By now you know how to save money on family fun, but are you really taking advantage of all of the fun family free stuff that is out there? There are plenty of things to do, to see and to learn that can be geared toward the different talents and interests of yourself, your kids and the family as a whole. If your family isn’t doing them, you could be losing out on a lot of free fun.
1. Join free classes and clubs. There are a number of free classes and clubs out there, just waiting for someone to utilize them. Look around to figure out which ones you would like to do. There is no need to pay for activities or learning when free classes and clubs are available. Have fun creating new creations at the library’s Lego club. learn to sing with the church choir. Take a free flower arranging class with the local botany association, or plan a tree for free at the botanical garden. Create a free craft at a craft store, build a birdhouse at the home improvement store, or sculpt at the community center. You can also work on practical skills, such as resume writing or home canning. It is all out there to be had for free.
2. Volunteer for fun benefits. Volunteering just a few hours a week as a family not only gives you something fun and significant to do, but it also may give you other great benefits. For example, you may be able to volunteer at the zoo for a free family membership. Volunteering is one way to explore many different interests. Animal lovers can volunteer at an animal shelter, art lovers at an art museum. Volunteering will also gain you some practical experience that can be used later in life.
3. Start letterboxing. Grab a portable GPS device (there are a number of very inexpensive ones), log on to a letterboxing sight and take off for a lot of fun as a family. What is letterboxing? Participants all over the world get involved with leaving secret treasures hidden outside in boxes. These boxes can be anywhere from the hollow of a tree to hidden in the corner of a public library. Find the box and open it. You can take a treasure from the box and then leave a small one of your own. There is usually an inked stamp included in the box, so you can stamp your own journal for a record of your find.
4. Do outrageously fun home projects. Sit down as a family and make a list of the most outrageously fun home projects that you can think of, and then select a few to pursue. Why not build elaborate structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows or gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, icing and candy? Make your own slime or play dough, or jump in a mud hole that you create in your backyard. The more crazy the better. This is the stuff from which memories are made.
5. Design your own boot camp or sports team. Take competitive sports to the next level when you play by your rules. Get moving with the family and have fun, too by creating your own version of the olympics with fun events. Why not create a triathlon that consists of shooting hoops, stacking pennies and doing 20 frog jumps in a row or, decide to all learn a fun sport together to create your own team?