Free or low cost activities

Ok, so the colder months are approaching and I am running out of ideas for free or low cost activities for the twins. We have a very limited budget for entertainment and I have some physical restrictions (herniated disc's in my low back) that automatically knock some ideas off the list.

We tried the park last week (we have a free pass), but there were bees/yellowjackets everywhere. I am deathly afraid of them and Max is allergic to mosquito bites, so we didn't want to risk him getting stung. The twins are starting to get stir crazy and the normal weekly grocery shopping trips are not doing it for them anymore. They don't want to be in the cart and I can't control them enough by myself to let them be free. They play in our small back yard for about 15 minutes and then ask to come in.

I don't want to spend too much time watch Sprout or the Disney channel. So any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.

 

Do you have a local Rec center? I know here, a lot of the activities they offer are very reasonably priced.

Is there a play area in your mall? Or what about McDonalds play area?

 

Check with your local library for discount passes. Ours has passes you can sign up for and get huge discounts. I can go to the Boston Children's Museum for $8 for me and the three kids. We get them for the Aquarium and the zoo, too. Target also sponsors some events at local museums, etc, check their website. (They do $1 admission to the Children's Museum on Fridays from 5-9). We also do little nature walks, too. I have them look for certain color leaves in the fall, for pumpkins/Halloween decorations, etc. We kind of make it a little adventure walk. Check your library for story hours as well as check any local book stores (I know Barnes and Noble and Borders do them here).

 

We are/were on a limited budget. These are the things we have done in the past two years that were free/low cost---below are free unless noted


library storytime
science center/nature center classes (once a week or as you wanted to go, just pay what you went to) $2 a child
Border/Barnes N Nobles storytime
Humane Society storytime (monthy for ages 2-6)
Playtime at mall
McD's playset
Kids Museum on free days (1st Mon of the month)
Concerts in the park (June- Aug biweekly)
Farmers Market (free to go and look!!)
Vacation bible SChool (summer)
JJ Cardinals Bird store- $2 activity bi weekly, storytime weekly (free)
Free science center days (monthly)


I watched the newspaper for the following:

concerts
Saftey fairs
other events they may like....(our librbary had magicians/animal visits, etc a few times a month)


Things we did that cost $, but low cost---once in awhile:
indoor playcenter
rollerskate/stroller skate ($2 Tuesdays)


Things we did not do, but were available:

indoor bounce center ($5 for all day)
Movies (movie place had free movie Tue at 10 am-- old movies for kids)



I would watch the papers, age 1- 3 we belonged to a playgroup that was also free and fun!

Do you have Parents As Teachers in your area?? We joined and it was free. They had an indoor playroom and gym nights that were free.....loved it!


** at home we did a lot of crafty stuff....mine would play (and still will) in boxes for hours!!!! They started helping me 'cook' at age 2 (cookies) and other fun stuff. We would spend hours indoors....**

Rotate toys to keep them 'fresh'

 

What about Toy stores that have small play areas in them. We have some near our house, and I take them there just to play - and occasionally I buy something, but many times I dont!
Also, what about taking a city bus for a ride, or train?
Go watch the trains or airplanes take off at the train station or airport
Go to the post office and get stamps and mail letters (involve the kids in sending their own letters)
Go window shopping at the mall before the stores open (that way the kids can run and it isn't busy at all).
Playdates at peoples houses
Start a music group at your house or rotate with someone else. Everyone takes a turn bringing 10 songs with them and leading the group.
Local rec centres or gyms when they have free-open gym time (throw and kick balls around, or use the basketball or soccer nets).
Story time anywhere is almost always free.
Burger King or Mcdonalds play areas.
Go to the coffee shop and get a coffee - and bring snacks for the kids to eat from home (or buy and share a muffin), this is a big treat for my two and they will sit nicely and eat them.
Go to a local pet store and check out the animals. and fish - mine like to do this alot.
Any place that you can go and walk around indoors I go! Including clubs I belong to, malls, large stores, coffee shops.
If you have an ikea close by - mine have a great time in their kids area (both in the store where are they sell all the kids toys) and in the actual "drop your kid off zone".
We got for nature walks outside and take a bag or bucket and collect stuff. And sometimes we bring it back home and glue it on paper or cardboard.
Tea sets and water - we just put a few towels out on the floor inside and put the cups and tea pots on the floor and let them pour and spill all over.
Big container full of dried beans, peas, or any other substance that is dried and not a chocking hazard. Them I give the kids measuring cups, spoons etc and they pour and play with it for a good 20 min (and then they start throwing them - so I have to catch them before they get out of hand!).

