Summer is officially here! I think even the latest of schools are out for the summer and it is totally freaking me out. Since I have been getting off of work at 1 every day for these last 2 weeks, I have been seeing kids outside playing when I get home and I keep thinking “Why aren’t these kids in school?!?!” LOL….Then I remember that it’s summer. But, since I’ve had a little girl to entertain every afternoon while The Big Guy is away, I have really been thinking about frugal ways to beat the heat of the summer!
1.Visit the Zoo: In St. Louis, the Zoo is one of the best ways to beat to heat! Here, the zoo is FREE, and has a dedicated children’s zoo with a water playground section. I’m guess that most cities have something similiar, if not better, and that if admission isn’t free, it is pretty cheap. Grab the kids and head to the zoo and use their water to cool off!
2. Make a Slip ‘n Slide: At-home slip n slides are insanely easy to make! A tarp, some leftover plastic, or even a cheap slip n slide from the dollar store can provide hours of entertainment for the kids – plus the water will help to keep them cool! Hold contests with fun little prize or points for even more fun!
3. Have a Water Balloon Fight: What is more fun than a water balloon fight during the heat of the day. The balloons themselves are insanely cheap, and you’re sure to keep the kids busy for hours just filling them up!
4. Play in the Hose: Play in the hose! You don’t have to buy anything special for this activity – simply hand the kids the garden hose and let them go to town. You may want to supervise to ensure that sharing is happening, but a garden hose will keep them entertained all afternoon.
5. Find a Pool: Head to the pool! Be it a pool in your backyard, a friend’s, or the community pool, spending the afternoon at the pool ensure that the kids have a great time, and are exhausted at the end of the day.
6. Finger Paints: Finger painting outside can be a great way to beat the heat! Set the kids up on a sidewalk with jars of paint and let them go to town! When they’re done, take a cue from #4 and get rid of the mess!
7. Go Ice Fishing: Freeze a block of blue tinted water with toys and trinkets inside. Once it’s frozen solid, give the kids some small tools and let them “excavate” the treasure! Digging through the ice will take a while and should cool the kiddos off!
8. Go On a Picnic: Have a picnic – with kites! Forest Park is my favorite spot in St. Louis, but there are beautiful parks in every part of the country. Pack up a picnic lunch, blankets, kites and frisbees and enjoy the afternoon!
9. Make Popsicles: Make your own popsicles to help beat the heat! Homemade popsicles are healthier than store-bought and cheaper too! Makes several different kinds with fruit for some variety. You could even have each child make their own, and hold a contest to see which is best!
10. Paint Rocks – Not Your Socks!: I know, I know, the pet rock trend is long gone, but painting rocks is a great way to keep kids entertained on the cheap! Make sure to have them paint outside – and use the hose to clean up the mess!
11. Make Ice Cream – It’s a Dream: Homemade ice cream is cheap and delicious – and there is nothing kids like more! Need I say more?
12. Feed the Ducks: Head to the closest park that has ducks with some bread crusts in tow. The ducks will love it, and so will the kids. Feeding the ducks is good for an afternoon of fun!
13. Wash the Car: This activity is my personal favorite becuase it combines chores and fun! The water is great way to cool off, and for some reason, kids love washing cars!
14. Outdoor Bowling: Seems unconventional, but setting up water bottles as pins and using any old ball as the bowling ball can be a blast when set up in the shade. You can do outdoor bowling with things you already have on hand!
Keeping kids entertained is tough no matter what the circumstances. But, during the heat of summer, it becomes even more challenging. I’m here to tell you that there are so many things that can be done to beat the heat during the summer!
Have you tried any of these idea, or do you have any ideas of your own?
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Great ideas here, RB40!!! We make lots of homemade popsicles – yum!! Hope your two week stint is going well. :-)
It’s almost over – Whoop Whoop!
These are some great ideas.
I think it’d be super-cool next to a zoo with free admission! We just went to the zoo last week, and for us, it’s a 2-hour drive. So there’s gas, plus the toll bridge, plus admission ($37 for me and Mrs. Fund and the two kiddos).
Washing the car is a great idea; our kids (2 & 3 y/o) love to be able to play with the hose and splash in the puddles and get the car soapy.
We make our own popsicles with just plain water– the kids don’t care (at this point, anyway) that they’re just icicles, and then there’s no sticky faces or fingers to clean up!
We have a few neighborhood pools and they provide a fun way to cool off for the kids. I don’t always swim but I usually put my feet in. Ahhhhhh…….
Some great ideas here – particularly like the ice fishing idea…my kids would love that! Thanks so much for linking this up to the Parenting Pin it Party this week. xx
These are all great ways to beat the heat frugally this year!
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
As a kid my parents used to let us run through the sprinklers during the summer time. Whenever it was time to water the lawn we would put on our swimsuits and run through them.