Cheap Family Fun

[HairyUpperLip]

Two of the blogs I frequent both had similar articles about Cheap Family Fun...

Would be cool to see more suggestions and ideas for a new dad with a 10 month old. :-p

http://rootofgood.com/cheap-family-fun/

http://www.1500days.com/ask-the-readers-what-is-your-idea-of-cheap-family-fun/

[viper155]

My kids are now grown but when they were little I never ran out of cheap and fun things to do with them....

1. Hiking
2.Fishing
3.Watching a train pull into the station [free]
4. County farm [free]
5. Local ecology center [free]
6. Taking a short train ride [this can be free]
7. Biking

Man, I miss those days!

[RootofGood]

Hi Hairy Upper Lip, thanks for sharing my Cheap Family Fun article.

A ten month old might like a lot of those things on my list, especially the outside ones. 

Check to see if your library or community center has any programs for toddlers for free or cheap. 

Free music performances?

At 10 months, kids don't seem to care for other kids, but sometime over the next year they will start to show interest.  Play dates are cheap.

[HairyUpperLip]

haha, yes, as of now it is fairly easy to entertain a 10 month old. I guess I'm just trying to be overly prepared for the future.

I know my child will develop her own interests and I'll try to play off of those as well. Just thought it would be a good topic of discussion, but in retrospect it's probably been overly hashed out on this forum... sorry y'all!

And no problem on sharing it, I truly enjoy reading your blog and seeing your families progress. Also, have fun in my birth country - I love Canada. :)

[Hannah]

Hey Hairy Upper Lip, I am guessing that you might be looking for cheap family fun because babies are actually a bit boring sometimes (though I would never give mine up for the world).

We've been bringing our son to ultimate frisbee (pick-up at a nearby park) since he was two months old, and he loves it. Now that he's an aggressive crawler, my husband and I sometimes have to rotate on and off the field to be sure that he doesn't get kicked in the head. Two weeks ago a bird "befriended" him, and Kenny crawled after the bird for a solid twenty minutes.

Now that its hot here in Raleigh, we've been dragging his high chair outside, filling the tray with water and letting him splash. We haven't been able to find a splash pool close to us, and we don't have a water table, so this seems like a good alternative.

I thought it would be a good idea to take him berry picking... it was not.

I also go running with him in the stroller. Every time we see a dog he wants to stop (at least, I think he does, he yells, "DAAAAAAAAAH"), so I stop and do five push ups then keep going. I've never been stronger, and its fun for him.

[RootofGood]

haha, yes, as of now it is fairly easy to entertain a 10 month old. I guess I'm just trying to be overly prepared for the future.

I know my child will develop her own interests and I'll try to play off of those as well. Just thought it would be a good topic of discussion, but in retrospect it's probably been overly hashed out on this forum... sorry y'all!

And no problem on sharing it, I truly enjoy reading your blog and seeing your families progress. Also, have fun in my birth country - I love Canada. :)

I've found that the cost of toys or entertainment for kids is largely uncorrelated with the enjoyment. 

Thanks for the Canada well wishes.  We set off on Monday for the grand trip (stopping in Philly and NYC for a few days each). 

[Dr. A]

I've found that the cost of toys or entertainment for kids is largely uncorrelated with the enjoyment. 

I generally find that they are actually quite highly correlated... negatively correlated, that is.

[HairyUpperLip]

Hey Hairy Upper Lip, I am guessing that you might be looking for cheap family fun because babies are actually a bit boring sometimes (though I would never give mine up for the world).

We've been bringing our son to ultimate frisbee (pick-up at a nearby park) since he was two months old, and he loves it. Now that he's an aggressive crawler, my husband and I sometimes have to rotate on and off the field to be sure that he doesn't get kicked in the head. Two weeks ago a bird "befriended" him, and Kenny crawled after the bird for a solid twenty minutes.

Now that its hot here in Raleigh, we've been dragging his high chair outside, filling the tray with water and letting him splash. We haven't been able to find a splash pool close to us, and we don't have a water table, so this seems like a good alternative.

I thought it would be a good idea to take him berry picking... it was not.

I also go running with him in the stroller. Every time we see a dog he wants to stop (at least, I think he does, he yells, "DAAAAAAAAAH"), so I stop and do five push ups then keep going. I've never been stronger, and its fun for him.

Lol - no way, not bored at all. I love my daughter so much and she's full time free entertainment. I'm just more curious about things to do as she grows older. Just being overly prepared I guess?

[HairyUpperLip]

I've found that the cost of toys or entertainment for kids is largely uncorrelated with the enjoyment. 

I generally find that they are actually quite highly correlated... negatively correlated, that is.

Agree.

[Frugal Father]

haha, yes, as of now it is fairly easy to entertain a 10 month old. I guess I'm just trying to be overly prepared for the future.

I know my child will develop her own interests and I'll try to play off of those as well. Just thought it would be a good topic of discussion, but in retrospect it's probably been overly hashed out on this forum... sorry y'all!

And no problem on sharing it, I truly enjoy reading your blog and seeing your families progress. Also, have fun in my birth country - I love Canada. :)

I've found that the cost of toys or entertainment for kids is largely uncorrelated with the enjoyment. 

Thanks for the Canada well wishes.  We set off on Monday for the grand trip (stopping in Philly and NYC for a few days each).

Haha, my wife keeps saying that as long as the kids enjoy playing with boxes, why would she ever buy expensive toys?

