Spring is filled with beauty and fun, but a lot of people may feel like they need to throw money into the season to make it exciting. There’s a lot of great ways to transform this season into savings though, and no, that doesn’t mean you have to stay inside until summer! With a few simple tips and a little looking around you should be able to find some amazing things to do that make the entire family happy. These ten ideas should get you started on the right path, but the sky is the limit when it comes to this season so follow your instincts and enjoy the fresh air as much as possible!
1. Geocaching
More and more people are jumping on the geocaching bandwagon and there’s really no surprise as to why! This hobby is part hiking and part adventure and it doesn’t cost a cent! All you have to do is log on to a geocaching website and follow the coordinates. You may have to a lot of leg work for some locations and others may require quite a bit of looking around, but when you find what you’re looking for it’ll be a definite sense of accomplishment. The best thing is, you can plan on doing geocaching based on the amount of time you have. A small task can be done while you wait on another activity, or you can plan the day around your geocaching hobby. You never know, you may even end up finding a treasure on one of your hunts!
2. Kites
Kites have been a popular spring activity for decades, which is a big reason why you should keep the tradition going with your children. You can buy a cheap kite at most dollar stores or department stores, so you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money on this hobby. You could also gather the kids together to work on building your own kites which will also make the activity a memory they’ll want to share with their own children someday. There’s a lot of free tutorials for this online and buying supplies shouldn’t cost you a lot of money. The best thing is, when you get your kite together you can fly it just about anywhere for next to nothing. Kites make great additions to a trip to the beach and are a good way to keep kids busy during a picnic!
3. Sports
Nice weather means it’s time to get reacquainted with sports again. Luckily, there’s a lot of variety that starts up in the spring so you can play just about anything you want! From soccer to golf, you may feel overwhelmed when choosing which outdoor sport you want to play each time you have free time. You may also feel overwhelmed by the price tag of some of the sports. Fortunately, a lot of schools will allow you to sign up your children for many sports at no price to you. If your school isn’t hosting sports teams then see if you can get a waiver to sign up your child for free at the local community center. Of course, there are also amateur teams for adults which will help keep you fit and entertained throughout the season. If you can’t manage to find a cheap way to join a team then make sure you enjoy the activities with your kids and plan playdates that allow them to get out and enjoy sports with their peers.
4. Scouts
One way to embrace the season is to sign your kids up for scouts. Again, there’s a lot of options here but they’re usually based on gender and age group. Generally, signing up for a scout does require a bit of money, but in most areas it tends to be affordable. You may also ask if there is a waiver to see if you can enroll your child for free. Some scouts will allow this, but some may still charge you for some items, such as uniforms. Many may ask if your child would like to participate in a fundraiser to help pay for their membership, uniform and badges, which is a great way to teach your child responsibility while also saving money on the activity. A lot of troops will allow your child to enter scouts for a reduced price if you volunteer to help out. This could mean leading meetings, accompanying the group on field trips or providing your child’s troop with snacks. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, these tasks will help you get out more too and may even become a great bonding experience for you and your children!
5. Pick/Build Bouquets
With all the April showers, there will be plenty of flowers which means you and your kids can enjoy decorating the home with their beautiful scent. If you’re growing flowers in your own yard then have the kids go out and pick their favorites. This activity is especially great for small children as they will generally want to pick the flowers anyway. Once the children have picked out their favorites find a vase and get to work. You may even consider asking the kids to make their own vase which won’t cost much if you make it out of clay! If you’re not sure how to start off your bouquet then look online. There’s an abundance of tutorials that can help you find the perfect steps to take in order to make your flowers look even more incredible. When you’ve created your masterpiece then use it to bring joy to your own home. You may even consider selling the bouquets or passing them out to friends and family as a gift. If you really want to make the children feel great, then prepare many bouquets and pass them out at a nursing home or hospital!
