Summer is here, so how about some fun and frugal summer vacation ideas? Here are some suggestions for how you and your family can spend your summer without breaking the budget…
Ideally, I think we’d all love to spend summer jetting off to some unique and exotic locale. Specifically, one that had better weather than where we’re living right now.
However, the reality is that we can’t all afford an exotic, or even pedestrian, summer vacation with our families. I feel this keenly as part of a family of seven. There is no cheap travel options when you need that many seats on a plane, boat, or car.
So, with summer upon us and five children that are feeling the freedom—and alas, boredom—of 2-3 months of free time, I came up with a list of summer vacation ideas to entertain, enlighten, and excite my brood… without busting my budget.
If you’re looking for ways to brighten up summer when travel just isn’t possible, I hope this list will give you some great ideas on how your family can enjoy summer right where they are.
10 Fun and Frugal Summer Vacation Ideas
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Museums
Museums can be a great way to spend some fun time together this summer. Don’t limit yourself to just the ones in your own city, but check surrounding towns as well. Some museums are a part of a network that allows one membership to give you admittance into different ones around the country.
My kids love our local children’s museum, and I love that they offer a summer pass when the yearly membership is too costly. If your kids are a little older, investigate science and tech museums, as well as art museums, in your area. If we approach these as interesting places to explore and without a “you must learn” expectation, kids will pay attention and have fun.
Splash pads
Our family loves the splash pads that can be found at most neighborhood parks in Las Vegas. I realize that this isn’t as common in colder areas of the country, but a community pool would work just as well.
These free fun zones where kids can splash, get soaked, and play with water on a hot summer day are great. It’s also nice because they get a chance to play outside with neighborhood kids and not melt under the sun. Summer vacation is characterized by our kids’ boundless energy, so take them here to burn some off. And pack a picnic lunch, so you won’t be tempted to buy something out of convenience.
Music/art lessons
Schools often neglect elective subjects like art and music these days, and this can happen while homeschooling as well. Spend the summer learning an instrument or practicing an art. Maybe one of your children is into calligraphy. You can purchase some beginner supplies and watch YouTube videos for instruction.
Or you can look into lessons taught by a professional. Check with local colleges that offer music programs. There may be students who are looking to teach as a modest source of income. You can even have your child teach you what they are learning, and you can practice together.
Lessons in a favorite hobby are a great way to have a fun and frugal summer vacation. You might even want to keep going in fall.
YMCA/Community Center
YMCAs and community centers are a great idea for the summer because they offer lots of programs for a decent price. Get a family pass and use the pool, join classes, and use the facilities to practice something you already do, like play basketball or tennis.
YMCAs also often offer summer day camps. These are usually much cheaper than sleepaway camps and a great way to introduce your kids to camp, if they’re not yet ready to leave you overnight.
Staycations
While staying with my in-laws once, we checked into the Hilton Waikoloa for a night just to enjoy the pool and waterslide. Here in Las Vegas, there’s a hotel “beach” that can only be accessed with a room card. Sometimes, spending a night or two somewhere special is as much fun as leaving town.
Take a look around your city and see if there are any summer deals that you can take advantage of. We get pretty hot here in the summer, so room rates are at their lowest during summer vacation.
Act like a tourist. Get a hotel, explore your town, and enjoy it with fresh eyes. But as a local, you have the added benefit of not needing to get a dog-sitter, eating out because you can’t store groceries, and needing to rent a car at the airport. Staycations are so much more frugal than out-of-town vacations.
Explore a (national) park near you
Hiking and exploring nature is the perfect way to spend a frugal summer vacation. Check out the parks near you, or if you’re lucky and have a national park in your immediate area, head there.
Look for passes that give you unlimited access or a network of parks you can go to. Also, see if there is anything that is offered for the summer months to keep costs down. By packing your own food, you are spending only a small amount of money to give the whole family an exciting and enjoyable summer activity.
Depending on your kids’ ages, they may enjoy hiking or just exploring the trees, plants, and animals that live in the park. If your park has any special attractions, don’t miss out on exploring them.
(By the way, I am not really an outdoorsy person, but even I like hiking and taking in the peace of nature. Hopefully, if you have a less enthusiastic member of the family, this might convince them to give it a shot.)
Passport to the world
There’s a subscription service called Little Passports, which I love the idea of (the idea because I haven’t yet tried it). But if you’re hesitant about the price, then recreate the idea on a budget this summer vacation.
Exploring the world can be super exciting and fun for your family—and frugal! Start by deciding on how you’ll do it: a country a week, a continent a month, or random choices after playing pin the plane on the map.
Then, I suggest checking Jamie C. Martin’s Give Your Child the World for an amazing list of books for different age groups that come from and are about various countries of the world. Check and see what your library has on hand.
Your summer vacation can be full of cultural exploration. Prepare food from your country of choice, read books about it, watch movies, play games that are popular there, dress in traditional clothing using what you have at home, etc. Make it a fun family event. When you can’t jump on a plane to visit a faraway land, this is the next best thing.
Nature Preserves/Zoos
Nature preserves, zoos, and botanical gardens are wonderful and frugal places to visit during summer vacation. They are usually flourishing and busy at this time of year and there will be lots to see (unless it’s a hot afternoon and all the zoo animals are napping—yup, that happened to us last year).
Look into summer or annual passes that will give you unlimited access. Instead of trying to see everything at once, enjoy one area at a time. Stretch out the fun and make it last all summer.
Many of these places also offer activities, like day camps and nature walks. Some zoos offer after-hours movie showings (but check that this is an all-ages event, not 21+).
Libraries
There are many things I love about the library, not the least of which is their free community activities. For fun and frugal summer vacation ideas, check your local library.
There are offerings year-round, but they usually amp up during summer. There are crafts, lego challenges, storytimes, movies, workshops, and concerts. If there are multiple branches in your town, make sure you see what each is doing.
And that’s just the extra stuff. I love taking my kids to the library to hunt out books to read and play in the toddler area. This gives them a chance to play with other kids their age while in the air-conditioned cool (a huge boon during these hot summer days). And the books… well, I’m a firm believer that summers were made for reading.
Vacation Bible School
My kids love, love, love vacation bible school. Our church offers it a week after school ends and it’s their favorite part of summer. Five days of singing, worship, crafts, water fun, playgrounds, and snacks—what’s not to love?
But this doesn’t have to be just one week in the summer. If you have other churches in your area, see when their VBS programs will be held. You don’t have to be a member of the church or of that particular denomination to register your kids for the fun and fellowship.
VBS programs are free, but I would suggest leaving a small donation to help offset costs. After all, your kids are going to be spending a few hours a day having a blast—where else can they do that for free?
(Unless you want to spend this kid-less time with your spouse or doing something else, check and see if they are offering a Mommy Bible study at the same time. I loved doing these because they were a great way to connect with other moms and have some adult time.)
I hope this list has given you some great fun and frugal summer vacation ideas. There’s tons of ways to enjoy the summer with your family while staying on a budget. So, give these a try and let me know what you liked best!
Do you have any more suggestions for fun and frugal summer vacation ideas? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Interested in reading more about frugal living and family? Check out these popular posts:
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