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Most of us know what it's like to live on a budget. Living on a budget doesn't have to detract from spending quality time with your small children, though. There are many free or inexpensive activities available in most areas.

Become familiar with local parks. Not only do the playground activities make them great places to hang out for a little while, but many parks offer other features. There are several in my area that have water park features, which can be anything from an automated sprinkler designed for children to a designated area with water canons, sprinklers, dumping buckets and other items of wet summertime fun all for free. Some parks offer Frisbee golf areas have you seen mysterious poles sticking up at your local park, with odd chain mesh baskets on top? That's a Frisbee golf course.

Other parks offer swimming pools and even water slides for a small fee.

A trip to a nondescript park or even your own back yard can be spiced up with an impromptu picnic. Small children usually aren't too picky when offered an opportunity to picnic.

Some parks offer hiking trails. If your child doesn't want to go on another boring nature hike, you can turn it into a scavenger hunt. Write out a list of items you are likely to see on any hike. Make enough copies for everyone and see who finds the most or finishes first. This activity turns a potentially boring walk into a fun family competition. Another way to spice up a hike is to turn it into a photo safari. You can use a cheap digital camera or a cheap disposable camera. Let everyone have a turn taking pictures, then compare them afterward. Put them in an album together or have a slide show.

Look for free museums. There is a museum in my area that only charges if you want to see the special exhibit; otherwise, entrance is free. They have a small children's area with musical instruments, jigsaw puzzles, and the real gem: a mini-archaeological dig area where the children strap on goggles and dig through rubber chips to discover finds on the floor of the containment area.

Many parks, museums, and community centers offer free or cheap activities and classes in the evenings and during the summer.

State parks and ponds at local parks are another winner. Many state parks and even city parks offer free fishing of stocked ponds to youngsters, with no fishing license required. The limit on who may fish and the fact that such ponds are usually stocked means a lot of catches for your budding fishermen.

Many state parks

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