show.

Go to the Park
We are blessed to have a variety of community parks in our town, plus fabulous playgrounds at the local elementary schools that are open to the public after school hours. Spending hours helping Madison climb the steps to go down the slide “one more time” is a great workout for me, a lot of fun for her, and gives her the chance to burn a little energy.

Swim
This one might be hard to do for free for everyone, but we’re blessed with great-grandparents who have a beautiful pool that we can use whenever we’d like so that we don’t have to pay for pool passes. Who knows - this might be the perfect summer to make friends with the neighbor down the street who has a pool!

Sleep Under the Stars
My niece just had the best time sleeping in a tent for the first time and they never even left their house! Ok, technically she also slept in the tent IN her bedroom, but she loved it! Borrow a tent (or make a fort!), spend the evening outside, build a campfire, make s’mores and just enjoy something new and different as a family.

Have a Picnic or BBQ
It might seem like a lot of work and expense to have people over to your home for a summer cookout, and it can be, if you choose to provide everything yourself. Our friends and family always ask us what they can bring, so this year, instead of saying “oh, just bring yourself,” we’re going to ask them to a potluck style cookout. We’ll provide the hotdogs, everything else is up for grabs! It gives our guests a reason to show off their cooking skills, feel like they’re contributing, and helps us make sure we have enough food without spending a ton of money!

We’re also planning to hike, play dress up, and read a lot of fun books this summer - while taking advantage of free community events, trips to walk around the farmers market, and trips to the library. A lot of fun without a lot of money. And we’ll be making some fantastic family memories, which is the biggest bonus of all.

Chat with us: what are your “go to” free summer fun activities?