Dear moms,
Our family has been looking for free or inexpensive things to do in our area this summer. Many of these ideas were sent to me after I posted this question on Facebook.
While most of you do not live near Orlando to visit some of these specific places, hopefully this will give you ideas to look for where you live. If you do live in the Orlando area, send me an e-mail and I will put you on my list to receive local announcements of events, home schooling stuff, etc.
Let me know if you have ideas to add to this list!
- Serve your neighbors -- there are plenty of elderly folks, widows, single moms who need free or reduced price yard work, home cleaning, errands, etc.
- Get together with friends, old or new. Invite someone to your house for some old-fashioned hospitality. Go out and meet your neighbors!
- Join your public library's summer reading incentive program.
- Start a blog about your favorite hobby.
- Try crafts, gardening, nature photography or another new hobby.
- Do home decorating and improvement projects.
- Challenge yourself to read the New Testament all the way through, or memorize a whole chapter
- Find web sites for local events (Orlando area: http://www.
orlandosbestdeals.com/2011/05/ inexpensive-things-to-do-in- orlando-year-of-the- staycation/) - Go to Regal Cinemas $1 summer movies on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (selected kids movies like How to Train Your Dragon, Charlotte's Web, Mega Mind, Tale of Despereaux, Ramona and Beezus, and more...) http://www.regmovies.
com/summermovieexpress/ - Enjoy free AMC Bowling for kids -- 2 free games each day, just pay for the shoes - http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/
all_centers.php - Visit as many free public parks as you can, at least one a week. Bring old bread for the ducks, if there are any. (Orlando area: Maitland, Big Tree, Secret Lake, etc. See: http://
startwellhomeschool.blogspot. com/2011/05/florida-field- trips-4-secret-lake-park.html) - Tour botanical gardens (Orlando area: Leu Gardens -- free on first Monday of each month -- the Leu House museum is a wonderful field trip in itself, but will be closed in July http://www.leugardens.
org/) - Get wet at a splash park.
- Learn and have fun at a science or history museum. (Orlando area: Orlando Science Center at www.osc.org - $125 annual family membership, lots of huge screen movies -- if you join, you can use your pass at other museums around the country!)
- Join the YMCA (ask about scholarship based on family size and income).
- Go tubing or canoeing. (Orlando area: Wekiva, Rock Springs / Kelly Park)
- Visit an art museum (Orlando area: Morse Museum with Tiffany stained glass and more American art, free for kids under age 12, $1 for students with ID, $5 for adults, closed Mondays http://www.
morsemuseum.org/visit/visit. html)
Leave a comment with your ideas! Include web links if you can!
Thanks!
Virginia Knowles
Oh, I had forgotten about the $1 movies!! I heard about it last year, but never had a chance to go, but maybe this year! :) We love to go to parks and beaches and to walk on trails. One thing that is fun at the beach is collecting sea glass. We also really enjoy taking pictures of nature. It's against the law to feed the ducks where we live, but I remember being able to do it when I was a little girl. Anyway, you have a fun list.... Thank you for sharing! :-)
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