35 Free or Frugal Summer Family Activities
Yesterday was the last day of school where we are, so even though the official first day of summer isn’t until June 21, it’s summer around here for us starting today! And you know what that means—get ready for the onslaught of “I’m bored” and “There’s nothing to do!” from your littles. Luckily for me, my kiddo is in daycare during the summer days and he gets to go on all sorts of adventures and field trips. But, even still, I want to make memories together as a family. And there’s no better time than the long, sunshine-filled days of summer to make memories with your family.
What’s even better—making memories your family will cherish doesn’t have to break the bank. A little quality time and focused attention goes a long way. I’ve put together a list of summer activities that are free or frugal, and sure to fit any budget.
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1. Go Swimming
Swimming is a classic summertime activity and if you have access to a community pool, it’s totally free. Pack up some snacks to take with you! Or, hit up the dollar store for some affordable pool toys like noodles and beach balls.
2. Camp in the Backyard
If a real camping trip is not in the budget, try backyard camping! Set up a tent in the backyard, grab some lanterns (or flashlights if you don’t have lanterns) and set up camp. If you have a firepit, bring that along and roast some hot dogs for dinner! Or tell ghost stories around the campfire!
3. Visit a New Park or Playground
There are tons of parks in our city, but sometimes, we love to google new parks, or the best parks in our city, and go on an adventure. Some of the best parks in our town are pretty amazing. Pack a picnic lunch with you and make a day of it! Two of our favorites are below! How fun are they?!
4. Climb Trees
Is there any more quintessential childhood activity? Simple and fun, childhood summers just aren’t complete without a tree or two to climb!
5. Catch Fireflies
As a city dweller, I was probably in my 30s before I ever actually saw a firefly in real life. It’s such a fun, magical experience. There’s a park in town where they are really visible, and it’s so fun to see. We’ve never actually caught any, but just watching them is pretty fun. If you want to catch some, be sure your jar has air holes, and don’t forget to release them when you’re done!
6. Watch an Outdoor Movie
Outdoor movies are one of my all time favorite activities! Google your city and see if you can find some being shown in your town. You may even find a local community center or YMCA that shows “dive in movies” where you can watch movies from the pool. If you’re lucky enough to have a projector, you can show your own movies outside. Hang a sheet over the side of the garage, spread out a blanket, and pop some popcorn for a fun-filled evening. (P.S. a movie projector that allows us to watch outdoor movies has always been on our wish list!)
7. Run Through the Sprinklers
If you don’t have a pool in the backyard or access to a community pool (or even if you do!), running through the sprinklers is such a fun summertime activity. We used to love doing it when we were kids, and I bet your kids will too!
8. Water Balloon Fight
We love having water balloon fights! We fill a a big plastic tub up with water balloons and chase each other with reckless abandon. We love it! If you’ve got some money in the “fun” budget, then for $10, you can get these—which we use and LOVE! It makes 100 water balloons and ties them for you in seconds! There’s really no other way to do balloon fights!
9. Make S’mores
S’mores are such a classic summertime snack! And believe it or not, I was in my 30s before I ever had any. What?! We just never went camping as a family and never made any! What a deprived childhood I led! Hahah! Again, if you have any money in the fun or entertainment category, for around $20 you can get this s’mores maker, which makes making s’mores anywhere so easy!
10. Catch a Fireworks Display
Review your community listings for a free fireworks display around the Fourth of July and take in some magnificent views!
11. Free Community Events
Search your community for free summer events. We can usually find free plays, story time, and outdoor movies just by looking around. There are even free days at the museums on certain days!
12. Fly a Kite
Head outdoors with a kite. You can find pretty inexpensive kite options at the Dollar Store or even on Amazon. For even more hands-on family fun, make a kite using wooden dowels and newspaper. Frugal and fun!
13. Go on a Picnic
Pack up a picnic and head to a local park or even the backyard. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy—some sandwiches, fruit, and a big ol’ pitcher of lemonade will do just fine. Simply spread out a blanket and enjoy some snacks and time together being outdoors!
14. Visit a Nearby Beach or Lake
Living in Houston, it’s only about an hour’s drive to get down to the beach. It’s not the prettiest of beaches, but it’s still ocean and sand, and my family LOVES the beach. If you aren’t lucky enough to live near the beach, hit up a local lake or swimming hole. One of my all time favorite watering holes in Texas is Hamilton Pool, just outside of Austin. It’s so dreamy!! Check it out below! Yes, that’s Texas. And yes, it’s beautiful. My husband jumped off a huge boulder and through that waterfall carrying my 5 year old one year and I about had a heart attack!
15. Host a Family Game Night
Make use of your stash of board games and host a family game night. You could even do this every Friday or Saturday night over the summer and take turns letting family members pick the game. Screen-free quality time with the fam is the best!
