Still have a few weeks until the kids go back to school?
Yay to not having to wake up extra early in the morning to get the kiddo to school. And yay to not having to wash uniforms and yay to not having to beg them to go to bed by 9pm. But what about when you wake up at 9am and the kiddo is hungry and cereal won’t cut it? Oh what about it’s 11am and you hear “It’s boring mom!” The questions open like a flood gate. Can Justin come over? Can we go to Great America? Can we try out the Human Hamster Ball activity? I know you made a huge breakfast, but now I’m hungry and I want lunch but no PB&J today we had that for lunch yesterday? Sigh.
Well I totally understand what you are going through here are some fun and cheap things to do with the kiddos this summer!
McDonald’s Playland
Yes, for many reasons. If you have more than one child going out to eat is pretty expensive and sometimes just isn’t in the budget even having one child it gets pricey going out to eat so of course McDonald’s has a dollar menu as well as reasonable prices kids meals. Plus they have a little healthier alternatives now. The kids get sliced apples with their meals as well as the option to have milk instead of soda.
The Beach
Oh yes the infamous beach. If you are a city girl like myself you only visit the beach in the summer maybe quickly In the spring but most likely the kiddos only get to go in the summer so don’t rob them of their sand filled buckets and pop bottle experience 😉 the beach is free some places here in Chicago make you pay to park, but you can always take CTA if that’s an issue. Visit Dollar Tree or any dollar store and grab sand buckets, water guns, kites, a few snacks and enjoy a family day at the beach. The children will remember the beauty of that day and your pockets shouldn’t be too empty.
The Zoo
I know I need to walk around the Zoo a few times a week to shed some pounds, but also it’s a great place to take the kiddos. Animals, petting zoo, sometimes even group activities and musical performances. Check out your local Zoo website and you will be amazed of the activities they have planned for your little ones this summer and all through out the year.
Library
Here in Chicago our public Libraries teamed up and launched a reading program to keep the kiddos reading during the summer and as a reward they can earn prizes. I entered Dereon and he has been trying to keep a book in his hands once a day at least. If you aren’t in Chicago try your local library and see if they have any reading programs or activiies during the day.
Park District
Summer camp is one of Dereon’s favorite summer activity and it’s very helpful for me. During the day he can goes to his sports camp at the local park. They teach him the basic basketball, football, soccer, and baseball moves and rules. They take weekly field trips and they also talk about nutrion and offer swimming classes. The fee is reasonable and covers everything including lunch! Also the kid has made new friends and got an awesome sun tan=)
Bowling Alley
Take a field trip to the bowling alley. Catch dirt low prices during the week and keep practicing until strike is your middle name. Oh and make sure you and the kids take funny photos with the vintage chic bowling shoes. If you’re looking to brush up on your bowling skills so you can show off to your kids as well as the rest of the people using other alleys, take a look at Skilled Bowlers tips and tricks.
Skating Rink
Oh you have extra smooth moves? Showcase them on the shiny skating rink. Your kid would love to see you fly gracefully or fall on your face as a cool summer day activity. The chances of finding free or cheap lessons and helpful skating tips are easy around the summer months just make sure you call ahead and double check that there is no huge group trips planned the day you attend.
You could also consider sending your child to Summer camp to take part in fun activities during their break from school. It’s a great way to make friends, keep active and learn something new for your child. You could consider checking out something like Ravenscroft Summer Camps and their popular programs over the Summer months.
The summer isnt over yet. Lets keep our children busy and active!
