Keeping kids busy and entertained is not always an easy task, especially during the summer months when you have an 8-hour day to contend with!! However there are a lot of great things you can do together without breaking the bank!! (I have included links to some great products that I have bought on my own and we love. You can buy them as well through my online sales links) Isn’t it great when you can find kid activities for under $10 to do??
Visit a local lake– We go to ours often! After the inital cost of swimsuits, lifejackets, and toys (all of which can be done for cheap with clearance) it doesn’t normally cost anything to go to the lake!! It is one of the kid’s favorites to go do when it’s hot outside, plus getting everyone out of the house it can be refreshing for everyone!! Plus as mom it can be a time to recharge yourself, I know my kids always make friends with other kids while we are at the lake and play well!
Visit a working farm- This one is great, especially if you are in or near a rural community. Kids can check out the animals and learn how cows produce milk and chickens produce eggs. We are lucky enough to have friends have a near full fledge farm, last year Isabella was so excited to go see their new barn cats!
Food Coloring Liqua-Gel
Creativity Street Pre-School Brush
Food coloring paint- Who needs to spend a ton of money on paint for the kiddos when food coloring is inexpensive and works just as well, especially for younger kids. The great part is that it is non-toxic and cleans up in a jiffy. Just pour some different colors of food coloring into dishes, give them some paintbrushes and paper and watch their artistic side come out.
Plant some radishes– The reason that radishes work so well is because they are ready in just a matter of weeks and we know how impatient kids are. Radishes can be planted sooner after the last frost of winter. Children will not only love planting the seeds but they will be excited to watch the fruits of their labor grow. Plus you can also plant other things as well so the kids can see the different growth rates fo the plants as well.
Explore nature- All you need to experience all that nature has to offer is a bucket. Give the kids a bucket or pail and go on a nature walk. You can explore your own backyard or take a walk down the street. Let your kids collect things that interest them like leaves, pinecones, rocks or sticks. After you return home, give them a piece of cardboard and some glue so they can make their own collage of the things they collected. Plus you can make this into a scavenger hunt and give each kid a list with a small prize for those who find the most things.
Kids Play Tent Playhouse Outdoor Camping IndoorGold Armour 135 Lumens Portable LED Camping Lantern Flashlight, 4-Pack
Camp inside- On a day that is dark and rainy, set up a campsite in your living room. You can make a tent with them out of sheets and blankets that are draped over furniture. Bring in the sleeping bags along with blankets and pillows. Turn off the lights and tell stories and sing songs, we always have lanterns for power outages so the kids love to use them for reading!!
Movie Night- With kiosks for movies under $2 and frugal snacks at home you can have a movie night with the kids. We love to spread out blankets on the floor and watch family favorites and new movies we rent. We do a lot of air popped popcorn and sometimes bake up a quick treat as well for the kids to enjoy. (check out our Family Movie Night tips -> here and Cookies and Cream Popcorn -> here) It really is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my kids!
Visit Free Museums- We are lucky enough that my dad is a retired USAF veteran! My kids love when we are near bases to see what free museums they have there! We have yet to be disappointed and it opens up the conversation with them about grandpa’s job and the role the military serves in our lives!
What Activities for Under $10 do you do to keep your kids entertained???
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Leslie says
These are all great suggestions! We have some awesome local parks that we like to go to. And while it’s not inexpensive up front, we’ve started getting memberships to the local zoo. One of our kids favorite things to do as well is to go searching for kindling. They love to find branches and sticks that are just the right size for our outdoor fireplace.
Kate Hollingsworth says
I was just about to mention zoo memberships! It’s a big cost upfront but if you go repeatedly throughout the year it’s totally worth it! We take a big picnic (don’t buy food at the zoo – it’s way too expensive!) and kids under 4 are free ?
Laurie says
Fun and great ideas shared! Pinned 🙂 Have a super week!
Sandra Garth says
Some of these would work well for us adults also.
Mother of 3 says
Great suggestions!
Fiona Cambouropoulos says
With you on all of these. especially the working farm as that’s what we are!