As a parent, I am always looking for ideas for family time. Not only is that time often hard to carve into a day, it can also burn a hole in your pocket. So I set out to seek activities that we could do as a family, and sure enough found many things that were either free or cheap.

Turn off the television, turn up the music and pull out those family games! Many of the old stand bys such as Monopoly, Clue, and Scrabble are very affordable these days if you don’t have them already. If you have younger children, games such as Candy Land and Memory are great choices. Take turns letting family members choose the game and invite extended family over to bring their favorite games. You will be creating a memory your kids will cherish!

Weekly Library Adventure

Many parents over look the most useful and fun place in their area. I remember as a child my mother taking my sister and me to the library every week. It was always a fun trip. Many libraries now offer more then just books. You can borrow music, videos, and often times even games. Find a book you can share as a family, taking turns each night reading a chapter. Not only will you and your family be entertained but your children will be learning the love of reading!

Pajama Run

There are nights after we tuck the kids into bed that we surprise them with a pajama run. Once they are all tucked in and quiet, and moments have passed, we will yell “PAJAMA RUN.” This means they jump out of bed, put on their coats and slippers and pile into the car. We then drive to the local ice cream shop and treat them to a cone. We all sit there in fits of giggles eating our cool treats. The kids have grown to love this surprise more and more over the years.

Museums

Many local museums have times when admissions are free. Call around and you may be surprised! We were amazed to know our local Children’s museum in Portland, Maine offers free kids nights once a week. It was always an amazing experience for the children to go there to play and to learn, and we as adults had a great time as well.

Family Hobby

Hobbies are a great way to bring a family together even if it is just some thing simple. One idea we explored with the children was making wooden blocks. Many times stores like Home Depot will let you have the end pieces of wood cuts they make. Grab as many pieces as you can or buy a 2x4 and cut it up the way you would like to (an adult must do this). Sand first and then paint them. Children and adults could paint small pictures on them or letters and numbers could be stenciled on. Then polyurethane the wooden blocks to preserve the paint. If you feel your child may chew on these, this is not a recommended craft unless you make sure ALL materials used are non toxic. Also, never use pressure treated wood. My kids had a blast with this family hobby and now have a cherished set of blocks. There are so many crafts out there just waiting for you!

There are so many things out there beach trips, picnics at the local park, a Sunday drive to the country…..The options are endless.