6. Volunteer Outside
As the spring weather begins to roll in, you may find the urge to spend as much time as possible outside with your family. However, you may also find that you run out of ways to entertain everyone. On the plus side, you’ll probably get a lot of outdoor chores accomplished but this work will probably run thin too! So, you may want to consider taking to the great outdoors to get some volunteer work in. There’s a lot of activities to choose from here. You can offer your services for building homes for the poor. You can pick up trash in a local park or at a school. You may even ask the community if you can plant some trees to help out the environment. If you have younger children then feed birds at your local pond or park with stale bread or crackers. You and your older children can also offer your services by asking to help elderly or disabled neighbors with their yards. Pulling weeds, gardening and mowing can help a lot of people keep their homes looking great when they’re having trouble getting outdoors without assistance.
7. Visit a Farm
One of the best seasons to see a farm is in the spring time! There’s a lot of new produce being planted and grown as well as the abundance of baby animals that are fun to watch. Try to see if any local farms are hosting tours for an affordable price. If you already know someone who owns a farm then this could be a great outing that won’t cost anything. Farms are great for children of all ages too. Younger children can help feed the animals and admire all of the newborns that are just starting to walk around. Older children can learn how food is grown and brought to the table, which is a valuable lesson that everyone should experience. You may also be able to secure horseback riding lessons or experience how farmers sheer sheep for their wool. The possibilities are endless on the farm which is why everyone should see how things are done!
8. Birds
Spring is filled with lots of birds chirping the day away. If you’re in luck you may even be able to catch some birds that don’t normally appear in your area while they’re migrating back home for the summer. One simple way to enjoy the birds is take out some binoculars and watch them. You may even want to photograph or draw some of them. To make things fun for the kids you can print out a list of birds, with pictures and have the children mark off which birds they’ve seen. Whoever has the most birds can get a special treat! You can also spend time spreading birdseed in your yard to ensure they all get plenty of food while they’re settling back in and tending to their eggs. Another fun task for kids is to build a birdhouse. There’s lot of tutorials online for a cheap houses or you can easily spend a little more money for a birdhouse that only requires a little work. You can also create a feeder for humming birds using sweetened water and a plastic bottle.
9. Go Camping
If you like to sleep under the stars then camping may be just what you’re looking for, especially if you have a bit of time off work. With the sunshine poking through you should be able to enjoy hiking and fishing without getting overheated or freezing. This can entertain your family for hours at a time, but if you feel they’re beginning to get bored try adding a scavenger hunt to the mix. You could also enjoy roasting food over a fire or singing traditional camp fire songs. These activities will cost you next to nothing which will help keep the family budget thriving. Before you go camping make sure you brush up on some of the rules involving extreme weather as often late nights could become risky, depending on the area you’re in. With a little know how though, your family can take a break from your fast paced lifestyle and get to know one another better by slowing down and getting some fresh air!
10. Browse Deals
Of course, spring does have a lot to offer that may cost you a pretty penny. Don’t let this discourage you too much though as there’s a lot of ways to work around a heavy price tag. For instance, logging into your favorite social media coupon page could lead you on several adventures that won’t just keep you entertained, but will also save you a bit of money on your spring time entertainment. For instance, if you’re looking for a fun date idea then sites like Groupon may help you book a group date at a vineyard hosting a wine tasting event. Family outings can be made even better too! For instance, spring time usually hosts hot air balloon rides, which is a fun activity that most kids would love to try out. Of course, you could also secure this coupon for a romantic getaway! There’s also a lot of education activities such as enjoying a honey making class or physical activities such as yoga and martial arts. No matter what you’re looking to do during the season, you should be able to get a lot of great ideas simply by browsing these special coupon sites!
Spring is a great time to get out there and try new things. With the weather on the fair side, for the most part, and all of the fresh and relaxing air, you may find yourself feeling happier than ever. The best thing is, with these great deals you won’t end up spending your rainy day funds!
