How Do I Entertain My Kids on a Budget?
Keeping your kids busy doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, you can find ways to entertain them for free!
In today’s world of video games and the internet parents often struggle with how to entertain their kids on a budget without including screen time.
When my nephew was 7 years old my sister took him to my mom’s house out in the country (with no video games). He told his mom he was bored because there was nothing to do. My sister promptly told him there are several things he can do. But my nephew was unconvinced.
Go climb a tree my sister said. Why would I want to do that? Because it is fun! Eventually my nephew did go and climb a tree, and another one and another one… After that he found many fun things to do outside, and video games became something to do when going outdoors wasn’t an option.
Parents often get caught up in the idea that they have to have expensive, interactive toys and games to keep their kids entertained for any length of time, but for small kids especially, they find joy in the simplest things, such as the box the toy came in, or the wrapping paper on a present. The toy itself gets pushed aside and forgotten about.
Entertaining your kids doesn’t have to be expensive at all. For a little bit older kids like my nephew, he found many free things to do outside. He discovered that climbing trees, playing in the creek, building forts, roaming through the woods, and chasing bugs to be much more entertaining than video games.
7 Inexpensive Activities to Keep Your Kids Busy
1. Take Your Kids on a Nature Walk
When your kids are bored and looking for something to do taking them on a nature walk can provide hours of enjoyment and entertainment for them. Take them for a walk around the neighborhood or to a park or nature trail.
Set goals for your kids to achieve while they are on the walk, like finding certain leaves or collecting pinecones or rocks. Nature walks are not only great for keeping your kids’ bodies active. It is also great for keeping their minds active.
2. Visit Your Local Library
When it feels like you have read every book in your house a gazillion times over it is time to visit your local library. Most libraries provide more than just books that you can borrow. They have movies you can borrow, kid-friendly crafts and other activities for your kids to enjoy.
3. Set Up Exercise Mats in the Livingroom
If it’s raining or cold outside and you are looking for a way to get rid of your child’s pent up energy, set up exercise mats in the livingroom or any room in the house you can and either roughhouse with them or teach them how to do things like headstands, handstands, summersaults or flips.
4. Build a Lego or Mega Block Fort
When my kids were really little, we had a bunch of lego and mega blocks and they loved it when I would build them forts out of them. They don’t have to be big or extravagant forts. They only have to be big enough for the kids to fit in. They will love them!
5. Put on a Puppet Show
What kid doesn’t love a puppet show? Part of the fun is building the stand for the puppets. It can be made out of an old cardboard box. Again, it doesn’t have to be extravagant to make the kiddos happy. Enlist the help of older siblings to put on the puppet show. That way it is a whole family event.
6. Have a Scavenger Hunt in Your Yard
Take a walk around your yard and make a list (words, pictures or colors, or all 3) of the things you find. Give each of your kids a copy of the list and tell them to go out in the yard and find as many things on the list as they can, or you can give them a small container or bag to collect their treasures in and then make an indoor craft, or 2, or 3 out of the things they find.
A second option is to hide things in your yard for your kids to find.
7. Download Printable Games and Puzzles
For those quiet times at home when your kid’s energy levels are down, and they want to relax there are printable games, puzzles, and activities for them to do.
In my free resource library, I have tons of fun, free printables that will keep your kids entertained for hours. Download and print as many freebies as you want. Print from home or take them to your local printer.
Free Resource Library
Join my free resource library and gain access to all of the free printable games, puzzles and other kids activities.
You can always find ways to entertain your kids on a budget. All you need is your imagination, (or someone else’s ) and some time, and you can come up with all kinds of inexpensive ways to keep your kids entertained.
