It's no secret that spending some quality time with your family these days means putting a solid dent in the old bank account. Fortunately, summer offers plenty of ways to get outside with your kids, have some fun, and save a few bucks at the same time. Sure, you can head to the beach all you want, but eventually your own sense of adventure along with the inevitable "I'm bored" comments from your kids will get the better of you and you'll be asking yourself, "OK, what next?"
Here are a few low-budget solutions to your summer doldrums that should spice up any lazy day.
Double Sessions
"I want to go to a football game." Those words have the power to strike fear into just about anyone parent's wallet. Calculate the costs of the tickets, parking, food, drinks, and even a team jersey, and you could be looking at a month of eating peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. Save the cash and get the inside scoop on your favorite NFL team before anyone on your block by hitting up the training camp. Most teams offer summer sessions that are open to the public, where anyone can watch players scrimmage, run drills, and sometimes get an earful from the coaching staff. Who knows, you might even score an autograph or two. Try doing that during the regular season.
Gamers Unite
Let's be honest here. You like to play video games as much as your kids, but with all the new titles it's easy to rack up a hefty bill at the store. Rather than spend another afternoon plopped in front of the tube, make it a real adventure at a video game convention where tickets are cheap and the characters come to life. Test out the latest games, pick up plenty of free swag (t-shirts and stickers, galore), and watch previews of upcoming releases on giant monitors in every direction. Don't forget to look the part, too. Creative dress is not only encouraged at gamer conventions, it's an art form. Just don't be disappointed when you see the reflection of your cyborg mask in the armor-plated cuirass of a seven-foot tall medieval warrior as he marches past you on his way to the hot dog stand.
Dig for Dinos
Imagine the look on your child's face when he or she discovers a prehistoric dinosaur bone. It could happen, and you wouldn't have to travel to the ends of the earth to do it, either. For about the cost of a gallon of gas, you and your family can get down and dirty while digging for precious artifacts at public archeological digs around the country. With just a couple of shovels and a bucket you could be the next Indiana Jones (minus the snakes and gun-toting bandits, of course). Most digs are affiliated with a local college or archeological society, so all it takes to track one down is a quick phone call or Internet search. Stay focused and get those jeans dirty. You just might discover some Native American arrowheads or an ancient village that was once all but lost.
Dying for a Good Time
Who says story time always has to be make-believe? For stories that will really stick with your children, take them to a local cemetery. Visiting cemeteries gives you and your family a chance to travel back in time. Walk past the graves of family members and suddenly you're laughing with your children about the time Grandma baked a can of brown bread in the oven and dropped it on the floor, making it shoot out like a rocket and explode all over the ceiling. You can play games by trying to find the oldest tombstone in the graveyard and then guess what life was like in the olden days. It's also a great opportunity to honor those who served our country in the past. Creepy? Not on your life.
Tech Time
So you think that GPS in your car is just for driving directions? Think again! Geocaching has made a sport out of hand-held portable navigation devices. A combination of orienteering and online social networking, geocaching gets you and your family out of the house and on the hunt for a cache (typically a container with a log book and small items of little or no monetary value). You can start by going online to one of many geocaching sites, obtaining the coordinates of a cache, and then using your GPS device to track it down. There's usually a good hike involved, so hand over the GPS to your kids and let them take up the hunt. Once you locate the cache, you can head back home and post online about your adventure or, if you're lucky, the cache may contain directions to another one nearby.
Wetter is Better
It goes without saying that summertime was made for swimming, and you're just as likely as your kids to do a cannonball into the local pond. But for a real adventure, seek out hidden swimming holes like waterfalls and bubbling hot springs. Start by paying a visit to your local outdoor equipment store for a look at some topographical maps or to chat with a guide. Then pack a lunch and hit the trail, because this summer 147 U.S. national parks will waive their fees and open their gates to the public for free. In the mountains, waterfalls with deep pools abound, offering plenty of chances for big air and priceless mid-jump photo opportunities. In parts of the Midwest and the Southwest, thermal hot springs help take the chill off cooler days and summer evenings.
High and Dry
Ski resorts are quickly learning that summer customers are just as important as winter skiers and snowboarders, and that means hot deals for you and your family -- not to mention some long-overdue adrenaline. Strap yourself and your kids into a full-body harness and hit speeds at close to 50 mph on a zip line, or tip-toe across the forest canopy along a ropes course with bridges and ladders high above the tree tops. Best of all, lodging is offered at drastically reduced off-season rates at most locations (check with the resort and be sure to ask for freebies when it comes to the youngest members of your family).
Jack Morris is a family man first and a writer second, living a quiet suburban life north of Boston, Massachusetts. He's currently attempting to teach his 2-year-old niece and his 4-year-old dog how to surf, but has had more luck getting his in-laws hooked on mountain biking.
