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10 Cheap Family Fun Ideas

By Martha Sanders

Entertainment can be pretty costly if you have a large family. Lean financial climate makes us think twice about showering our kids with expensive toys, latest video games and summer holidays. The good news is, with so many affordable family-friendly activity ideas waiting to be explored, there is absolutely no need to spend a bundle of cash to keep everyone in the house busily happy. Here are a few cheap family fun ideas that might be of interest to you especially when money is already tight.

Cheap Family Entertainment

1. Share some quality time with your children and talk about things they love to do. I only discovered my youngest daughter has a deep passion and talent for watercolor painting when I took time out and sat down with her. As busy parents constantly on the move, we often fail to notice our kid’s true talent and instead focus too much on school grades.

2. If your child likes reading, encourage him to read his favorite book aloud for the whole family to enjoy. This also acts as an excellent opportunity to help build a young person’s self confidence and overcome shyness in school.

3. Look through the old family album and talk about some of the loving moments you have shared. It helps children remember the good times and exciting things done together as a family.

4. Letting little ones into the kitchen to help you prepare meals is a fun way to spend the day, and at the same time, teach them about healthy eating as well as basic maths concept. Try searching around online for free kids cooking recipes that are quick and easy, or look for illustrated children’s cookbooks readily available at your local library or bookstore.

5. Another cheap thing to do for the weekend is watch a movie together. Rent a DVD and enjoy the show along with healthy snacks such as homemade unsweetened cocoa-coated air-popped popcorn or apple slices with almond butter. So dim the lights, turn up the volume and cuddle up with the kids in your own little “cinema” .

6. If you don’t mind a house of excitable, noisy children, why not invite young friends over for the afternoon? Kids enjoy happy times with their friends playing board games such as Monopoly, Life, Snakes and Ladders, Clue, and Pictionary. Remember, fun-filled activities do not necessarily mean the latest PSPs and games.

7. Who says picnic have to be at the beach or park? If weather permits, organize a family picnic right in your back yard. Get everyone in the family to prepare one simple snack, pack it up and head outside. What a wonderful way to connect with nature, chat anything under the sun, and have oodles of fun for pennies on the dollar.

And if you feel the need to get out of the house, the suggestions below cost very little or even free.

8. Simply go to your neighborhood park and walk around. Fresh air and a bit of sunshine is good for everybody in the family. Furthermore in certain estates, some of the local parks have a few animals cared for by park rangers. Kids can feed the animals, but make sure you check for feeding rules.

9. Get off the couch, get active and play outdoor games with your children. Bring out those gloves, baseball, football ball, basket ball or roller blades. Always make sure that your kids put on safety gear before any rough games. You can also vary ball games with swimming, hiking or fishing.

10. If you are looking for incredibly sweet deals, then check the newspapers for coupons or special nights. Quite a number of establishments have certain nights that are specially catered for families with kids at a lower price. Such discounts come in really handy for those with a large family struggling in the recession.

The list of cheap family entertainment ideas is by no means exhaustive. If you look beyond the false impressions created by countless television and print advertisements, you can still enjoy wholesome fun with your family without stretching yourself too far back.

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