1 of 6

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

in church-sponsored family events of various sorts, all for minimal or no cost aside from transportation. When the kids became teens, church youth groups offered opportunities to experience new activities, and when my kids invited their friends to participate they started receiving invitations to youth activities at other churches. My eldest daughter was very socially-oriented as a teen, and church events kept her out of mischief for a number of years.

Cleaning house isn't something that we usually think of as a particularly pleasant activity, but when your child's room gets out of control, spend a weekend "redoing" it. Have your child help pull all the furniture away from the walls so that you can vacuum the floor and wipe down the walls and baseboards while he does the dusting or picks up his toys or sorts through his clothes for things he's outgrown. Then devise a plan together for rearranging the room. Everything gets a good cleaning and the "new" room becomes more inviting, at least temporarily. My children enjoyed trading bedrooms from time to time, so two rooms would get a thorough "going over" at the same time.

My children fairly regularly begged for a cat or a dog, but I had my hands full taking care of kids and refused to take on the additional responsibility and expense of a pet. There were stretches of time, however, when one or more of the kids agreed to volunteer at the animal shelter, walking dogs on a regular basis. This commitment would last a few weeks or months and then the child in question would have had his or her fill of pet responsibility and the begging would subside for a while. Even very young children can make a contribution as a volunteer if a parent or older sibling is available as a mentor.

The "Events Calendar" in local newspapers and radio stations lists community activities, many of which are admission-free: city-sponsored events at the library or in the parks, special promotions at the museum or art galleries. All of these are opportunities for kids to meet youngsters from other schools and broaden their social network. Check out your local newspaper and community newsletter for activities that will appeal to your children.

If you live in a larger city, an Internet search for "(your city) family activities" will bring up a variety of sites that advertise everything that's going on, and some of the events will be admission-free or at least low-cost. If all else fails, put in a call to the parents of one of your child's friends and set up an extended play date. Take your child to his friend's place for the morning while you treat yourself to a few child-free hours and then bring the friend home with you for the afternoon so that his parents can have some free time. This is an especially effective way to manage shopping for Christmas or birthdays.

If you're free to be with your child on weekends, the range of activities is endless: go for a walk together, or a bike ride, or a drive in the country. Make a bowl of popcorn and watch a movie together on television. Bake cookies or make Christmas cards. Clean the car, rake the lawn or wash windows. Pretty much anything you want to do or need to do can include children of all ages.

If you have to work weekends, you need to find someone who can do these no-cost activities in your stead. It's not the amount of money you spend on a child that matters, but the quality of time that is spent with him. Nurturing relationships if the best activity for any child, and that can very often cost nothing.

Learn more about this author, Roberta Velyn.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about How to find free and cheap children's activities for weekends?
We want to hear your view. Write now!