How To Keep Your Kids Happy Without Spending Any Money

As your children grow up, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep them entertained without breaking the bank. Some days, it is all you can do to keep up with them. You may find that it is only early afternoon, and you are not sure what to do with your little one next. Most often, these situations occur in the summer, when children do not have the routine of school to fall back on.

The information that follows will help you keep your kids happy without making you crazy at the same time. Equally as important, these ideas do not cost any money, so you can have fun without worrying about paying the bills later.

There are a number of ways to entertain your children, but what you will find here are ideas that have worked for me and my family. Therefore, you could say that they are “parent approved”!

1. Set up a “treasure” hunt.

I use the word “treasure” loosely here, because what you will be doing is taking your children’s existing toys and hiding them in certain spots around your property. Tell your little one how many items they are looking for, give them a bucket to collect their “treasures” in, and spend an afternoon giggling and laughing together!

2. Create a fort out of pillows and blankets.

For some reason, making a fort appeals to kids both old and young. Gather up any materials you can find; things like pillows, blankets and couch cushions are all useful. You can set these items up any way that you want; the sky really is the limit. Once you have your fort ready to go, gather up some books and toys and play inside.

3. Start a game of hide and seek.

This is an oldie but a goodie, and you can do it either indoors or out. If your children are very young, keep them in one general area. If they are older, you can spread out a bit.

4. Have a dance party.

Turn on some music and encourage your children to get up and dance! Put a little spin on it by having a “contest” to see who can come up with the most creative moves. You may not feel like dancing when you first begin, but by the time you get moving, you will feel better. And, when you are thoroughly exhausted, you can elect yourself the “judge” and have your children perform for you.

5. Go outside.

Find a park or a path to walk on. Go to a playground to let your children run around. Search for bugs or look for cool elements in nature. There are so many things that you can see and do outside. Let your imagination be your guide (or, just defer to your children as they will have lots of great ideas!)

6. Have a shoe fashion show.

If your children are young, chances are that you have found them modeling your shoes a time or two. Little ones really love shoes! Gather up all the shoes in your house and have a fashion show. Let your children try on different pairs and practice walking all around.

7. Have a picnic lunch.

Lunch often seems like a chore, especially when your children don’t want to eat what you serve or their behavior leaves something to be desired. Change things up a bit by having a picnic outside! If the weather isn’t great, just lay down a blanket in the living room and serve up your picnic that way.

8. Engage in gardening.

Getting your hands dirty is fun for kids of any age! Working in the garden is a great way to get rid of some excess energy, although you don’t have to have an established garden to have fun. You can use your imagination and just water the grass or trees, for example. The sky is the limit!

9. Head to a pet shop.

Kids love to look at animals, but the zoo may be too far away or too overwhelming for you. Instead, go to a local pet store! You can wander the aisles all while taking in various pets like rabbits, turtles and fish. And, you don’t have to pay a pricey admission fee!

10. Visit the ducks.

Ducks are a lot of fun to watch, and throwing them a few pieces of bread is sure to delight any child. Wait until you have several ends that you are not going to eat, and then take those old pieces of bread with you down to the ducks.

11. Work in the kitchen.

Kids want to emulate you and your behavior. So, if you have a chore that needs to be done, get your child involved. Ask them to help you load the dishwasher or even wipe off the counter. You will get your work done and have a little fun in the process.

Send in any ideas you have that keep your children happy (and that don’t cost any money!).