What are your summer plans?  If you are on a budget, it is easy to simply plan to do nothing, but do you really want your kids going back to school this fall and telling their class that they watched TV all summer long?  I didn’t think so.

Not to worry, you can still have lots of fun and spend little or no money doing so!  Check out this list of 6 Free (or Cheap) Things to Do This Summer with Your Kids:

• Go to the park.  Most cities and even small towns have parks that are free to go to.  Pack a picnic and head to the park for a day (or a couple of hours) of fun.

• Splash pad. I understand that some splash pads cost money, but in my area that is not the case.  Most of our local splash pads are located in parks and can mean hours of fun for the kids.

• $1 movies.  Check out your local movie theater and see if they offer $1 movies throughout the summer.  These are typically in the mornings a couple of days mid-week. They are also usually second run movies, but you can still go into the movies for just $1 per person!

• Kids bowl free.  Sign your kids up for Kids Bowl Free and they get 2 free games of bowling each day during the summer.

• Go for a hike.  Do a Google search of local hiking trails in your area and take your kids on a hike.  It’s fun and a great learning experience, plus you are staying active.

• Summer reading programs. Look into the free summer reading programs at your local library.  This is often a weekly event where the kids get to learn and see fun entertainment. Plus, kids often end up with prizes at the end!  My kids won NBA tickets the last time we went.