Summer is great. There are a million things you can go and do. Summer can be a nightmare on the budget. Check out these free things to do this summer.

1. Geocaching – there are all sorts of websites that will show you local geocaching spots. My kids love to go on a treasure hunt to find these boxes and trade out trinkets.
   
2. Alphabet Hunts – Pick a place [the park, the neighborhood, inside at the mall, etc] and hunt for objects that start with each letter of the alphabet. Make it harder by making them go in order or backwards.
   
3. Go Bowling – okay, well unless you own bowling shoes, this one isn’t completely free but Kids Bowl Free is a fantastic program that allows kiddos to bowl two free games each day from late April through August – only pay for bowling shoes. We actually use this for our gym class in the late spring because the bowling alley isn’t too far from us and when I was in high school bowling was a gym class elective. We enjoy it all summer long too, especially on those rainy days or thunderstormy afternoons. Interested? You can sign up here.
   
4. Parks – even my oldest kiddos still enjoy the park. We often take drawing supplies or books with us but we’ve explore playground equipment, creeks, trails and so much more but just heading off to our local park.
   
5. Old Fashioned Game Day – grab a ball and teach the kids to play kickball. Have a piece of chalk? Make a four square court. Jump the creek anyone? This day is extra fun if you can convince Grandma or Great Grandpa to come and participate or share stories about when they were little.

Do you have any free fun summer activities? Let us know in the comments.

Keep it smart. Keep it simple.