What is it about summer that makes me want to lay by the pool everyday?  Of course it would help if I had a pool (and I’m not counting the kiddie one).  Since I can’t be at the pool, I look for summer activities that are kid-friendly and low cost.  Here are a couple ideas I’ve learned that have helped me plan plenty of summer fun to keep the little one from getting bored:

1. Come up with a “Family Fun” calendar.  We use ical, where we can color code each individual calendar (my calendar, my husband’s calendar, our family fun calendar, etc.) and keep track of events.  Usually our newspaper comes out with a “summer event guide” that lists all festivals, art fairs, town celebrations, and more.  We use this resource, circle the events that interest us and then plug them into our calendar.  We have found this essential for keeping track of free events. When we rely on our memory, we usually forget and miss the event.  I can’t emphasize how important it is to come up with a calendar that lists these events next to your other daily calendar. You can check out ours here but please note that not all activities are free.  My husband takes any and all activities that look interesting and sticks them on our family fun calendar. 

Here are some ideas for free events to take advantage of this summer:

2. Free concerts:  These our great for our family!   Many of the bands play oldies that are fun to dance to and there are families of all ages there.  The music is usually louder than the kids are and we can enjoy the entertainment as we play in the grass.

3. Free festivals, art fairs, town celebrations:  We usually enjoy just walking around, avoiding the junk food (if we can) and watching people, booths, street performers and more.  

4. Farmer’s Market: These are springing up everywhere in our town.  Some even include musicians, children’s activities, free food samples and more.  Be aware that farmer’s markets sometimes “evolve” as the summer goes by.  They can start out pretty bare and then once harvest hits, be full of yummy things to eat.  I’ve been surprised how much my daughter enjoys going to the farmer’s market.  Maybe it’s the free samples of fruit we’ve gotten or the library’s booth where she can do a quick craft.  Either way, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon or evening where there’s nothing to do.  Plus it encourages us to buy locally and enjoy the delicious and fresh local produce and fruits.

5.  Library:  This one might seem a no-brainer, but I often think that people go to the library less in the summer than other times of the year.  Our library offers a great summer reading program, even for babies and toddlers.  We got some amazing resources last year including a free CD and a book of finger plays. Plus my daughter read enough books to earn herself a free book.  Our library also offers free programs, like a Clifford day, a puppet program, a mud sculpture art class and more.  

6. Beach: You don’t have to travel to ocean to enjoy a beach.  Children enjoy the simplest of beaches, even next to small ponds. Last summer I discovered Fox Island County Park had a small beach, perfect for building a sand city, sand rivers and pools.  It does cost us two dollars to get in this park, but it still cheap fun for our family.  There are also turtles, frogs, birds, walking paths, and a nature center to enjoy.

There are so many other great things to do in the summer too!  Playgrounds, splash parks, biking on the trails and more.  The best thing is that we can have lots of fun for very little to no money.  Enjoy the summer!