HOW WE STARTED GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT SIMPLE LIVING.
This post is part 5 of a five-part series on frugal living.
Are you looking for some low-cost (or free!) entertainment options? Maybe some new ways to spend some quality time with your family? When money is tight or time is short, here are 72 ways that you can have some frugal fun.
Find Inspiration from these Categories:
Outside Exploration
1. Trail Hiking. Whether a walk, hike, or run, there are so manytrails just waiting for you to explore! You’ll discover majestic trees, secretive wildlife, delicate native flowers, and inspiring landscapes. Check out FloridaHikes.com here in Florida, or search online for your regional hiking guides.
2. Visit a National or State Park. Discover state and national wildlife treasures by spending a day at a park. You can start planning your trip at FloridaStateParks.org.
3. Picnics. Pack some sandwiches, chips and sodas… or whatever finger foods you fancy, and head outdoors. Explore local parks, or make your back yard your new favorite picnic area.
4. Foraging. I did this often when I was a kid. Usually in the fall, my family and I would go apple snitching or huckleberry-pickin’ and harvest wild-grown foods to eat or put up for winter. Over the years, I’ve picked wild apples, pears, huckleberries, blackberries, strawberries, elderberries, asparagus, and mushrooms. Plus, maybe a few more I’ve forgotten. If you’re unsure where to start, find someone local who knows what grows out in the wild near you, or read this article by The Florida Sportsman.
5. Fishing. There’s nothing like fresh pan-fried fish! It doesn’t take more than a rod and reel with some simple bait to catch freshwater fish. Fishing was another fun activity my family did as I was growing up. It’s a great time spent with your family, plus a delicious dinner!
6. Canoeing or Kayaking. Explore the Blueways (water trails) of your region. You can find a great map and information for Florida paddling at this Florida DEP website.
7. Bird Watching. Grab a pair of binoculars and head out into the wild. Or even explore a local park or your own back yard. Bird watching is a popular hobby. I’ve kept a checklist of birds I’ve seen since I was a kid. You can buy a guide book for your region, or find a birding app and just head outdoors.
8. Go for a Wildflower Walk. Learn about your local wildflowers and how to identify them. Once you start looking for them, you’ll be amazed where flowers take root. Often, I’ll see them growing in cracks in cement, against a building, and even up high in a tree. The Florida Wildflower Organization is a great resource for identification and learning how to grow your own native wildflower garden.
9. Day at the Beach. Here in Florida, we’re never more than 90 minutes from a coastal beach. Cocoa Beach has been our go-to spot for years. When we lived in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, Lake Norman was the place to go. In central Michigan, the Bay Area had great fishing and beaches. No matter where you live, there’s a river, lake, or ocean that you can explore.
10. Go Swimming. If you can’t make it to a larger beach, perhaps a local river, pond or even your back yard swimming pool can create a day of fun. Make a day of it and do some BBQ and yard games.
11. Backyard Camping. You can continue your back yard fun into the evening with a camping adventure. Set up a tent in the back yard, complete with bonfire and s’mores.
12. Evening Bonfire. If you’re not into camping, a bonfire, with a sing-along or ghost-stories is more than enough to create an entertaining evening with family or friends.
13. Star-gazing. While you’re out there, take time away from the bonfire to check out the starry night. Maybe drive out into the country where there’s no street lights and check out the wide, wonderful Milky Way and see who can identify the most constellations. A useful guide is GoAstronomy.com.
14. Nighttime Yard Games. There’s more to backyard games than soccer and tag, and games in the dark are even more fun, especially for kids! Try Hide-and-seek, Ghost in the Graveyard, and my favorite: Snipe Hunting. This Cornhole at Night game looks cool too!
15. Back Yard Obstacle Course. Playtivities.com has a great obstacle course article with many themed ideas.
16. Back yard Lawn Games. There are hundreds of games people play in their back yards with minimal costs. A quick Internet search can bring up some great lists. I found a great list at Good Housekeeping that included traditional games, plus new twists on some old favorites.
17. Back Yard Scavenger/Treasure Hunt. Create a treasure map or a list of clues that lead to an age-appropriate surprise for your treasure hunters. Here is a list of ready-made clues and treasure ideas.
18. Nature Hunt. Similar to a back yard scavenger hunt, create a list of nature elements such as acorns, certain leaves, flowers or whatever grows in your back yard or local park, and see who can find them all first.
19. Geocaching. Level-up your scavenger hunting skills by learning geocaching.
20. Sidewalk Chalk Art. Brighten up your neighborhood with some inspiring chalk art.
21. Walk around Your Neighborhood. This is one of my favorite things to do with my husband. An evening walk helps us relax, spend quality time together, and get to know some of our neighbors. Walks during the holidays are always fun, with colorful displays to enjoy. There’s always new flowers and fruits appearing in yards and flowerbeds as the seasons change.
22. Enjoy your community park. Take advantage of the small free parks most communities offer. Ours offers tennis courts, a basketball court, playground equipment and fishing docks off the small lake. What does yours offer?
23. Go Fly a Kite. A simple kite could lead to a lifetime hobby. Festivals and clubs are devoted to this ageless pastime.
