Looking for simple ideas for frugal family fun? Now that schools are emptying out for the summer, many families are scrambling to figure out how to keep their kids  occupied during the long days without emptying their wallets. Arranging for frugal family fun doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. There are plenty of ways to enjoy time together without spending money at amusement parks or expensive trips out of town.

Incorporate these money-saving tips into your family’s summer planning and you will create a summer full of memories while reducing expenditures at the same time.

5 Tips for Frugal Family Fun

1.  Purchase balloons from the dollar store and have a good old-fashioned water balloon fight. Your kids will have loads of fun hurling water-filled balloons at each other (and you!) while catching some summer rays. Dollar store balloons are inexpensive, so you can have a water balloon battle every week without spending tons of money.
2. Many dollar stores and thrift stores sell frisbees or other small outdoor entertainment items. Purchase an inexpensive frisbee, some bad-mitten,  and play some outdoor games like frisbee tag. Make a trip to a local free beach or park and take along your family’s outdoor items for plenty of exercise and fresh air.
3. Building a garden together is another fun family summertime activity that is relatively inexpensive. You can purchase seeds at the dollar store and plant a garden in your backyard. For families with limited yard space, consider purchasing inexpensive plant pots from a thrift shop or dollar store. Your kids will have loads of fun tending to their growing plants and potentially discovering a love for gardening.
4. Is it too hot to be outside? What about an indoor dance party? This is another awesome way to have fun during the summer without spending a penny. Plan an indoor dance party with your kids and choose a specific type of music and style of dance, e.g. country music/country dancing, rap music/rap dancing. If you want to make it even more special, you can make a whole evening out of it by planning a theme and carrying it over to your meal and maybe a few homemade decorations. Salsa dancing and tacos anyone?
5. If you are feeling a bit more creative, consider planning a scavenger hunting expedition outdoors, or even indoors at a location like a mall if the weather is bad. Make a list of all of the things you will look for and break your family into teams. For added fun, you can make it a photo scavenger hunt and take silly pictures of your team with the items that you find. Kids usually love this activity and you can easily change it up to make it different each time so you can reuse the idea more than once. For instance, if your kids aren’t squeamish, maybe consider a bug-fest scavenger hunt and look for things like ladybugs, spiders, and worms in your neighborhood.   Create a checklist of bugs to find and offer a tasty treat to the child that finds all the listed bugs the fastest.

Having family fun during the summer doesn’t have to bust your budget or cause undue financial strain. If you take a creative approach to summer holiday activity planning, you can make magical memories and save money at the same time.

What are your best frugal family fun ideas for summer? We’d love to hear how you make memories on a budget with your family in the summer. Share your ideas with us in the comments!

The team at CESI is committed to helping you make wise financial decisions and to helping you understand how to get out, and stay out of debt.  For a free debt analysis, contact us and find out how we can help.

This article was syndicated and originally appeared on the CESI Debt Solutions website.