Laughter is an Instant Vacation

Oh Thank Goodness, It's Not Just Me!

Rainy Day Activities

Rain sure puts a damper on any outdoor activity for the kids. Especially when there are strong winds and heavy rain and lightening. But finding some indoor activities can be a daunting task when the kids are rather picky and hard to please.

Here are some rainy day activities to try sometime:

• Do a jigsaw puzzle
• Read a book
• Color in some coloring books
• Play dress-up
• Have a talent contest
• Finger paint
• Make crafts
• Watch a movie
• Dance to some music
• Sing together
• Rummage through the toy box
• Make an inside tent/fort
• Play board/card games
• Tell stories
• Make your own word searches/puzzles
• Make/send a card to someone who needs a little encouragement/support
• Bake cookies
• Visit the library
• Go to the movie theater
• Visit a local mall and just hang out
• Visit family and friends
• Invite someone over
• Cook a meal together
• Go for a car ride
• Make paper doll chains and color each one different
• Have a tea party
• Play post office
• Visit a museum
• Visit historical buildings in your area

Anything to keep the kids busy and out of the rain when it's storming is a good thing.

Free Things To Do With Your Family

Times are hard for a lot of people right now. Money is tight and gas prices seem to be going up and up. But spending time with our children is something most of us parents want to make as lasting memories for them. Spending quality time together is a great thing to do.

Here is a list of free things to do with your children:

• Face paint
  
• Go to the library
• Have a picnic
• Visit a park
• Go on a hike
• Build an inside fort
• Have a pillow fight
• Bake cookies
• Make paper planes
• Play hide 'n seek
• Read a book together
• Watch a movie
• Visit a farm
• Write a letter
• Go to a ballgame
• Take pictures
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Write a poem
• Go for a bike ride
• Take a boat ride
• Take a walk and record the sounds
• Keep a journal
• Make music with your pots and pans
• Blow up balloons with notes in them and pass them out to others
• Camp in your backyard
• Help an elderly neighbor with some cleaning
• Learn a new language
• Make an obstacle course in your backyard
• Go on a treasure hunt
• Read a story aloud to someone
• Have a themed party with items you have on hand
• Clean up a nature trail
• Set up a lemonade stand
• Learn a new sport
• Have a runway show
• Play dress-up
• Have a family game night
• Make your own bubbles
• Plant something
• Paint rocks and build a rock garden
• Chase fireflies
• Catch bugs
• Watch the clouds
• Count the stars
• Host a yard sale
• Fly a kite
• Invent a new board game
• Build a time capsule
• Act out a play
• Dig for fossils
• Write a song
• Tye-dye some white shirts or white socks
• Paint a picture
• Write a story
• Start a new collection
• Go swimming
• Run through sprinklers
• Have a cookout
• Write a fairy tale
• Bird watch
• Roast marshmallows
• Create a new holiday
• Scrapbook
• Learn origami
• Tell ghost stories in the dark
• Finger paint
• Pick flowers
• Play with some clay
• Color in coloring books
• Make some goop
• Make play dough
• Build a volcano
• Do some magic tricks
• Volunteer
• Have a dance party
• Water balloon fights
• Explore the neighborhood
• Have a shaving cream fight
• Learn to juggle
• Have a tickle fight
• Play frisbee
• Draw on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk
• Melt crayons to different shapes
• Have a tea party
• Play in a creek
• Collect tadpoles
• Play with sock puppets
• Play flashlight tag
• Have a talent show
• Play kickball
• Have a walk-a-thon
• Visit with family and friends nearby
• Visit a local beach
• Play hopscotch
• Jump rope
• Play in the rain
• Play in the mud
• Take a tour of your town
• Take advantage of free concerts, plays, movies that go on in your town
• Go berry picking
  

What other things can you think of doing with your children that the cost is free?