I was always looking for cheap family activities, and found a wide variety from various sources. Cheap depends on your version of what cheap is, lol, but I aimed for $10 or less per person. Well, okay, I often looked for cheaper than that.

Sometimes the events are free but you have to spend money while there, for food, drinks or souvenirs. That was included in my $10 per person. The age of the children will predict how much they may like the following type events.

Some of these events were:

• a concrete village of child hood characters, walking through the forest and stopping at various areas where perhaps Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs were, all in concrete, living in among handcrafted little buildings, etc. This was one of those touristy trap things, but the kids liked it, and the price was decent, $20 for a family
• So seriously, check out those local touristy things, it can be fun. I used to live where they had double-decker buses and every spring they had cheap seats for the locals to kick off the summer season
• The small local air show, some people could get a short air plane ride for cheap, but instead we walked around, and entered, a lot of these cool planes, including WW2 aircraft, admittance was free
• 

  Swimming at the Rec Center

  The fair, and gosh I generally hate these things, but you can get a wrist band for $20 and spend the day there, great for teenagers

• Joining walking and biking fundraisers, we were all set to join up one year, but that years organizers wanted $20 per person just to participate, and I wasn’t going to pay when every other year was free, so check around and these free or cheap events can really be fun
• The local Garlic Festival, put on by local farmers, in the town park, it’s about $3 to enter the park, but it’s entertainment and music basically all day
• The library is always an amazing resource for kids activities, I went for years! Every month is generally an art event, like crafts for Halloween, and usually free
• Farmers Markets, always free to attend, and we can probably get away with just getting a hot dog and soda while watching the local musical talent
• The movies, and those are so expensive now, but matinees are generally cheaper (Saturday or Sunday afternoons), and I would allow my kids one treat inside
  

  Fun at an Air Show!

• Check the local rec center, they are a treasure trove of activities for children and teens (and adults) of all ages, including drop in and classes
• Swimming, again at rec center, but only go during family time, otherwise its way too busy, check their schedule, last time I went it was $3 per person
• Besides the crafts and other events at the library, they are also a resource center for every other organization in town, check the bulletin board

Here’s an example of library events:

Every Library everywhere has events just like this! It’s a whole new world in there!

Writing this article reminded me of when me my boys went to the movies. We all entered together as a group, stopped for our one treat, and it was decided, by the boys, that we would not sit together. I can handle that, it’s kinda funny. So here we are, the three of us, all sitting in different areas of the movie theater, having a great time.

Make sure to check my other page on free stuff to do, some of which may seem not too special, but to little kids, it’s really great!

Link to a page with some great ideas for indoor and outdoor cheap or free activities.

#militantsinglemom, #singlemom, #familyactivities, #momlife