Spring is breaking through the cold weather all over the country, but you don’t have to let it break the bank. There are plenty of activities for you and your family to enjoy at little to no cost. So let’s put up those winter coats and have some fun!
Fun at the Neighborhood Park
A neighborhood park is a great place for many spring activities. There are plenty of things to keep the whole family occupied. With other family members or even the family dog, a Frisbee can be a source of hours of entertainment. Some parks even have baskets set up for Frisbee golf so you can play by yourself. Take a picnic lunch and invite a couple of friends. You might even make a few new ones at the park!
Many parks also have walking trails. Hiking is an excellent activity for enjoying the spring weather. If a park has a natural water feature like a pond or a creek, there will usually be hiking trails to make walking easy. In most cases these will be well marked with signs showing which way to go. They also have distance markers so you can keep up with how far you’ve walked. Remember that you have to make it back to the starting point, so only walk half as far as you want your entire trip to be.
Having Fun at Home
Gardening is a great family activity that can get you out of the house and into the warm sunshine. Vegetable seeds are cheap and you can even source them for free directly from the vegetables. Plant a small garden and tend to it throughout the spring. This is a fun way to experience nature with your kids and other family members. Plus this activity comes with an added bonus. You can eat the produce at the end of the season! Fresh veggies taste better than store bought, especially when you know you grew them yourself.
Hopscotch is a fun game to play with the whole family, and all you need is a piece of chalk and a driveway. Draw your game board somewhere flat and get started. You might even shed a couple of winter pounds in the process.
Cloud watching is an easy and free way to have fun anywhere, as long as there are clouds in the sky and no rain. You can spend all afternoon finding dragons and ships and castles, all you have to do is look up. Spread a blanket on the grass and lie down and watch. Bring a notebook and keep track of all the things you see, or make a list beforehand and try to find each one.
If the sky is clear and the sun is down, stargazing can be just as much fun. Make a list of constellations to look for, or find a free app that can show you where to look. You can even trace your own shapes among the stars and create your own constellations.
As you can see, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money to have fun in the spring. Many of the most enjoyable activities don’t cost anything at all. Sticking to your budget in the springtime has never been easier!