When I was a kid, I can remember looking forward to the “lazy days” of summer, and was pretty good at finding things to do to keep busy.  My parents took my brother and I on several camping trips, but there would still be several weeks throughout every summer when we would find ways to entertain ourselves.  As a parent myself now, sometimes I forget that activities and entertainment doesn’t have to cost a lot of money (or any money at all!) to be fun.  Here are free activities that are sure to stop your kids from complaining they’re “bored” to finish out their summer vacations:

Make Your Own Slip and Slide

I know that there are a number of fancy slip and slide products on the market – some with splash pools at the end, some disguised in blow up slides and animal shapes.  All you really need for a slip and slide is a piece of plastic (old tarp anyone?) and the garden hose.  On a hot summer’s day, set the kids free in the backyard to get a little wet and slide around on the plastic for a couple hours.

Bike-In Movie Night

Invite the neighborhood kids over for a bike-in movie night.  Pull the TV outside or set up your projection screen and watch a movie under the stars.  It’s just enough of a change to keep the kids entertained, and it’s cheaper than going out to the drive-in theatre.  Make your own popcorn, snacks and set up a cooler with drinks. 

Make a Scrapbook

How many teachers start the beginning of each school year out asking the kids to write or share what they did over the summer?  Probably all of them!  On a rainy day, gather all the construction paper, stickers, crayons and craft supplies from their hiding places and set the kids to work on little scrapbooks about their summer vacations.  If you have duplicate copies of photographs, let them add photos to their creations – if not, they can draw pictures to demonstrate what they did.  Older children can practice their writing skills and include captions and short stories.  Make it more fun by having a contest for “the most creative book cover”; “the most thoughtful journaling”; and other rewards – just be sure everyone wins something for their effort to keep it lighthearted and fun.

Clean Up The Environment and Cash-in

Take the kids (wearing rubber gloves) and some garbage bags around the neighborhood and pick up soda and beer cans and bottles.  Not only does this help the environment and teach the kids the importance of picking up after themselves, but you can let the kids recycle the cans and bottles and spend the money on something from the dollar store.

Make A Lemonade Stand

Remember the days of the old lemonade stands?  They are certainly not as popular as they once were, and it’s too bad because it’s a great learning activity for kids – and it’s fun!  Make a “fancy” lemonade stand with cardboard:

1) Get a large cardboard box and turn it on it’s side so the opening is facing where the children will stand to sell their lemonade and the side of the box becomes the table top/sales counter.

2) Make two long columns with cardboard and attach them to the left and right side of the box.  It should be tall enough that it’s well above the height of your children.

3) Across the top of the columns you’ve created, attach another piece of cardboard between them to make the sign- have the kids decorate the top with “lemonade for sale” or something similar so people know what the stand is.  Kids can also paint or decorate the rest of the stand.

4) Pull your stand out in the front yard and set up shop!