Getting out of the house

I absolutely love summer time with the kids. No school, sunny days, late nights, sleeping in, and all the fun stuff that goes with it. The problem I run into is getting away from house work and getting out of the house. It seems that after about four consecutive days of staying home, me and the kids are to the point of pulling our hair out. We get stuck in a rut of doing the same thing day after day week after week, wasting away our summer. Days consist of housework, planning meals, making meals, kids doing chores, laundry, house work, laundry, more laundry , you get the idea. I am a HUGE fan of pinterest and have found a ton of ideas on fun crafts for the kids and activities but even after doing all of them, we just need to get out of the gosh darn house. So this last week the kids had made a list of fun places we wanted to go. Some places that cost a few bucks others free. On one of our adventure days we started by packing a lunch and snacks, then there is no need to spend extra money or for extra stops. We first checked out our local museum ,which we have been several times, but they change it up every once in awhile so the kids still love it. Next stop was the library. We got lucky and turned out they were having a special summer reading program and the kids got to make crafts after checking out some books. Since this was a pretty hot day we headed over to Sonic for a slushy ( if you don't know, from 2-4 everyday they are 1/2 price). So after this fun filled day for the kids they seemed to have got all their crazies out and were exhausted by bedtime. And as far as the cost, I spent $6.25. That included me getting into the museum(kids are free) and slushy price, not to bad right? So here is a list of some fun stuff you can do with your family this summer, even if it's just to go get frozen yogurt, sometimes you just gotta get out of the house to keep your self sane.

• Hit up your local museum. Some museums even offer summer programs for kids.Others may be more kid friendly than some, maybe look it up online before you go, then you can see about cost too.
• If live near the beach, it is a must! Building sand castles, looking for sea shells and flying kites are summer favorites.
• Go out for frozen yogurt or ice cream. What better way to beat the heat than with a frozen treat, yeah I didn't mean for that to rhyme and sound so cheesy but it really is a nice little venture into town that can help you keep your sanity. You could even use it as a reward for good behavior, you both win that way.
• Go to your local library. Most library's encourage reading over summer so also have summer programs for kids, and this is FREE! get some books and keep your kids reading through summer.
• Find a local u-pick and take the kids picking. It could be berries, apples or veggies but get them kids picking. Makes for a healthy snack or meal and supports your local farmers. Plus u-pick tends to be cheaper and sometimes has organic options.
• Check your newspaper for local events such as movie in the park, festivals and fair dates. Festivals tend to be free to get in with lots of free activities. Fair is not free, but lots of fun.
• If you live near chucky cheese, that's always a hit. If you sign up for their email club you will receive free tokens to print off for birthdays and through out the year.
• Take the kids for a hike. Another free way to get some fresh air and exercise.
• Go swimming. If you don't want to take the kids to the river or lake check and see if there is a public pool in your area.
• Go and see some animals! Either it be a zoo, aquarium, safari , duck pond, kids love to see animals. Call ahead or check websites for special events or discounted days.
• Recycle. May sound silly but my kids are still the ages where they like to help out so I gather up all our soda cans and they help me sort and turn in cans. When we are done they split what ever money we get back and they get to either save it , ha hardly happens, or go get a little toy or coloring book with their hard earned money.
• Go to the park and play. If you don't like the big crowds during the summer, go to an open elementary school and use their play structure, you probably will get the whole place to your self.
• If your feeling brave take the kids fishing. I don't usually do this by myself, my husband takes care of this one, but even if they don't' catch anything, it's fun to try. In Oregon kids don't require a license to fish but check with your local fish and wild life regarding your laws in your area.
• If you haven't seen friends or family in awhile, give them a visit. Kill two birds with one stone. Catch up with family and give the kids some play time away from home.

Remember you don't need a ton of money to do most of these things, so take a break and get out of the house this summer!