Families don't have to spend a lot of money to find entertainment. TV and magazine advertisements would like to make us think we have to obtain the latest video games, mp3 players, and expensive vacations to have happy content children. This is simply not true. Mostly kids desire our undivided attention.
A great place to enjoy inexpensive entertainment with our families is at home. Below are a few suggestions for inexpensive family fun to have at home during times when money is tight.
1. Share discussion time with your kids about what they like to do. You may find a young child who loves to color pictures, especially if you sit down with them and do it. You may find a middle aged child or a preteen who loves to practice soccer moves or jumping rope. You might find a teenager that wants to look at local college campuses to start getting an idea about what college life is like. Talk to your kids and let them come up with some ideas for things they want to do that don't cost anything. You might be surprised at their suggestions and even at what they might consider entertaining.
2. Read a book aloud for the whole family or get a book on CD from the library that the whole family can read together. If there is a large age difference with the kids it might be best to pick a classic or take turns picking for the different age groups. Some kids will want to color or draw while they listen.
3. Look through family pictures and talk about some of the good times you have shared. This is really important to kids. They like to remember the good times and the things you have already done with them.
4. Cook together. Kids often like to help in the kitchen it is a good way to teach them about nutrition. Looking through recipe books and finding new ideas can make this even more fun. You can preplan a week of meals with everybody getting a chance at deciding a meal.
5. Have a family sleepover. Where you all camp out in front of the TV with snacks and movies. Even if you have to rent movies this can be much cheaper than going to the theatre.
6. Take time to play with all the games you have around your house. Have a game marathon of all the favorite family games. Even if you have to invest in some new games the games can be used for years to come.
7. Have friends come over. Kids can have fun times with friends without spending money.
8. Have some family challenge set up to happen on a certain night like a video game tournament or a Scrabble challenge. This might encourage practice prior to and build excitement for the actual event. This can also be done in the area of exercise by challenging everyone to a sit-up or push-up challenge. Doing as many as you can in one minute.
If you feel the need to get out of the house here are a few suggestions that may cost a nominal fee.
1. Take classes through your local recreation centers or city parks. Many of these classes are offered for a small fee but some are even free. Classes range from learning a certain dance step to learning to draw. You can learn a lot about your kids when you take a class like this with them.
2. You might find a child who loves to go the thrift stores or yard sales. This can cost a little bit of money, but it could also be a whole day event where you get to know your child and his or her likes and dislikes.
3. Simply go to a park and walk around. Fresh air can be good for everyone. In our area some of the local parks have a few animals cared for by park rangers. The kids find it entertaining to see the animals and check on them each time we visit the parks. Some parks in our area also have boats that can be rented for a couple dollars an hour. I
4. Use coupons if they are available when you want to go out to eat or to a movie. Check your local papers often for restaurant coupons or even theatre coupons. Sometimes there are restrictions on what you can buy or how you can use the coupon, but sometimes making sacrifices to still be able to go out is okay.
5. Memberships to museums or theme parks. Sometimes it can be cost effective to buy annual memberships to local museums or theme parks. Even though the membership price might seem high at first if you make a commitment to go often and don't spend extra money when you visit it can spread out to being just a couple dollars a visit. We live near a large theme park and we buy the membership and then pack our lunches or come home for lunch. We still get to enjoy the park but we don't spend tons of money on food.
This list is by no means exhaustive. It is meant to spark some ideas for each family. Just because money might be tight during these tough economic times it doesn't mean family relationships have to suffer. You can still have fun together without spending a lot of money.