“Bicycles are Nice” by Hula 70
1. Dust off that sports equipment and get outside! Depending on the season you could go for a bike ride, shoot hoops in the park, play catch, go snowshoeing,cross-country skiing, or sledding.
2. Volunteer somewhere cool: Let your interests (and your children’s interests) guide you. There are soup kitchens of course, but what about an animal shelter, animal rescue center, or an after school program?
3. Make a how-to video with your kids and post it to YouTube (or put it on your blog, see #16). Try doing your own cooking show, demonstrate a craft project, or any other skill you have (or don’t have! The point is to have fun, not to do it well!)
4. Take advantage of inter-library loans: Many libraries will allow you to login from home and order books online, and then email you when your books are ready to be picked up. This way you have access to books from libraries all over the place, and you don’t even need to spend time looking for them! Check your local library’s website or ask a librarian to find out how it works.
5. Check out your local newspaper’s “Events” section for free community events. There are usually all sorts of things going on for free, like live music at a local cafe, street fairs, guided nature walks, and classes.
photo courtesy make less noise
6. Have a stargazing party: Invite a few neighbors or friends, pack a bag with hot drinks in a thermos, flashlights, night sky charts, and extra warm clothes, and go somewhere you’ll get a good view. It’s exciting to be on a night hike, even if you aren’t that far from home!
7. Look up a nature trail in your area and take a leisurely walk. Let your children collect a few little treasures (leaves, a little stone, a bit of moss), and when you get home put together a nature display that your kids can continue to add to and inspect. Or bring a digital camera and let your kids take pictures of whatever they want. When you get home, you could print some of the photos and have your kids write captions or dictate a story to go with them.
8. Cook something together that none of you have ever made before. Check out Smitten Kitchen and The Food Network for free recipe ideas.
9. Go to a local museum on Free Day: Almost all museums have at least one free day each month; check the websites to find out when this is. Try going to one you’ve never been to before - there are lots of different kinds of museums out there: natural history, science, aerospace, art, historical societies, maritime, etc.
10. Work on a scrapbook together: make some hot cocoa, spread everything out on a table, and have everyone help choose their favorite pictures, write captions, etc.
11. Check freecycle.org and the craigslist.org “free” section for cool new stuff for your family - you can find anything from Rollerblades to kayaks to pool tables, all for *free*! Also don’t forget to check these resources for children’s books, board games, and craft supplies!
12. Drive somewhere nearby that you’ve never really explored. Get out and take a walk in a new neighborhood.
13. Invite friends over - both your child’s friends and your own! Even if you’re not doing anything “special”, it’s more fun in a group.
photo courtesy jonny hunter
14. Teach your children a skill: Do you sew, knit, or crochet? Can you play the guitar? Flute? Piano? Bagpipes? Are you an avid fly-tier? Share your talents with your kids!
15. Write a story together: One person starts it, then folds the paper so only the last line is visible. The next person reads only the visible line aloud, then adds to it & folds it for the next person. Repeat until you feel like stopping, then read it aloud.
16. Start a family blog! Blogger and Wordpress are both free to use, and only take about five minutes to set up. If you have older kids, get them involved writing their own posts and uploading photos. Then share your blog with family and friends living far away. And just in case you don’t want everyone to be able to see your blog, you will have the option to make it “Invite only” when you are setting it up.
17. Have a game night: Build a fire if you have a fireplace and make some tasty snacks. Play your favorite board games, play cards, or work on a big puzzle together.
18. Build something together: If it’s warm, build a fort or a tree house in the backyard; if it’s cold, build a fort in the living room or build a snowman or igloo outside.
19. Do you have a video camera lying around? Make a silly movie! Your kids can write the script or sketch out their ideas, and you can provide “costumes” from your closet and props from around the house. When it’s all done, you can have a “Film Premier” party with popcorn and invite a few friends over to watch it.
20. No video camera? Do a play instead!
21. Go watch a local high school or intramural sports team play in a local park.
“Camp Out” by Johanna Wright
22. Go camping in your own backyard. If you don’t have a fire pit, use your BBQ to roast some hot dogs & marshmallows!
23. Write letters to family and friends. Make it more fun by digging up any colorful markers, stamps, and stickers you have crammed in the back of your desk drawer. If you want to get silly, write letters to each other & mail them from the post office!
24. Check out a great book from the library and take turns reading aloud to each other. Try the Little House on the Prairie
25. Host a Craft Night, where the entire family (and maybe some friends, too) makes stuff. Crafternoon: A Guide to Getting Artsy and Crafty with Your Friends All Year Long
Have more ideas? Leave them in the comments section below!
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