Money For Children's Summer Activities

For parents of school-age children, summer can be a very expensive time.  Summer activities, camps, entertainment and shopping are all ways to fill free time but not without taking a toll on the family budget.  If you are willing to do a little “leg work”, there are ways to manage and limit those expenses.

GO TO THE LIBRARY
Aside from being able to check out books for free, many libraries have summer reading programs for kids.  Often, these programs have complimentary activities throughout the summer that are interesting, informative, and free.  Some of these programs include activities and theme nights for the whole family at little or no cost.

PARTICIPATE IN CHURCH PROGRAMS
Churches host vacation bible schools, mission projects, choirs, outings to ball games, trips to theme parks and any number of activities for kids during the summer.  Call around to the churches in your area to see what is available.  They are happy to have your child, even if they don’t regularly attend there.

VOLUNTEER
If your child likes being around other children, investigate opportunities for them to volunteer in day camps, libraries and/or churches.  This will allow them to participate in some of the fun activities while teaching them to work with others.  Also, this can provide service hours for students that need them for school.

HIRE YOUR CHILDREN
If there are things around your house that you are planning to pay someone to do, ask your children if they would like to be considered for the job(s).  If they are interested, set up an “interview” and question them about their skills and plans for the project.  If you decide to hire them, write down a basic contract that specifies the payment you have agreed on.  If you prefer, make the payment be expenses to cover activities, camps, or programs that they want to participate instead of cash.

INVESTIGATE SCHOLARSHIPS
Many camps and summer programs have funds available to grant scholarships to families with limited resources.  You may need to plan ahead to get access to these, but you should definitely ask about their availability.