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I don’t know about you, but it seems like as I look for fun things to keep my kids engaged this summer, I tend to think of things that cost money.  Wave pool, community pool, amusement parks, movies, etc.

But there are still a lot of really fun, frugal summer activities we can and should do before summer is over. Sometimes my 4th grader does not want to do the simpler things, but when I insist he almost always ends up having fun.  Today I am sharing some of the fun, frugal things we are going to do before summer is over.

Simple, Fun and Frugal Summer Activities for Kids

Outside activities:

• Bubble art – I did this when my older two were preschoolers and it was a lot of fun!  My kindergartener is excited to try this one.
• Shaving cream art – my kids love this.  We use our patio table and just rinse it off when we are done.
• Run through the sprinklers
• Water balloon fight
• Set up cones or draw chalk roadways and have a bike course in the driveway (even more fun is for mom or dad to spray a hose in one spot for a cool ride through or a ‘car wash’
• Draw with chalk on the driveway. You can even make your own sidewalk chalk paint!
• Blow bubbles – seriously simple, but we just don’t do it very often (Note: This is also fun to do when it is below zero – they freeze!).  Make your own bubble solution or pick it up at your local dollar store.
• Hit the local, free beaches

Inside activities:

• Go through all of our toys a play a bit with each one – I made a list and we are taking each bin out and playing for at least 20 minutes.  Once we are done, the kids get to vote if we keep the toy or donate/sell it.
• Khan Academy – for every 5 or 10 lessons my kids complete (depends on the prize), they get to do a fun summer activity like go to the State Fair, amusement park or other bigger ticket item.
• Coloring – simple, but tried and true.
• Painting – same as above.  You can even make your own finger paint.
• Crafting – time to use up some craft supplies!
• Play-doh/Moon Sand – this is almost done in our house, so here’s to one last hurrah.  Save money by making your own Model Magic or Moon Sand.
• World’s largest Matchbox car set up – time to get out all those tracks and tricks and set up something seriously impressive
• Build a fort and  have lunch in it, watch a movie or take a nap (I am voting for the nap!)
• Make popsicles
• Sort through last year’s paper/artwork – this sounds like a to-do item, but the kids love to look back through their work and help decide what to keep.  Once we figure it out, I file it in their respective bins.

I am off to do something simple, fun and frugal with the kids!