16. Make Homemade Ice Cream
If you have an ice cream maker, like we do, you can use that. We always make peach ice cream for a big family gathering on the Fourth of July. All it takes is some ice and salt and the rest depends on the recipe. There are some mixes you can buy where you just add cream or half and half. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make your own ice cream using a baggie. Here’s a great recipe the kids will love making using just a few ingredients you probably already have on hand.
17. Have a Lemonade Stand
Teach your kids all about business by letting them host a lemonade stand! They can learn about marketing (how to entice people to come to their stand) and the costs needed to start up a business, as well as revenue and profit!
18. Enjoy Snow Cones
A fun summertime treat that’s affordable and delicious! Take the kids out for an affordable refreshing treat this summer!
19. Go on a Bike Ride
This is a fun and totally FREE activity everyone in the family can enjoy. Some cities even offer low cost bike rentals if you don’t own a bike.
20. Go Hiking
Put the electronics away and hit the trails for some quality outdoor time. A fun family activity that doesn’t involve screen time? It’s a winner in my book!
21. Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt
Print off a scavenger hunt from online or just make up your own and head out for an adventure. You can do this simple activity in your neighborhood-you don’t have to be anywhere special.
22. Go Fishing
In some places, adults require a fishing license. But, there are some places where you can take your kids fishing for free. Hit up the internet and see if you can find some affordable fishing spots around town.
22. Go Night Swimming
We love going swimming at night. Something about the unexpectedness of swimming in dark makes it extra exciting. We’ve even taken the kids to a summer camp where they have night swimming and fill the pool with glow sticks.
24. Build a Sand Castle
All you need is some sand, some water, and your imagination. Hit up the dollar store for some affordable beach toys to help you build your creation.
25. Play a Game of Kickball
A classic summertime activity. Round up the neighborhood kids for extra fun!
26. Make Root Beer or Coke Floats
A classic summertime treat! Place a couple of scoops of ice cream in a glass and then pour coke or root beer on top. Top it with a scoop of whip cream! This is one even the younger kids can “cook” and feel so accomplished!
27. Dine Al Fresco or Host a Backyard BBQ
Eating outside is so fun. Set up a table and some chairs in the backyard and eat dinner under the skies, with a fresh breeze blowing. If you don’t have patio furniture or the ability to pull a table and chairs outside, spread out a blanket. Go one step further and make it a BBQ. You can even go all out and invite friends and family and have everyone bring a dish to cut down on costs.
28. Slip and Slide in the Backyard
We made one a few years ago and it was a hit! Honestly I think the grown-ups loved it more than the kids. Adding soap to the slip and slide makes it nice and slippery and tons of fun. For three ways to make a slip and slide at home, check this out.
29. Go to a Drive-In Movie
Like I said above, I love outdoor movies! We’ve got one in our town that does a double feature for only $8/adult and $6/kid. You can’t beat those prices, and it’s so fun and old-timey to go to a drive in. Google it and see if there are any in your town. If you’re in Houston, here’s the one we love.
30. Glow in the Dark Bowling
We did this a few summers ago. It’s so simple. Head to the dollar store to get some glowsticks. Use empty water bottles and put a glowstick or two in each to be the “pins".” Use a hamster ball (also filled with glow sticks) for the bowling ball. So much fun! And relatively inexpensive, except for maybe the purchase of a hamster ball. Even still, you can get a 7” one for under $8 or a 5'“ one for under $7.
31. Play Hide and Seek in the Dark
This is a game my family loves to play, but we do it indoors. We turn off all the lights so it’s pitch dark and hide, while someone tries to find us. Sometimes we cut the breaker so no one can turn on the lights and cheat. It’s tons of fun—but is probably one for the older kids.
32. Go on a Family Walk
We did this a lot as a family when I was a child in the evenings, after dinner, while it was still light outside. Mainly because we were poor and there wasn’t much else to do! But, we did it as a family, and I still cherish those memories to this day.
33. Outdoor Painting
One of my favorite childhood memories was painting outside at my grandparents’ house. They would tape a gigantic roll of paper on the side of the garage, give us some water colors, and we’d go to town with our creations. A simple and fun activity!
34. Host a Family Field Day
This is SUCH a fun thing to do. Get some pillow cases and have a sack race. Grab a rope and tie your legs together for a three-legged race. Have a egg toss. Have races while holding eggs on spoons. There are so many fun and frugal events you can do! Take it one step further and award prizes for the winners!
35. Visit the Library
So many people have no idea about all the fantastic things your local library can offer. Ours does story time and arts and crafts, has a summer reading program, and has a nighttime story time you attend in your pajamas. You can even rent DVDs for free. Don’t forget about your library this summer!
Whew! And there you have it, friends! 35 ideas for free or frugal family fun this summer. What are some of your favorite free or frugal family summer activities? I’d love to hear about them in the comments down below!
