A Few Free Activities for Kids

Whether in school, out of school, or after school, kids demand a lot of attention. It falls to the parents, caregiver, babysitter, or sometimes even older siblings, to entertain these energetic children. Some people think that you need to spend a lot of money on expensive toys or outings to enrich and entertain children. After spending a lot of time with children, I can tell you that this is not the case. There are free activities for kids that they enjoy just as much as ones that cost some, or even a lot, or money.

I found this out with some of my friends' kids. They had just gotten back from an expensive play land. You know, the kind with expansive plastic tube mazes, mild thrill rides, such as carousals, and tea cups. She has three daughters, so the place cost her a fortune. I met her and her daughters at an outdoor cafe overlooking a small pond. The three of them were well-behaved throughout, both the play land and during our meeting. The only time the children acted up was when they had to leave. Why? The kids loved feeding the ducks in the pond near the patio of this cafe. I thought, wow, she could've saved easily over one hundred dollars and just brought the kids here.

Needless to say, one of the best free activities for kids is anything that involves animals. Children, as you might have noticed, are captivated by animals, both big and small. A free public zoo, if there is one nearby is a perfect day out. If none are nearby, consider a pond or park where ducks or other common wild (but harmless) creatures might be a big attraction. If desperate, consider a dog park, but beware as not all dogs are equally well-behaved around children.

There are several non-animal-related places to bring kids for free activities. For kids, many cultural institutions charge no admission; places like museums and other galleries. These public institutions make special care to provide interesting rooms and attractions for kids, including hands-on exhibits and smaller scale reading rooms in many public libraries.

Kids are expensive as it is. Adding a bunch of high priced amusement parks makes little or no sense when compared to the nearly endless options for free activities for kids. The incredible thing about kids is the power of their imaginations. Allow them to be in activities or locations where their imaginations can function and be inspired, and the kids will keep themselves entertained for hours; all the while keeping your wallet closed.