family fun without spending money

[mandib50]

i need some ideas about how to have family can have fun without spending much money. we do things at home but we really feel the need to get away from the house and have fun! dh is not big on walks or the beach (although he will come along on occasion). we live in a very rural area close to a town of 2400 so anything like museums/cultural events are out.

the only thing i've really thought of so far is picnics. and we will go camping a few times this summer. but there has to be something else. any ideas?

[Thalia the Muse]

I guess it depends on what you like to do! Here are some ideas:

Bicycling
Birding
Public pool, if there is one, or if there's a lake or ocean to swim in
Library
Backyard croquet
No concerts or Shakespeare in the park, huh?
Family sandcastle competition
Berry-picking
Some kind of sport you can play together -- catch, Frisbee, whatever

[mandib50]

my hubby isn't big on the beach and definitely not the swimming pool. we do berry pick, i like the bike idea. we do a lot on our acreage but want to be able to get away every now and again since i pretty much don't go anywhere except to town for the kids' activities and errands. gets kinda boring.

[annethcz]

When I am feeling bored, I like to get together with friends:
playdates
meeting at the park (everyone brings their own lunch)
dinner and a bonfire at our house
every once in awhile have a girls' night out

We go to the beach or to the town pool ($100 for a family summer pass) during the day while DH is at work.

On the weekends we:
camp
hike
hang out at the park- have a picnic, bring frisbees
go on bike rides
play volleyball or badminton at home
play tag or have water fights with the kids
go to the library
rent/borrow a movie and have a movie night at home, complete with homemade pizza for supper and airpopped popcorn during the movie

[woodchick]

Have you heard of Geocaching or Letterboxing? They might make walks or hikes a little more interesting.

Of course, it all depends on your location! Good luck!

[mandib50]

Originally Posted by woodchick

Have you heard of Geocaching or Letterboxing? They might make walks or hikes a little more interesting.

Of course, it all depends on your location! Good luck!

thanks for the links, i'll take a look into that.

well i'm not sure what i'm looking for cuz we already do a lot of your ideas
maybe it's just my attitude lately, i'm kind of looking for a change. i try and minimize the amount of time i drive because it's expensive and i'm already driving so much.

the library loves our family because we order so many books of the library system it brings them more money

i have no friends really so that rules out stuff with other people, and i do miss that, it would be alot of fun.

i will look into a badminton net and a croquet set, we already have horsehoes set up.

anyway, thank you for the ideas!

[lolar2]

Originally Posted by mandib50

i have no friends really so that rules out stuff with other people, and i do miss that, it would be alot of fun.

Are you looking for advice on how to make friends? Because if I were in your position, my first automatic thought would be "I have no friends really, so that means I need to do a lot of stuff with other people so as to make some." Exactly the opposite of your response to it. Unless you have done something that makes you shunned in your community, but 2400 people is enough that you probably can find at least one other person who is willing to spend an hour with your family once a week, assuming you aren't a serial killer or something.

[annethcz]

You know, I think that *trying* to meet more people might not be a bad idea. I learned a long time ago that even though I love my family, I'm a lot happier when I don't depend on them completely to meet my needs.

Could you start a book club at the library? A knitting club that meets at the bakery/cafe? You could probably place a free notice in the local paper, or hang up a notice at the library or grocery store.

[mandib50]

you guys are kind to help me with my social life . it is a different town ... i have a ton of casual acquaintances and have pretty much exhausted all means of meeting new people short of seeking employment - it is a fairly cliquey community and most of the people i already to know are busy and nothing has panned out into anything beyond an acquaintanceship even though i have tried. too bad my husband commutes to work, or i'm sure i would have the chance to meet someone through his job.

i seriously do not have time to start anything myself and there really is not much as far as things for adults (although i did try spin class for year but that was very expensive and yoga even more so). i go to the gym regularly but it's pretty much always the same people, and no one that i've really connected with.

the friends i have had all moved away but honestly to me it is not a big deal anymore, i don't have time to put myself out there and have nothing come of it, if something happens it will.

