Summer Fun On The Cheap For Families – 100+ Ideas

summer fun on the cheap

Hi everyone with summer coming I thought we just have to talk about Summer Fun On The Cheap For Families! I decided to take a little break from my “Beat The Heat” series….(if you enjoyed them don’t worry more are coming) to talk about this very important topic….because a lot of folks don’t realize yes there are lots of Cheap Summer Fun for families out there! For those of you that don’t know I’m a 10 month employee with a local school system so I don’t get paid for two months every year. It always lands in the summer and even though I do put a bit of summer cash away summer is also our busiest time of year. This summer in particular because we have so many plans and so few pay checks.

I thought others of you might be feeling the pinch as well so I thought I would put together a round-up list from myself and other fantastic bloggers and definitely make sure to click on their links because I have included in this post and the posts that this blog article links to over 100+ of ideas for “Summer Fun On The Cheap!”.  Please click on the links as you read this post as all of these bloggers were very enthusiastic in sharing the message with all of you that fun does not have to have a huge price tag!

I hope you enjoy this list and I hope it gives you ideas or inspires you for the summer!

Go outside, take a hike and breathe in the fresh air!  Hiking is not only good for you but when you have a picnic it becomes a perfectly healthy and fun event!

Spend some time camping this summer! Camping is so refreshing and it’s so nice to get unplugged from it all! I love eating bacon and eggs over the campfire and our kids always loved joining in as well.

Visit or Host A Yard Sale!  This is a chance to teach your kids about de-cluttering, entrepreneurship and have it be a fun time too!

Find a natural spring located near you or find one and travel to it! We went to a spring in Florida once and it was a fabulous adventure!

Make some homemade ice cream the flavor options are endless!

My children loved to create crafts such as tie dye t-shirts, pottery, sketching, and much more! They couldn’t wait for craft day!

pink lemonade water kefir from keep the beet.com
Used with Permission: Photos Source – Keep The Beet.com

Come up with some delicious and fun yet healthy beverages for your family this summer! Your kids will love it!

Don’t forget about the tried and true summer activities such as bowling, swimming, and more! Many bowling alleys offer summer fun programs for children to encourage bowling as a sport or hobby so bowling does not have to be an expensive pursuit.

Don’t worry if you have a rainy day there are plenty of activities to do as a family together! Work on puzzles, some movie watching with some delicious homemade popcorn, or maybe it’s time for some fort building! Indoor fun can be exciting and engaging too!

outdoor fun - untrained housewife
Used with permission: Photo Source – Untrained Housewife.com

Sometimes some good old-fashioned fun is in order…get out the tricycles and sidewalk chalk and teach your kids how to play hop scotch!

When you have had enough of tv you may want to declare TV Free Friday and get your kids working on some other activities. My daughter used to love to write plays and act them out with her friends and her brother.

Many communities have free movies on the town lawn on the weekends in the summer and in our area we have free fireworks too! Sometimes it’s just doing some investigating and you are sure to find lots of free and fun activities!

Unplugging the games and electronics is not a bad thing. Include your children especially your teens in cooking, possibly remind them they need to send a letter to Grandma or Grandpa, or encourage them to work on a scrapbook of their summer travels!

Learn about some of the wildlife programs near you and ways to connect your family with nature!

Take time to read together as a family this summer! Reading is a way your children and you can travel on some amazing adventures without even leaving your house!

Children love to forage for their supper too so take them out to hunt for berries and mushrooms in the woods! Believe it or not kids while raising children is not inexpensive they really just want to spend time with you!

Fishing is one of our family’s favorite pursuits once the weather gets nice and you get to catch your dinner!  Win! Win!

foraging - spring mountain living
Used with permission: Photo Source – Spring Mountain Living

Oh and don’t forget about spending some time with that romantic partner in your life! It doesn’t have to be expensive….my hunny “The Viking” in my life love to go to music shows and bring a blanket in the summer. Some of my best memories with him are just letting the music wash over us and enjoying each other!

Wishing you all a beautiful fun-filled summer filled with cool breezes and fireflies!

Fondly,

Karen Lynn

Other Cheap Summer Fun Activity Blog Posts You Might Like!

 Cheap Summer Family Outings – Not Everything Has To Cost Lots of $$ Money – Canadian Budget Binder

9 Bugaboos that could ruin your summer fun, and how to plan for them – The Survival Mom

Our Fun Fondue Pot Experience – Lil’ Suburban Homestead

10 thoughts on “Summer Fun On The Cheap For Families – 100+ Ideas

  1. What an awesome list Karen. Summertime activities can be taxing on the budget but it doesn’t have to be if we plan ahead. We love going to garage sales and taking hikes. Mr.CBB

    1. Mr. CBB I so agree! Planning is key and you know we love to have fun and go to garage sales, see local music and hiking too!

    1. Trish I loved your post! So excited you let me share it! I love that you touch on the fact that healthy can be delicious and fun!!!! Wish I had known more about this when my children were younger 🙂 Glad you liked the post!

  2. Your site looks great. I couldn’t wait to read your Summer Fun on the Cheap article. The only problem is I had a very hard time seeing the print. The font is very light and made it hard to read. Hope you can bold the next one. Thanks.

    1. Thanks Kristen I always appreciate the feedback I will see if I can either make it bolder or adjust the font. And thanks for stopping by!

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