[golden1]

When my kids were smaller we went to a lot of different parks and playgrounds, rotating between 3-4 parks every week.  Yes we had to drive to some of them but the farthest one was only a few miles away. 

The beach is a great, cheap activity if you live near water - usually $5 for parking and bring a picnic lunch.

We also have a town wading pool which the kids have outgrown but was great for years when they were little. 

Our local library has tons of free activities. 

We are a bit nerdy so we play Magic (a fantasy card game) and D&D. 

When my kids were babies, we were in a local playgroup that met once a week.  We would bring a potluck dish and the babies and toddlers would play together.

We also do family bike rides.

[RootofGood]

I've found that the cost of toys or entertainment for kids is largely uncorrelated with the enjoyment. 

I generally find that they are actually quite highly correlated... negatively correlated, that is.

Ha ha, touche! 

[socaso]

My husband starting hiking with our son when he was about 10 months. We bought a used baby hiking backpack from craigslist for about $25 and it was in perfect shape. Now my son is 2, we are still using the same pack and they go hiking a couple of times a week. They love it! It was also useful training for my husband who likes to do long hikes.

[Frugal Father]

When my kids were smaller we went to a lot of different parks and playgrounds, rotating between 3-4 parks every week.  Yes we had to drive to some of them but the farthest one was only a few miles away. 

The beach is a great, cheap activity if you live near water - usually $5 for parking and bring a picnic lunch.

We also have a town wading pool which the kids have outgrown but was great for years when they were little. 

Our local library has tons of free activities. 

We are a bit nerdy so we play Magic (a fantasy card game) and D&D. 

When my kids were babies, we were in a local playgroup that met once a week.  We would bring a potluck dish and the babies and toddlers would play together.

We also do family bike rides.

+1 for Magic and D&D!!! :P

[MicroRN]

Some of these aren't quite suitable for your kid's age group, but it's nice to have ideas for the future.  Sign up for Macaroni Kid.  They'll email you a weekly calendar of local events, and occasional other points of interest.  For example, tomorrow is National Teddy Bear Picnic Day.  I had completely forgot about that song, but now I'm planning a little picnic lunch with the kids and their teddy bears because I loved it so much as a kid.     

In our area, there are several indoor gyms/playgrounds available most of the year.  It's a gym full of toys, and you turn the kids loose to play.  Cost is $2-4/kid.  The mall has a play area too, and as a bonus you can go to story time at B&N.  Of course there are outdoor playgrounds, but indoor options are nice to have.   

Another thing - check out Pinterest.  Seriously.  I come across so many pins about baby and toddler activities.  Some are way more effort than I want to deal with, but many are simple and engaging.

One of our super purchases for the summer was a $6 inflatable splashing pool and $1 plastic buckets.  It's a tiny square pool instead of round, and has an inflatable floor for comfort.  It gets used basically every day that it's nice outside.  During the winter I'll put ball pit balls in it.  I also have a plastic sweater box filled with dry pinto beans and have toys buried in it and little shovels.   

Check to see if your area has splash parks or spray grounds. 

[Mark31]

For the first time last weekend I did cardboard hill sliding.

Get some cardboard, find a suitable slope, and slide down it. Works best with dry grass and dry compacted soil. Glossy boxes help too.

It doesn’t take long before kids will be standing and surfing down the hill.

Quite suitable for little ones if you hold them.

[stealthrabbit]

small kids like BIG cardboard boxes.

medium sized kids like hikes and exploring

bigger kids like backpacking (and they can haul your stuff!)


Bike Camping on the Islands reached via ferry is a lot of fun (and no place to escape!)
Living on an island off-season at a camp is a good idea when the kids are of adventure age!  CHEAP too... we lived there in exchange for caretaking. (free)


Taught my kids to do woodwork and we all made lamps just like grandpa made when he was age 12!

Also built some furniture.  (CHEAP fun and educational)

Older kids...

mine had to make their cars function... (Bought at police auction for under $100).

Then.. at science age... Have them make Biodiesel so you (and they) can drive for Free!

[RootofGood]

Cardboard boxes, yes!  I just hosted a playdate for a bunch of 8-9 year old girls.  I was cleaning up the kitchen as they played and had a cardboard wine case with the dividers to keep the 12 bottles separated.  I almost tossed it in the recycling, then thought to ask the girls if they wanted it.  You'd think I offered them a brand new Playstation 4 with ice cream on top!  "OMG YES CARDBOARD BOX YES YES!!!!!!!1".  They turned it into a Monster High clubhouse, changing room, and performance stage (with some duct tape). 

[MicroRN]

Our nanny just brought the boys a huge cardboard box.  She got a new stove and thought the kids would have fun with it, and boy have they.  She cut them a door and windows, and they've drawn all over it.  She even used it for a little learning time, identifying and coloring in letters.  They'll get a few weeks out of it, then we'll recycle it.

   

[Bob W]

Our nanny just brought the boys a huge cardboard box.  She got a new stove and thought the kids would have fun with it, and boy have they.  She cut them a door and windows, and they've drawn all over it.  She even used it for a little learning time, identifying and coloring in letters.  They'll get a few weeks out of it, then we'll recycle it.


I've done this.  It is great.  If you want to have a big time, stop by an appliance store and ask them if you can have 4 or 5 boxes.   You can then make villages, tunnels and forts.   3 kids can use these for hours for weeks.   When the boxes are beat to death recycle and do it again in a few months.  They seem to never get tire of it.  They love to design their own doors and windows.