Family fun often comes at a cost, and the bigger your family is- the higher the cost. Priced per person is sometimes a budget killer for larger families and even when you utilize the free kids with adult purchases, you still end up paying a fortune sometimes! So what about the free things for a family to do?
What are some great ways to have quality family time, without going in debt to have it?
I’m going to list some great family-friendly ideas and suggestions on things you can do during a no-spend weekend.
Seasonal family friendly freebies:
What is a no-spend weekend?
A no-spend weekend is one where you try not to spend any money, outside of the normal bills.
There are a few different ways this can play out when it comes to vehicle transportation.
- Some people believe that a no-spend weekend means not going anywhere outside of the home.
- Others believe that if you leave the house, it has to be with free transportation- meaning biking, walking or free rides.
- But then there’s another group of people who suggest that using your own car to get from point A to point B is okay so long as you don’t buy gas while participating in this challenge. This leaves you to be resourceful with the gas currently in the vehicle since you can’t just “top off” the tank.
20 Free at home activities for a family
- Play Board Games
- Camp in the backyard
- Bake cupcakes or cookies together
- Root beer floats party
- Watch Movies on Netflix in your PJ’s
- Have a coloring contest
- Play hide and seek
- Have a pillow fight
- Build puzzles together
- Have a picnic style dinner in the living room
- Play pretend Youtube (Set up a table, backdrop, and camera. Give your kid a few toys and tell them they are on Youtube. Watch their imagination as they start talking to everybody they think is watching. You never know, it might be a great video to actually put on Youtube.)
- Have a lego building contest
- Go outside and play freeze tag. Or you could play Red light/Green light… Remember “Momma bear, are you sleeping?” *Ah, the games of my youth., making me feel old and nostalgic.
- Build a blanket fort inside!
- Do shadow puppets on the wall (this can keep my kids entertain for hours!)
- Play dress up and then interview them to ask about their look and inspiration
- Read a book, with each character getting their own voice
- Have a tea party
- Make home-made playdough
- Go through old toys and clothes and choose what to donate.
20 Free family activities outside the house
- Go for a walk
- Have a barbecue
- Go to the park
- Pack a picnic for the beach
- Go swimming or play in the sprinkler. If it’s summertime, look for your local Splash Park to help you save money on your water bill.
- Play kickball, soccer or with a Frisbee
- Go to a museum (they often have free nights)
- Walk around the mall and window shop
- Go to a playground
- Do yard work or gardening
- Go to the library
- Experience neighborhood free events together
- Go geocaching- this is still popular!
- Go camping for real
- Color the sidewalks with chalk
- Fly a kite (make a homemade kite and fly it if you don’t have one handy!)
- Start a rock collection (kid’s LOVE rocks.)
- Host a garage sale and then let the kids decide how to spend the money
- Have a race
- Blow bubbles (homemade bubble mix is super easy and you probably have the stuff already!)
Finding free things for your family to do isn’t super hard if you let yourself get creative. Kids are naturally self-entertaining, which makes it much easier for you. Just jump right into the play-time that they are having and you can make memories that don’t cost a dime but are priceless just the same.
Want more FREE ideas?
Are you celebrating a child’s birthday? Check out these Kid Birthday Freebies!
Also worth a quick peek- 27 Freebies for Adult Birthdays
What are some no-cost ways that you like to spend time with your family? Share them in the comments below!
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Hi, my name is Nicole and I am a self-employed stay-at-home-mom of 2 running my own virtual business while trying to tame a crazy 6-year-old girl and a toddler boy! My husband is a game developer and a disabled Army veteran. Together we’ve been through it all. Within the past few years, we took our frugality to a whole new level by moving our family of 4 into a bedroom at my parents in an attempt to pay off debt. It’s working and within the next few months, we’ll be 100% debt-free! With this site, I’m sharing the best tips and tricks for saving money, budgeting and living more frugally because if we can do it, you can too! You can read more about us here- https://www.struggletodaystrengthtomorrow.com/about-me-page/
I have three kids, so one of the ways we have free fun is with all the classes and workshops that stores have for free. My twins really liked the free coding class at Microsoft!
Thank you I like very much
I’m glad you like the list! 🙂