8 Affordable Family Entertainment Alternatives to Consider

 
Family life can be a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, many parents find it difficult to discover new ways of keeping the kids entertained while sticking to their budget every weekend. After all, when you factor in all the expenses of eating out, paying for tickets into amusement parks, and traveling to distant destinations, the cost of entertainment can be a lot larger than you’d think.

The good news is that you don’t have to get a second mortgage just to have some great bonding moments with your youngsters. Instead, check out these great alternative solutions for family entertainment that will cost you little to nothing!

 

1. Collect Leaves and Shells

If the weather outside is warm enough and you don’t mind going on an adventure through some nearby parks, and beaches, then why not make some nature-inspired art for your home? Take your child for a walk and ask them to point out anything they consider to be pretty. Just make sure that you check it’s safe before you let your child pick anything up.

When you get home, you can work together arranging the things that you collected into a picture and even construct a pretty frame that you can use to display your art.

2. Play Some Family Sports

“Capture the flag”, family games of football, and tag are all fun ways to get everyone outside and moving, which is fantastic not just when you want to tire your kids out, but also when you want to get them off the couch and away from their games consoles for a couple of hours.

There are plenty of different athletic games that families can play together, and you could even consider signing up for things like tennis lessons if you want a little help from the pros. Just make sure that you keep your budget in mind.

3. Go Volunteering

There are plenty of fantastic ways that you and your youngster can give something back to the community. For example, plenty of towns have their own gardening clubs that are perfect for sprucing up public spaces, and toddlers can play around the dirt, or help with pulling up weeds. Your older kids will also get a kick out of planting flowers and watching them grow.

At the same time, there’s also a host of animal rescue organisations and other great volunteering opportunities out there if you’re willing to look.

4. Plan Your Own Treasure Hunt

When the kids are at school one day, put together a treasure hunt and map on your computer that you can print out for the weekend. You can always put tea or coffee on the paper to give it that old “treasure map” look. Then, wait for a warm day, and allow your child to go racing around the garden looking for some cheap treats that you picked up from the store.

This is a great way to keep everyone busy, without having to resort to anything too expensive.

5. Re-Watch Some of Your Favourite Movies

You don’t have to pay for an expensive Netflix account to spend some quality time together in front of the television with your kids. The chances are that you already have a handful of old DVDs and Blu-ray around your house, so dive into them and pick your favourites. Alternatively, you could always ask family and friends to help out by lending you some films that you haven’t’ seen.

6. Have Some Fun in the Kitchen

Kids love spending time in the kitchen if it means making something fun and delicious. For the best results, choose recipes that help your kids to really get stuck into whatever they’re cooking. For instance, pie crusts, pizzas, biscuits, and so on are all great options, because they come with dough that kids love to squish between their fingers.

7. Check Out the Stars Together

The beauty of the world around us is difficult to believe, and it’s something you can explore for yourself without spending a single penny. If you need some help pointing out the best stars, make sure you go onto Google before you camp outside, and download a star chart that you can take with you. Make sure that you pick a clear night and bring a blanket with you to keep warm.

 

8. Go for a Walk

Finally, ask your child to come with you on an adventure. Instead of going somewhere specific, start walking in one direction and ask your children to decide where you go next. They can make up the path as they go along, take pictures of their trip, and when you get home, you can even put everything together into a story that they can share with their friends.

 

*This is a collaborative post