Cheap hobbies for kids?

[samy23]

Any ideas?

[mommariffic]

What about joining or starting a community garden?
Depending on the age of your kids, these are always fun ways to learn about nature, spend time outside, and get some grub in the mean time!

[stealthmode]

Knitting or crocheting! You can find books for kids about either subject at the library. The internet is a great source for free tutorials and patterns. Yarn and needles/hooks (there are even kid-friendly versions) can be found at thrift stores or on sale at craft stores. If you are open to shopping at Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics, I recommend signing up for their emails--I get coupons every week.

(Disclaimer: I'm a knitter myself and therefore a little biased. )

[Ellien C]

What are the ages of the children? Do they have any interests? Is there anything that you like?

My husband and I shoot archery and we've bought a bow and arrows for our 6 year old daughter and it's been pretty cheap. We have to keep ourselves in arrows, but I'm learning how to make them. Her bow was cheap and we've had ours for years. It's nice to incorporate her into our hobby. I also sew and knit quite a bit but she is less interested in that.

[Landover]

Do you have a camera? We go on a nature walk about once a week and I let DS (3.5) take pictures of whatever he wants. We develop them at costso for about .10 each and he makes posters, notebooks, etc with the things he has seem. We often look up some of the stuff on the internet write things down about each thing. Today we learned a lot about "decomposers"

[sewchris2642]

Natural collections: leaves, pressed flowers, rocks, shells.
Cooking
Reading (get books from the library; add book series to birthday/gift giving lists; thrift stores or garage sales)
Photography (especially now that cameras have gone digital. Download to computer and burn onto disc)
Matchbox cars, dolls, other toys/stuffed animals (search out at thrift stores)
Sewing and needle arts (can get expensive as the skill level grows)
Scrapbook of vacations
Learn about your local history
Visit all the local places of interests--museums, battlefields, etc.
Gardening
Chess