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Inexpensive At Home Summer Activities For Families

As we get ready for one of our first normal summers in a few years, many families are going in with a tighter budget than ever. With inflation on the rise in the USA, and families trying to replenish savings accounts, it’s no wonder we don’t see many people gearing up for huge summer vacations.

If you’re in the same boat as the majority, you’re probably looking for ways to save money, stretch your dollar, and even looking for tools to help you make the right financial decisions.  One way to help would be using one of many different calculators from SavingsCalculator.org. These calculators cover many different bases like how to calculate interest, estimate savings, college savings, and more. All of these things can come in handy to help you have a financially successful summer, and can be especially helpful for families that will have college students returning in the fall.

Summers at home don’t have to be boring. Even if you’re on a tight budget, there are many things your family can do to pass the time. If you don’t want to hear your kids complain about being bored, here are some inexpensive at home summer activities for families to enjoy.

Board Game or Video Game Tournaments

Does your family love to play board or video games? Hold a tournament. It creates a healthy level of competition that will keep your family from getting bored this summer. Whoever wins the most games by the end of summer could win a prize. Just have fun with it and make it something your family looks forward to.

Water Balloon or Squirt Gun Fight

Beat boredom and summer heat with a balloon or squirt gun fight. It’s a classic summer activity that doesn’t cost a lot of money. You can find water balloons in almost any dollar store. The only downside to water balloons is the cleanup. This is why many parents prefer the squirt gun route.

Cooking or Baking

Summer is a great time to teach your kids about cooking. You can get them in the kitchen to help make daily meals or to bake cookies. Small kids can help gather ingredients. Older kids can help with measuring. Preteens and teens can help with chopping and the actual cooking. Let your kids get involved in every aspect from meal planning to cooking.

Movie Marathons

Movie marathons are always fun. You can hit your local Walmart and find movie theater packs of candy for only $0.98. Pair these with drinks and popcorn and settle in for a day of movies. This is excellent for stormy or extremely hot days. Choose a theme and take turns picking out movies. If you have Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or another streaming service, don’t forget about all the awesome movies you can find to stream.

Crafting

Crafts are another inexpensive at home summer activity for families that everyone can get into. You can find craft supplies at your local Dollar Tree. You can also find craft supplies at yard sales and thrift stores. Before you spend a lot of money, search these places first. Try a different craft each week. Use Pinterest and YouTube for inspiration, or check out these crafts: Edible Play Dough and Paper Hyacinth Flowers.

Bedroom Makeovers

Last, but not least, do bedroom makeovers with the kids. This does not have to be expensive. In fact, just painting the room and moving around the furniture can make a huge difference. A gallon of paint is less than $30. You could then give each child a budget and hit yard sales, thrift stores, the Dollar Tree, etc. to find pieces to complete the look.
Summer at home doesn’t have to be boring. There are so many fun activities that the family is sure to enjoy. Whether you love a little healthy competition or want to teach your kids to cook, you’ll love these ideas for inexpensive at home summer activities for families