Home activities - we have done lots!
Spreading stuff (peanut-butter, humous, creamcheese on crackers). Using kids knives. This keeps mine busy for quite awhile. Or even letting them cut bananas or other soft stuff with kids knives is also fun.
Scissors! I have been letting mine use kid scissors for months now and they are actually pretty good at it now.
Get old boxes and cut doors on them, and windows - and have the kids decorate them with stickers, paints, markers, whatever keeps their interest.
Craft projects - check out online resources, they always have templates etc for how to make - party hats, paper airplanes, clown shoes, masks, etc. I try and spend 10min the night before and get at least one craft project ready/day when we are at home.

Good luck keeping busy.

 

Lots of good ideas by PPs. A few other ideas:

If you are a member of a church check out what they have for children. For example, my church has playgroups (nearly free, we just contribute for craft materials and heating for the room we use), childrens liturgy every other Friday for the tiny ones. Sometimes you can even participate in activities such as playgroups even if you are not a member, sort of giving to the community by the church.

You wrote that you have a small back yard but that the children don't spend much time there. Have you tried doing "messy" crafts or water play with them outside? You don't have to clean up a room, you can dress them in mud-pants and let them paint (with water or colours), do collages with free material such as leaves and bark, plant imaginary gardens in a bit of earth with stones, twigs, flowers, leaves. Maybe they enjoy helping with the gardening such as sweeping paths, clearing leaves now fall is coming, watering plants. Do you have a sand box or a designated area of earth to build, bake mud pies etc.?

Do have a place to go where there is water? My littles ones love watching water - ducks on a little lake, a fountain, a little stream - and for now (they are younger than yours) are happy sitting in their stroller watching, not fussing to get out which would mean intensive supervision around water of course.

Music games, e.g. play music, have everyone dance and freeze when the music stops. Good indoor exercise on rainy days.

 

Thanks for the ideas so far. We are going to try some of the ones that are available to us here. I wish we could do the library or bookstore, but whenever Max gets near a book we hear rip and that is even the heavy board books. He loves ripping paper and we can't get him to stop.

We did do a water table and sand box outside all summer that were 1st birthday gifts that they were finally able to use. We had to do a wardrobe change after each play session, but they loved it and I learned that the crocs I got on clearance for $8 the prior season were worth the money because they washed right off. I will be looking for them again this year.

The worst part of play dates is that my friends with kids our age work opposite days as me. I have been trying to find something locally, but no luck yet.

Thanks again for all the ideas.

 

Check out meetup.org and see if there are any local moms or twins groups in your area! We go to the park and library a lot. I've also taken the girls to story time at B&N and Borders. Do you think you could keep them in the stroller for the story? I love the idea of a nature/adventure walk. GL!

 

Once the first frost hits (any time now in MI!) the bug quotient will go way down so you may be able to spend more time outside for a couple of months. We should have some nice days even until November. Do you have any apple orchards near you that do the whole "agritainment" thing? The orchard near us has a petting pen (free to look, $1 to pet), a hay maze, tricycle rides, etc. that you can do free. If you want to go pick apples you do have to pay, but you could also just stop in and grab some cider and doughnuts for a pretty reasonable price too.

 

Does your library do story time? Mine does and it's in a big room with no books to rip. They have toys that the kids can play with after. I love the play area at the mall or at McDonalds. We have a great playground my town just built that is completely fenced it. I just let them go free and check on them from time to time. We do lots of play dates with my friend's kids. How about joining either a Moms of Multiples group or a regular Mom's group. They usually schedule playgroups and outings. Taking a walk is always fun. I just saw a program for my girls to play soccer/games for 10 weeks for $125 for both of them. It's for an hour on Sundays, so dh can help. Sometimes, just letting them walk through the mall is fun. My girls love Play Doh and coloring right now. I'm going to get an easel for the winter. I'll be looking on Craigslist for that. Lots of great ideas from pp.

 

There was a post on her a while ago about craft ideas for little ones. I would see if you can find that. It had tons of ideas.

 

more water table ideas - add dish soap to make bubbles, add food coloring to change the colour. Buy a package of ice and let them play with it in different bowls.
I take boxes outside and let mine paint them.
water bottles are also good outside toys. And I have heard of people using colored water in them and letting the kids spray an old sheet with the color mixture.

GL

 

It can be tough depending on where you live! In my area there isn't nearly half as what's mentioned above, and meet ups consist of 90+ people that only meet at big public events so it doesn't help (and story time with 50 people sucks!).

If you have a children's museum nearby they often have memberships for $200 a year or so, which is much much cheaper than the local indoor playgrounds... those can be an option too depending on where you live (used to be $5 a child before I moved, now it's $10...).