100 Cheap or Free Family Time Activities

You may find that you have more time than money on your hands, but don’t fret.  You can make some wonderful memories without spending much money at all.

Below is a list that can be attractive to many families regardless of where you live or how much you make.  The activities can be shared with a wide variety of ages and number of children.

If you have some great ideas, please share!

1. Memorize Books of Bible
2. Practice Spanish or foreign language of your choice-get videos from library
3. Practice Sign Language- library
4. Draw-again get videos or books from library- Ebony Penicils and white paper.
5. Paint- Reeves water color is a nice yet inexpensive watercolor paint. Use the 40% Micheals coupon.
6. Go on a Walk
7. Read a  Book Out loud
8. Microscope
9. Mad Libs
10. I Spy
11. Make our own books- Make up a story in rounds, illustrate and bind
12. Oragami-online or library
13. Dissect Specimens- get a fish from the grocery store
14. Tangrams
15. Lyrical Dance-dancing to music with lyrics- youtube some great songs and move away
16. Karaoke-youtube some Karaoke songs
17. Scrap Booking
18. Picture Albums
19. Organize Garage
20. Make Dramatized Tapes- make up your own story or read a familiar story
21. Impromptu Skits/Plays
22. Record a book on tape
23. Make a Movie/Video Clip
24. Meal lists- talk about favorite meals and write them down from breakfast/lunch/dinner/dessert
25. Memorize States/Capitals
26. Cook something Fun together- online recipes or library cookbooks
27. Learn Geography-library
28. Grammar Games-madlibs
29. Pictionary- Charades Use the pictionary cards for charades
30. Christmas Gift making- plan now and make gifts for family, teachers, friends
31. Boggle
32. Listen to books on tape-library
33. Act out a book as it is being read…out loud or on tape
34. Legos/Blocks/Lincolon Logs etc
35. Make Ornaments
37. Make Playdough..then Play with it
38. Go to Park
39. Go to Beach
40. Present a Speech
41. Memorize verses
42. Dress up
43. Kick ball
44. Catch
45. Tennis
46. Tetherball
47. Pickle Cross between catch and tag
48. Draw on Sidewalk with Chalk
49. Hopscotch
50. Hand Clap Games-library
51. Jump Rope-get a nice braided rope from HomeDepot
52. Tae Bo- videos from library
53. Sit Up Race
54. Push Up Race
55. Make homemade Ice Cream in a machine, can or ziplock bag
56. Have a Homemade Cold Stone Dessert Bar
57. Bake cupcakes
58. Make Rice Crispy Treats
59. Make S’mores over a candle
60. Roller Blade at the Park
61. Go Fishing it may be free on a local Pier
62. Make a Quilt
63. Plant a Flower Garden
64. Make Cookies then decorate
65. After baking a treat, go meet a neighbor and share
66. Camp out in Backyard
67. Look up Family Tree
68. Play Dominoes
69. Play Old Maid-Go Fish-Concentration-Uno or other card games
70. Make cookies for cookie exchange or decorate with friends
72. Sew an outfit or apron
73. Make Paper Dolls
74. Learn Music- Notes, Play Piano, Guitar together
75. Go to the Library..if you haven’t been there yet!
76. Make Paper Flowers
77. Make mini action flip books (Draw Pictures that look like they move when you flip the pages.
78. Work in Yard
79. Go to a pick your own Farm- pick fruit, veges or flowers
80. Make Jam/Jelly
81. Basketball
82. T-ball
83. Bike riding
84. Do yard work for elderly neighbor
85. Go to Retirement Home- sing, bring snacks, read them a book, play music
86. Building project- bird house, raised garden bed, chicken coop, dog house etc
87. Bird watch
88. Identify flowers/plants
89. Free DVD’s from Library for movie night, pop corn
90. Have a water balloon fight
91. Take turns telling jokes
92. Call grandma and/or grandpa and talk…ask about how it was when they were kids
93. Have a slumber party
94. Watch the Perseids meteor shower on August 12, 2009
95. Relay Races
96. Black out night- a night no electricity is used
97. Do a Quarterly Cleaning Project
98. Do a Yearly Cleaning Project
99. Plant Propagation
100. Tea Party
101. Play in the Sprinklers
102. Make a Carnival- this is way fun if you really get into it!

Hope you have a happy and safe summer.