Help with Cheap Summer Activities this year

[TIMMYS]

I only have a few weeks of camps booked for my kids (10 and 12). Just looking for some cheap ideas, free or low cost events etc. It can be in the surrounding area as well. Any ideas would be welcome.

[Sabina]

I think timmies has the free swims throughout the city. they normally put out a sheet at the counter with the dates time and where at

[sunny3]

Check out the library because they usually have a whole bunch of free activities. You may be able to find it on the website but i think it's called Access magazine, which you can get at the library. Registration is required for some of them. I did a search for all children's activities and I hope the link posts correctly. http://catalogue.londonpubliclibrary...searchscope=20

You can perform other searches for the library activities for specific libraries. Besides that: bike rides, picnic, bring them out to a berry farm to u-pick (there is a pamphlet with info on where to get what- visitor's information centre)... Remember that if you are low income you can get geared to income programs through the spectrum program including swim passes... Also check out your local community centre and neighborhood association. I know in my area the neighborhood association has a family picnic and BBQ with activities on one day in the summer. Some community centres have gatherings for things like free movie nights... If you have a car, go to the drive-in on the night where you can load the car and get one rate or go to cheap night at the movies. See if you can get open-gym time at a local community centre especially after 5pm. Buy some outdoor sports equipment from garage sales. Go for nature trail walks around westminister ponds. It really depends what your kids like to do. You can also find some time to teach them new skills like have them make their own popsicles or do some other cooking together (that's an important life skill). Sollicit their opinions on what they would like to do. Boredom comes from lack of structure too. If it's hard for them to entertain themselves, seek out their participation in helping you with chores so that then you can all go out and do something together. My mom would give us a time for when we had to be all set for the day (dressed, presentable, teeth brushed, breakfast...), which was usually 9am except for on weekends. If you have a car, see about driving out to the beach (pack a cooler to make it as cheap as possible). Buy some sponges- wet sponges go better for water fights than water baloons and it's not as expensive as running a sprinkler.

See about a structured routine with the day but also the week so the kids see things coming up that will be fun. Ask for their help in planning the week and include the things that need to be done like chores, grocery shopping and something fun they would like to do... You could also make a box and throw in a whole bunch of free or cheap stuff to do in it as ideas and have a child pick a tag out of the box every day (activities of 1-2hrs limit and a combination of inside our outside). If you manage to cheap out the rest of the time, perhaps you can splurge on one paying activity every couple of weeks. there have been coupons lately for East park and you can also often find some at the visitor's information centre. Invite another family for a picnic- sometimes just inviting another family with kids makes an activity more fun just because there are other kids to play with.

[TIMMYS]

Thanks for the ideas. The library link was awesome. I registered the kids for some really cool stuff. At least now I have a few days each week with something scheduled
Thanks again for all the ideas