Fun and Budget Friendly Weekend Activities for Families
Workweek ends and what is there to do for families? Chances are, you will not have to go far to encounter fun and budget friendly weekend activities.
Brainstorm
What do you like to do? What does your spouse and children like to do? Create a list of hobbies and activities you enjoy. Once you have a list, start doing those activities together.
I’ve been planning little trips, excursions, and activities for my family for years now. Some of my ideas I share around the Labor Day holiday can be read here. While some activities require some financial planning, a lot of weekend activities can be fun and budget friendly.
Shop local
And by “shop local” I mean, look locally for ideas on free, fun, and/or budget friendly events that are in your area. For example, my town puts out a couple of papers: Homewood Star and the Over the Mountain journal. Both publications list local events and their costs. These types of publications give you a great starting point when deciding what to do on the weekends.
Sporting Events
Some people are already aware of the fun times sporting events provide. Admittedly, I am late to this game. With my 19 year old son starting college this past fall, my eyes have been opened to the fun and major production of a collegiate sporting event.
Did you know that some colleges and universities have some sporting events that are free? For example, Auburn University’s women’s soccer games are non-ticketed events. For me, locally, I have attended Samford University’s women’s soccer games for free. Colleges and universities put forth great effort in making these events a fun happening for all attending. Check it out!
Plan Ahead for larger expenses
To protect the family budget as much as possible, plan ahead for big ticket events. For example, Polar Express-like experiences require some planning ahead to reserve your spot and cover the ticket prices. Start thinking now about what your family would like to do in the spring (Easter experiences) and set a reminder for when you need to book your events.
Stay at home
It’s okay to stay home for some weekends. Life is in a constant state of business. It’s okay to plan a weekend at home. Watch a movie, put a puzzle together, or play a game. Another idea that might be slightly scandalous… plan a project that requires the help of the entire family. Good lessons are to be had in working together as a family. One weekend, our entire family worked to get the backyard ready for our son’s graduation party that we held later in the year. Teamwork makes the dream work!
Serve
During this holiday season, there are no shortages of charities that will welcome your family’s help and service. My family has delivered leftover food from restaurants to a local food pantry. This is an easy task and can be done with just your family. Reach out to your church or area churches and ask what ministries they have available that your family can serve in. Chances are, your entire family will walk away feeling positive about their service experience.
Don’t overthink it. Just give an activity a try over the weekend. Sometimes the best memories are made just by simply being together not necessarily spending a lot of money on an activity.
