Entertainment Love and Romance Inexpensive Summer Activities for Families Free, Cheap, and Worth-the-Price Summer Activities Share PINTEREST Email Print Photo © ImagesBazaar/Getty Images Love and Romance Relationships Sexuality Divorce Teens LGBTQ Friendship By Jennifer Wolf Communications Director Seattle Pacific University Jennifer Wolf is a PCI Certified Parent Coach and a strong advocate for single moms and dads. our editorial process Twitter Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Jennifer Wolf Updated June 28, 2017 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 walkPlay tennisGo to the libraryRun through the sprinkler togetherHave a water fight using balloons, water guns, or spray bottlesParticipate in free crafts at your local Michael's craft store or Home DepotPaint each other's toenailsGo hiking in the woodsHave dinner outside at a nearby parkParticipate 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 creamGo bowlingRent a movieParticipate in a local movie theater's dollar summer movies for kidsGet slushiesBuy ice cream from the ice cream truckGo roller skatingBuy day passes at a nearby poolDrive to a lake or the beach for the dayTake a craft or art class together as a familyVisit a beading shop and make necklacesVisit 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 parkGo to a major league or minor league baseball gameGo tubing or canoeing on a nearby riverGo campingGo 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.