When you and your family are on a tight budget, sometimes one of the first things to be cut out is money for entertainment.
When our 3 children were small, my husband and I always tried to find fun things to do together as a family that didn't make a huge dent in our budget.
One thing we recommend is setting aside one night a week for "Family Fun Night". Turn off the TV and the phone and do something together. It doesn't have to be an expensive outing, but do plan ahead and let the children have some input into your plan.
Here are some ideas for 'family fun on a budget'.
1. Take a walk through your neighborhood. Say hello to everyone you meet, whether you know them or not. Point out to your children some of the beautiful things in nature, maybe the beautiful sunset, someone's pretty flowers, the clouds in the sky. Talk about how God made all these things.
Teaching them to enjoy and appreciate nature and simple things is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your children. When you arrive back home, have a simple thank you prayer and treat yourselves to homemade ice cream sundaes!
2. A great source of cheap entertainment is your public library. At our library, we can check out family videos and jigsaw puzzles as well as books. Check out a video the whole family can enjoy and pop some popcorn (maybe the old-fashioned way-- some children don't even know there's any other kind but microwave popcorn!)
Include a family from your neighborhood on this family night. Share with this family some things your family appreciates about them. Such as, the way they keep their yard pretty, how they take good care of their dog, etc. You might want to talk to your children about these things ahead of time!
3. Have a family picnic in the park. Let the kids help prepare the food--make sandwiches, pack an ice chest, make cookies for dessert. The town we lived in when our children were small, had a nice park with lots of playground equipment. It was a real treat for them.
While you have your picnic, read Psalms 19. Talk about the ways God is present outdoors.
4. During the school year, we took advantage of entertainment the school had to offer. For example, a couple of times a year, the high school band has a free band concert. The Christmas concert was always our favorite. Some schools have drama clubs that offer plays from time to time. If you live in a college town, you will have access to even more opportunity for free or low-cost concerts and plays.
The local high school football games are another form of low-cost entertainment. If you have small children you may not last through the entire game, sometimes we didn't, but we always tried to stay through half- time. The marching band always put on a show that the kids enjoyed! This is also a good time to talk with your children about winning and losing. And how doing your best is what it's all about--in life as well as on the playing field.
5. In the summer, set aside one night to make home- made ice cream. Invite grandparents to come over and talk about the "old days". Maybe you would even like to go so far as to make the ice cream with a hand cranked freezer. If your parents don't live close, think about inviting an older couple or person from your church family. They will enjoy it and so will your children!
6. During the winter months, when it's impossible to get outdoors, make some hot chocolate and let each family member read aloud their favorite chapter from the Bible and discuss why they like it.
7. Why not make one Friday night Mom's Night? Have the children prepare dinner for Mom. Do they think they don't know how to cook? Encourage them to make something simple like hot dogs or sloppy joes. Let everyone tell Mom what they appreciate about her. The same idea can work for Dad, too. Who says we should have Mom's or Dad's day only once a year?
I'm sure you get the idea by now. What you do on family night may not be as important as just doing it! By talking and playing and being together, you will be doing the right things to build love in your family. Keep it simple and make it fun!
--Good character, like good soup, is usually homemade!