[AngelBee]

:

[mandib50]

i forgot ... i do have one friend but she is juggling 7 homeschooled kids so we hardly connect, but i think making the effort to do so once a month is a great idea i could plan something that all of us can do like some outside kind of game and a fire in out firepit.

[glorified_rice]

Originally Posted by mandib50

the friends i have had all moved away but honestly to me it is not a big deal anymore, i don't have time to put myself out there and have nothing come of it, if something happens it will.

I don't have any friends either mama, and that's exactly how I approach it too. As for family fun without spending....no advice there, but definitely taking notes here. Geocaching looks cool.

[lolar2]

Originally Posted by mandib50

you guys are kind to help me with my social life . it is a different town ... i have a ton of casual acquaintances and have pretty much exhausted all means of meeting new people short of seeking employment - it is a fairly cliquey community and most of the people i already to know are busy and nothing has panned out into anything beyond an acquaintanceship even though i have tried. too bad my husband commutes to work, or i'm sure i would have the chance to meet someone through his job.

I've been in that situation before, and I gave several parties where I invited a bunch of casual acquaintances. Did I make a bunch of new soul-mate friends that way? Heck no, I don't even look at their Facebook pages. But did I have a good time and increase my range of "possible family activities"? Heck YES.

[mandib50]

Originally Posted by lolar2

I've been in that situation before, and I gave several parties where I invited a bunch of casual acquaintances. Did I make a bunch of new soul-mate friends that way? Heck no, I don't even look at their Facebook pages. But did I have a good time and increase my range of "possible family activities"? Heck YES.

some of my casual acquaintances i wouldn't want to spend more than 15 minutes with
some of the other ones have said no in the past to getting together unfortunately. i'm not great at handling rejection so feel a bit gunshy about trying it again

[lolar2]

Originally Posted by mandib50

some of the other ones have said no in the past to getting together unfortunately. i'm not great at handling rejection so feel a bit gunshy about trying it again

Oh yeah, you have to keep asking.

[gruver]

maybe if you and the other unschooling mama could do a monthly "afternoon at the movies" with all your kids? movies are pretty cheap to rent, the kids get together, and you get adult conversation.

[slsurface]

Lots of great advice so far. I second geocaching. We do it as a family and with friends all the time.

Other ideas:
-kite flying
-visiting local town festivals & fairs
-visit a farm (or in the late summer, go to 4-H fairs)
-visit parks, gardens, and farms run by universities (these are often free to the public and geared for children/families) (we do this almost weekly around here)
-nature scavenger hunts/hikes (try local, county, or state parks - some are free or have small fees)

[RunAround]

Okay, so I don't have any fresh ideas at the moment except - get the kids in on it! Your kids are all old enough to help plan family entertainment. They could each plan a day, which could be a great learning opportunity for them and a chance to really share themselves with the family. Give them a budget (or the challenge of a no-spend outing) and see what they can come up with! Just an idea.

It can be hard to be open to new ideas and new people. Good luck with finding what you seek!

[mandib50]

Originally Posted by gruver

maybe if you and the other unschooling mama could do a monthly "afternoon at the movies" with all your kids? movies are pretty cheap to rent, the kids get together, and you get adult conversation.

i am going to try and get her and her kids to do something monthly with us for sure.

[mandib50]

Originally Posted by RunAround

Okay, so I don't have any fresh ideas at the moment except - get the kids in on it! Your kids are all old enough to help plan family entertainment. They could each plan a day, which could be a great learning opportunity for them and a chance to really share themselves with the family. Give them a budget (or the challenge of a no-spend outing) and see what they can come up with! Just an idea.

It can be hard to be open to new ideas and new people. Good luck with finding what you seek!

i am going to get the kids involved too and have them come up with ideas and then sit down and see what is doable.