10 FREE Summer Activities!

The kids are home from school and you're trying to keep them entertained without breaking the bank? Here's 10 activities you can do for FREE!

1) Lake Swimming!
Find a lake, put on your suits, and go swimming! Bring shovels and buckets to build sand castles. Pack a picnic lunch to make the day last longer!

2) Parks!
Visit parks throughout the state! You can go to parks with playgrounds and parks without. Set a family challenge to hit as many parks this summer as you can!

3) Backyard Camping!
Set up the tent in the backyard and sleep under the stars! You'll still have all the amenities of home but it's always fun to sleep somewhere other than your own bed, for one night! If you have a fire pit in your backyard you can really go all out and roast marshmallows for S'mores!

4) Nature Walks!
Take a walk around your neighborhood or through a local park and see how many different animals, tree's plants, etc you can find! You can even make up a Nature Bingo card to see who fills their cards first!

5) Bird Watching!
Bring a pair of binoculars and your listening ears! Head out to any place that has plenty of tree's and listen for different birds! See who can find the most birds at one time!

6) Water Fights!
Fill up large buckets with water and have water fights using common household objects like cups, bowls, or even spoons! If you happen to have balloons you can make water balloons and if you have squirt guns you can fill those too!

7) Star Gazing!
Take a later nap, if you have young children you want to include, and stay up late. Once dark outside take some pillow's out and lay down to watch the stars. See how many different shapes, constellations, or shooting stars you can find! You can also watch for different flying animals like bats or lightning bugs!

8) Picnics!
Pack up a picnic lunch and head to your backyard, a nearby park, etc. Make sure you keep cold things cold and bring plenty of napkins!

9) Mow
You can volunteer or even charge money to mow your neighbor's yards. Volunteering is a great way to spend your time and if you choose to charge, you'll get a bonus!

10) Obstacle Courses!
Set up obstacles courses through your yard! Use items you have around the house to set up fun olympic style games!

This is just a basic list of 10 FREE things you can do this summer! There are plenty more and you can adjust these to fit your family's lifestyle! You can also check out this list of 10 ways to beat the summer heat

What are your favorite ways to enjoy summer?!?