Good, Cheap Fun
25 Ways to Keep the Kids Happy and Busy
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1. Give a Bike Parade a Spin
Post signs around the neighborhood encouraging kids to decorate their rides with streamers, stickers, flags, and more--then let them cruise up and down the street while all the parents applaud. (Call your local police station a few weeks ahead of time to apply for a permit so you can briefly close off your block to traffic.)
2. Say Thanks to Your Local Heroes
Take a tour of your police or fire station (you might get to climb up on a fire truck!). Since most locations don't have set visiting hours, call ahead to arrange an appointment.
3. Get Hooked on Fishing
Click on Little Lunkers at takemefishing.org, where your young angler can learn the basics of the sport and find places to cast off in your area.
4. Learn From the Masters
Watching artisans paint, pot, and blow glass is captivating for kids. Most cities host regular open-house art events; call your Chamber of Commerce for info.
5. Create a Physical Challenge
Build a backyard obstacle course with hula hoops, jump ropes, even a hose, then time the kids.
6. Ooh and Aah Over Fuzzy Friends
Nothing piques kids' curiosity more than baby animals, so a visit to a petting zoo (or even a pet store) is a surefire hit. Find everything from pony rides to farm tours in your state at pettingzoofarm.com.
7. Play at an Indoor Park
When summer storms render the jungle gym too wet to climb, take a trip to a sheltered playspace, like the indoor court at a nearby public elementary school or, better still, Smaland at your local Ikea. The home retail giant's supervised playspace offers up to 90 minutes of parent-free fun for little ones who are out of diapers and between 37" and 54" tall. Visit ikea.com/us/en for store locations.
8. Surf the Web for Crafts
Nurture your little one's creativity with pretty art projects. For free inspiration and detailed how-to instructions, check out these kid-oriented sites: artprojectsforkids.org (where you'll find classroom-tested activities from an elementary school art teacher), kidscraftweekly.com (for weekly craft roundups that you can have delivered directly to your inbox as an e-mail newsletter), belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow (for a slew of sweet seasonal crafts categorized by children's ages), and artfulparent.wordpress.com (which boasts an eclectic mix of art, baking, and science fun for kids).
9. Organize a Neighborhood Game Night
Designate one evening a week for some friendly multifamily competition (think kickball, softball, and capture the flag). Keep things fair by designating a different parent to ref (get rules for dozens of sports at gameskidsplay.net) and dividing into new teams each time, like fathers and daughters versus moms and sons.
10. Discover How Stuff Is Made
Many factories offer tours so kids can see their favorite products created from start to finish. Get info on visiting more than 500 factories across the nation from factorytoursusa.com.
11. Rock It Out at the Rec Center
Community parks offer an endless array of free and low-cost day camps and activities, including swimming, improv, arts and crafts, music, archery, tennis lessons--even nature and farm programs. Kids ages 5 and up can also participate in team sports leagues. For dozens of programs, call your city parks department or check out the National Recreation and Park Association Website, nrpa.org.
12. Get Your Hands on Some Goop
Mix up a bowl of Oobleck, a mysterious matter that kids can shape into balls or let ooze from their fingers. Here's how:
Pour one cup water into a large mixing bowl.
Add a few drops of food coloring (any color).
Slowly stir in two cups of cornstarch (use a spoon at first, but you may eventually find it's easier with your hands).
13. Rev Up His Inner Rembrandt
Most crafts stores--including chains like Michaels, A. C. Moore, and Hobby Lobby--offer hands-on activities just for kids (think scrapbooking, box decorating, bead stringing, as well as projects using clay, pipe cleaners, and more). Some classes are free; others require a nominal fee--typically $5 or less. Find class info at michaels.com and hobbylobby.com, or call your local A. C. Moore store.
14. View a Free Flick
Select Regal theaters offer a Free Family Film Festival each summer, screening PG and G-rated movies at 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday. Go to regmovies.com for a schedule. AMC runs a similar program, Summer MovieCamp, on Wednesdays, with $1 tickets; check out amctheaters.com for more details.
15. Throw an Unbirthday Party
Do it for real: Send out invites ahead of time. Then on the day of, make a big Happy Unbirthday sign, blow up balloons, hang streamers, bake an unbirthday cake, and sing "Happy Unbirthday to You." (Since it's nobody's birthday, the guests can blow out the candles together!)
16. Take 'Em Out to the Ball Game
It doesn't have to be expensive MLB action to be entertaining; whether it's Single-, Double-, or Triple-A, minor-league matches can inspire the same enthusiastic root, root, rooting for the home team. Plus, tickets go for just $7 a pop at most stadiums, and many clubs charge even less than that for kids. (Other amenities come cheap too; the average cost of parking is less than $4 and hot dogs cost under $3.) Get a list of teams and schedules from milb.com.
17. Play Hometown Tourists
For historic locations, local trivia, and under-the-radar spots to explore, hit up virtualtourist.com.
18. Have a Bowl at Your Local Alley
Hundreds of alleys across the country participate in the summerlong Kids Bowl Free program, which allows children to play two games a day on the house. To register for a pass, roll on over to kidsbowlfree.com.
19. Swap Out the Forgotten Items in Your Toy Box
Invite kids to come over with toys (in good condition) that they no longer want. Then, let them draw numbers to see who gets to pick a "new" toy first.
20. Lend a Helping Hand
Volunteering teaches compassion and responsibility-it also keeps kids busy. There's plenty little ones can do, like cleaning up a green space or collecting canned goods. Get the scoop on giving back at kidscare.org.
21. Take a Long (or Short) Walk on the Wilder Side
Lace up your boots, pack a bottle of bug spray, lunch, and a pair of binoculars and play naturalist for the day at one of the nation's 550 wildlife refuges--public lands and waters set aside to conserve animals and plants. You can hike through lush forests, swim in pristine rivers and lakes, and identify hundreds of native species (including endangered ones). With more than 150 million acres to explore across the country, getting into the wild is easier than you might think; visit fws.gov/refuges to find a refuge near you.
22. Feed Your Future Chef's Creative Abilities
Little-known secret: Many grocery stores offer inexpensive culinary classes for kids ages 5 and up--seek out your store's manager for details.
23. Watch Movies Under the Stars
Every Friday and Saturday at twilight, parks across the country sponsor free outdoor family film nights. Visit your parks department Website to find screenings near you.
24. Get Wrapped Up in a Good Book
Barnes & Noble, Borders, and most independent bookshops,as well as libraries, host story hours for kids. Find schedules and other info at bn.com, borders.com, or by phoning your local library or bookstore.
25. Make It a Museum Day
Many museums, big and small, offer free (or heavily discounted) admission for families one day a week. Put in a call to your local museum to inquire about dates and fees.
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