Inexpensive Summer Activities for Families

Summer days are filled with opportunities to have fun with your kids, but if you're not intentional about planning frugal outings, you can easily spend more money than you intended. Use this guide to free summer activities and inexpensive ideas to help you have fun with your kids and stay within your budget all summer long.

Free Summer Activities:

Plan to incorporate a few free activities into your family's routine each week during the summer.

Take a family walk
Play tennis
Go to the library
Run through the sprinkler together
Have a water fight using balloons, water guns, or spray bottles
Participate in free crafts at your local Michael's craft store or Home Depot
Paint each other's toenails
Go hiking in the woods
Have dinner outside at a nearby park
Participate in a free summer movie or concert series

Cheap Summer Activities:

Plan to include one or two of these cheap summer activities into each week during the summer.

Go out for ice cream
Go bowling
Rent a movie
Participate in a local movie theater's dollar summer movies for kids
Get slushies
Buy ice cream from the ice cream truck
Go roller skating
Buy day passes at a nearby pool
Drive to a lake or the beach for the day
Take a craft or art class together as a family
Visit a beading shop and make necklaces
Visit a paint-it-yourself pottery shop and paint mugs or plates

Worth-the-Price Summer Activities:

These outings may be more expensive, but if you choose just one or two to do together over the summer, it's worth the expense.

Go to a nearby theme park
Go to a major league or minor league baseball game
Go tubing or canoeing on a nearby river
Go camping
Go to the zoo or a museum

Finally, the most important thing to remember when planning cheap summer outings is to have fun. That's what it's all about! You're creating memories your kids will hold in their hearts for years to come. No matter how "simple" an activity may seem at the time, know that it matters to your kids.