If we are all honest the past few months have been tough with working from home and keeping the kids in school and entertained. Now that schools are closed it’s even tougher to find things to keep the kids occupied. For most states daycare and summer camp is not an option so finding things to do with the kids is a must. I came up with 10 cheap things do with kids outside not only to get them out of the house but also to keep them active.
If there is one thing that’s important it’s keeping kids active and engaged outside of a television, YouTube and gaming setup. Use these activities to get the kids running around and breathing some fresh air. Get them dirty and let them enjoy their childhood outside.
These activities are inexpensive and just require an investment of time and creativity. Also remember that if the kids are worn out at the end of the day, you’ll get a chance to relax later in the evening. I will include estimates of how much setting up some these things is for reference.
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Cheap Things to Do with Kids Outside
Set up Obstacle Courses
This can be a themed obstacle course depending on what your kids like. Make it as engaging as possible to make sure the kids stay entertained and ensure that the difficulty level matches their age as well. This can be a fun DIY project and there are so many to choose from. From sackcloth games, cones, buckets to crawl tunnels the games can be so much fun.
I set up a series of buckets to fill water in and then I added a crawl tunnel with a kiddie pool at the end to finish the course. This ensured that the kids could cool down after all the running. I would try to do a slide now as my nephew is a little older to slide on.
Price: $0 – $50. I like this set up here because of the price point and easy set up.
Organize a Scavenger Hunt
This is a great game for keeping kids occupied for a few hours and to encourage some friendly competition. If you can set up a contest with rewards at the end of the game it will ensure that kids stay motivated to find all the items in the hunt. I would suggest making the rewards fun too like making the loser do more chores or really nice prizes.
For this idea it would be wise to keep the items in the scavenger hunt age appropriate to keep the kids interested. The great things about this idea is that it’s inexpensive as you can hunt for things you already own with clues that only people in your home would know. How fun is that?!
Bubble Machine
These are so fun for younger kids because all kids love bubbles. The clean up is minimal and the kids can run around for hours chasing bubbles. During the summer a bubble machine would be fun to put by the pool if you have one and if you don’t it’s still a fun easy thing to play with outside with the kids. This is the bubble machine we got just make sure you also buy the bubble solution to avoid having to make your own like we did.
Paint the Driveway/Sidewalk
This is another great idea of cheap things to do with kids outside. I genuinely love seeing all the cute flowers and different things that kids draw on their driveways and sidewalks. It’s great because with some chalk and temporary paint you can paint whatever you want and it will bring out the creativity in your kids. Also if your kids like drawing on walls the driveway is so much better. Another great advantage is that it’s an inexpensive way to have fun.
Use the paint below for some fun drawing that isn’t permanent.
Easy Hikes
If you are trying to get the kids out of the house and yourself as well this is a great idea for some family time and bonding outside the house. Get the blood pumping with some easy hikes near you house or even further out if you like scenic drives. I personally love getting out of the house and getting some fresh air and if you google easy kid friendly hikes near you will definitely find one. I love hikes that walk around lakes because you get nice views and a hike in all in one.
Cook Together
Set up a barbeque themed meal and grill together with the kids. Have them help to prep one of the meals or even do camp style cooking right in your backyard. The idea is to have them do what they can while being safe. Kids love fun little projects like this because they like to feel like they are doing ‘adult’ tasks. Also you can have them mix up juices to create fun flavors to drink while you cook your meals outside.
If you have a summer garden have them help with ‘harvesting’ the food you plan to make. This is not only a fun idea it’s also an affordable one that you would have been doing anyways so why not have the kids help out.
Ride the Bikes
Take the bikes out as a family through your neighborhood or even at the park. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and a little exercise. If you already own bikes put them to use. If you don’t own bikes there are some affordable options here and a great opportunity to teach the kids how to ride one. Also you get bonus points for using an environment friendly mode of transportation.
Build a Tent & Camp in Backyard
I absolutely love this idea because it so much fun and it can extend further into the night. It’s also a great way to teach the kids how to make a tent and general camping rules. It’s amazing how much kids love doing things like this because they aren’t everyday things. Go all out and set up sleeping bags and even make camping food. Tell stories out there and create great memories out there this summer.
Here is a great camping set for kids to play with.
Play with Water in a Kiddie Pool
This is a favorite at my house and it is inexpensive. I love that it comes in different sizes depending on how old your kids are. Kids can play outside and keep cool for a few hours which is great. Try this option here. Alternatively if there is a beach near you go for a visit.
Watch a Movie Outside
We saw someone post a photo of their family watching movie outside on their backyard and we thought this would be a great Friday night idea to get the kids outside and to do something together. All you need is a projector and a whiteboard and you can have outside entertainment in minutes. This idea requires a little bit of a set up but it’s such a fun thing to do with kids.
Try one of these ideas of cheap things to do with kids outside or try all of them. They aren’t expensive things to do which makes them great for frugal people. Get the kids outside this summer and have a great time together.
