Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

As a single mom with two children, I know all about cutting costs! While I appreciate a quiet weekend at home, my boys don’t necessarily understand why we can’t always be doing something. One lesson I’ve learned is that it’s not really about what we’re doing, my children just enjoy doing anything with me.

Here are some of our favorite free family activities:

1. If your family is used to eating out, try a picnic instead.  When my boys are behaving particularly well (or particularly rotten and I need a break!) we spread a blanket in the courtyard outside our apartment and eat outside. It’s better than a restaurant because there’s no wait and we don’t even have to behave.
2. Turn your dining room into a restaurant.  After the 4,000th time I told my boys we couldn’t go to a restaurant, I half-heartedly suggested that they pretend we were in a restaurant.  They got a real kick out of it.  I made them sign in on the waiting list, called their names when their table was ready, took their order, then served them their meal (in my best snooty waiter voice).  I must have made a decent waitress because they invited me to join them for dinner!  The next afternoon, they surprised me by drawing a menu that we could all order from.  We play this game frequently now and they like to take turns being the waiter.  It’s a great opportunity for them to practice their manners.  If your children are older, let them cook you dinner and/or serve you!
3. Instead of going to the movies, have a movie night at home.  Pop a big bowl of popcorn, turn the lights down, and watch a DVD together.  You can almost always get free rentals from Redbox.  If my kindergartner behaves at school all week, then on the weekend my boys and I spread out sleeping bags in the living room and snuggle up with a movie together. (The added bonus is that when they wake up in the morning, I can turn on cartoons and let them lay back down so Mommy gets to sleep in a little bit!)
4. Many hardware stores and craft stores have free kids workshops on the weekends.  I’m always a bit nervous about taking two little ones to these things alone, but there’s usually a friendly store employee, a teenager, or a dad with an older child who is willing to help one of my children while I help the other.  Lowe’s Build and Grow, Home Depot Kids Workshop, and Michael’s The Knack are some of our favorites.
5. If your children are young, they’ll likely enjoy a recreation league or high school sporting event just as much as a professional event and it’s a whole lot cheaper. Of course, you can always head to the park and start up your own game!
6. Look for opportunities to volunteer together.  This time of year there are Habitat for Humanity builds around the country, nursing homes and hospitals almost always welcome visitors to sing, read, or just chat with the residents, you can find out about volunteer opportunities with your local animal shelter or animal rescue organization, the possibilities are endless.  You’ll have fun, teach your children valuable lessons and skills, and give back to your community all at once.  That’s what I call multi-tasking!

I’d love to hear about your favorite free family entertainment. Leave me a comment letting me know how you break the monotony without breaking the bank!