There are plenty of great reasons to have kids… and despite what some companies would like you to believe, they really aren’t that expensive.  Who else do you know whose day is made by a piece of jelly toast with butter?

With a long weekend ahead and summer looming, here are 5 cheap kid dates to help you enjoy some quality time with your progeny:

1. Take a Walk – Kids of any age enjoy fresh air and a nice walk with the folks. If you employ enough adjectives (magic! fairy! adventure!), even the most television-addicted kid, will easily be lured out of doors.  My kids and I go on “nature walks” which is really just a slow meander around a small forested area near our house.

2. Count Clouds – When I was a girl, my grandmother used to sit with me in the backyard and ask me how many clouds I saw, including which animals they looked like.  It’s unbelievably relaxing and you can do it in a park or a backyard anywhere (providing it’s not raining).  

3. Whiffle Ball in the Park – Is there anything more adorable than a teeny kid whacking away at a white plastic ball with a big yellow bat? Get the whole family or the neighbor kids in on the game.  And hit one out of the park for housebound parents everywhere.

4. Picnic – The joys of eating outside cannot be overstated.  And what better audience to appreciate a hotdog under a tree than your favorite toddler? Even if all you do is bring sandwiches and eat them on a blanket in your back yard, it’s an excuse to get some fresh air and avoid a huge messy post-meal kitchen.  Throw in some music and a board game, and you have a fun day for the whole family, all for the cost of food and gas.

5. Kids Choice Dinner -  Want to have some fun? Let your very young kids pick out and prepare what is for dinner.  Last night we gave this a whirl and ended up enjoying carrots, cereal, and toast.  Not bad for a couple of 6 year old girls who usually complain about dinner incessantly.  They were so very proud of themselves and I didn’t have to lift a finger (well maybe one or two).  

There are also wonderful on-line resources, such as Dancing Meatballs — a city listing of free /low-cost activities for families in search of some fun. 

It’s easy to believe that in order to do a good job as parents, our kids need to attend language classes, highly stimulating play spaces, and baby Mozart concerts. Truthfully, especially when young, kids mostly benefit from our time.  And when else will someone be satisfied with us just as we are?

For more activities that are free or low-cost, go here. 

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