24. Visit a Splash Park. If you don’t have one near you, a garden sprinkler and water balloons are the next-best thing!
25. Go for a bicycle ride. Here’s another way to explore your community or try a new bike trail. Our current favorite trail is the West Orange Trail.
26. Drive a Scenic Highway. The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is one of our local treasures. Check their website for schedule updates and access addresses.
27. Start a Garden. Grow something beautiful. Grow something delicious. Gardening is a great way to get outdoors every day, especially here in Florida where you can garden all year-round. Follow my Garden Journal Series to learn how I started growing a garden in Central Florida, what worked, what didn’t, and how amazing our sub-tropical climate is for growing food and flowers.
Indoor Fun
We can’t always get outside for many reasons. So, on those kinda days, try some of the fun indoor games and activities.
28. Play a classic board game like Monopoly, Clue, or Scrabble.
29. Build a puzzle together.
30. Learn a new card game. Try Uno, Crazy 8’s, Rummy, Pinochle, Go Fish, or Cribbage.
31. Have an indoor Picnic.
32. Make homemade ice cream.
33. Create a fun, family documentary video.
34. Sit down together and go through old photos or scrapbooks and share stories.
35. Have a family baking or cooking night.
36. Read a book out loud together.
37. Write and recite poetry or short stories.
38. Learn a new way to dance, then have a family dance competition.
39. Have an American Idol style singing competition or a karaoke night.
40. Try an online cooking or baking class and have fun learning a new skill.
41. Join a book club.
42. Make a family time capsule.
43. Create a family bucket-list.
44. Learn new jokes and have a Comedy Night.
45. Try indoor gardening. Start with a cactus or small houseplant. Terrariums are fun to build. Grow some vegetables in pots or explore hydroponics.
Kickin’ Craft Ideas
Making something handmade can be so satisfying. Crafts are a great way to express your creativity, learn or improve on a skill, relieve stress, and build self-esteem. Here are some fun, inexpensive crafting ideas.
46. Nature Crafts: Shell collage, leaf prints, dried flower arrangements, or wreaths
47. Get Artistic. Just a pencil and paper can bring out your creativity. Set up a still-life to draw of found objects in your house. An inexpensive watercolor set or colored pencils are also fun. Your local library will have many books on how to draw and paint.
48. Then curate a family art exhibition. Create a gallery wall of your family art, or take photos of your art and share online.
49. Make your own board game. The Spruce Crafts has some of the best instructions on how to get started.
50. Paint rocks. Decorate stones and set them out for people to find. Over the years, I’ve found several of these rocks, usually with inspirational quotes painted on them. They’ve always cheered my day.
51. Make homemade paper. A great way to recycle! You can make some awesome greeting cards with the paper you make.
52. Yarn arts. I learned how to crochet when I was eight years old. Over the years I’ve crocheted many items including hats, scarves, afghans and even snowflakes for my Christmas tree! It’s so relaxing while listening to a podcast or audio book, or just chatting with friends.
53. Paper Crafts. Some of my favorites include: Paper mâché, origami, paper snowflakes, greeting cards, and quilling. Explore Pinterest and Etsy for inspiration, or head to TheSpruceCraftsPaperCrafts for an amazing selection of project ideas.
Community Adventures
Many community events are free, low-cost, or discounted for children and senior citizens. You can find events near you online by looking for community calendars, chamber of commerce website, parks and recreation department, local colleges and universities. Search your local newspaper or visit your library for even more resources.
Here are some great options for exploring and enjoying your community:
54. Visit your local library.
55. Attend your library’s sponsored events.
56. Go to a museum or art gallery.
57. Explore your nearest science center.
58. Spend a day at the zoo or nearby wildlife refuge.
59. Explore a Nature Center. One of my favorites is Oakland Nature Preserve.
60. Visit your local history center and historic sites.
61. Stroll through a botanical garden. Leu Gardens has classes, tours, events and even free admission days.
62. Adults can spend some time at a local winery or brewery. One of my favorites is Lakeridge Winery in Clermont, FL. They have free Weekends At the Winery and wine tasting.
63. Enjoy an outdoor concert. Many communities provide free concerts, especially during the holiday seasons.
64. Support your local school sporting events and theatrical performances.
65. Attend a county fair.
66. In the fall, explore a corn maze or haunted trail.
67. Relax on a boat tour.
68. Go antiquing.
69. Shop your local farmer’s market. Winter Garden Farmer’s Market is my go-to place.
70. Visit a farm or petting zoo.
71. Attend an outdoor classic car show.
72. Buy some in-season produce at a U-Pick fruit or vegetable farm.
Our Top 10 Favorites
My husband and I do so many fun activites on this list, it was difficult to narrow our list to only ten.
- Trail Hiking
- Picnics
- Day at the Beach
- Walk Around the Neighborhood
- Enjoy the Community Park
- Go for a Bicycle Ride
- Build a Puzzle Together
- Nature Crafts
- Explore a Nature Center
- Attend an Outdoor Classic Car Show
What great ideas would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
Have a fun day!
Alisa
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